ABSTRACT
A single-subject, multiple-probe experimental design was used to investigate the effect of instruction on the acquisition, generalization, and long-term maintenance of partner-focused questions (i.e., questions about communication partners and their experiences) by individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Six participants who had severe speech impairments and used AAC participated in the study; they ranged in age from 10 to 44 years, had a variety of disabilities, and used a range of AAC systems. Instruction used a least-to-most prompting hierarchy in real-world interactions and during simulations. All of the participants successfully learned to ask partner-focused questions spontaneously in social interactions; they required an average of approximately 6 hours of instruction (range: 3-11 hours). The participants generalized the use of partner-focused questions to new situations in the natural environment and maintained use of partner-focused questions at least 2 months postinstruction; one participant required some "booster" instructional sessions 4 weeks postinstruction to maintain her long-term use of partner-focused questions. The participants all reported high levels of satisfaction with the outcomes of the instructional program, as did their facilitators. Members of the general public, blind to the goals of the study, judged the majority of the participants to be more competent communicators after instruction.
Subject(s)
Communication Aids for Disabled , Interpersonal Relations , Speech Disorders/therapy , Teaching , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , VocabularySubject(s)
Family Therapy/methods , Neoplasms/psychology , Social Adjustment , Adaptation, Psychological , Attitude to Death , Child , Child, Preschool , Grief , HumansABSTRACT
The reactions of human hemoglobin A with methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec-butyl, and tert-butyl isocyanide were examined in the presence and absence of inositol hexaphosphate. As the size and bulk of the aliphatic side-chain increases, the relative association rates and affinities of the beta-chains for isonitriles increase compared to those of the alpha chains. This result indicates that the beta heme pocket within hemoglobin is more open and accessible to ligand molecules than the alpha heme pocket.
