Pinto, M., & Gardner, H. (2014). Communicative interaction between a non-speaking child with cerebral palsy and her mother using an iPadTM. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 30(2), 207–220. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265659013518338
This study examined how turns are designed between a mother and her 8-year-old child with cerebral palsy and additional disabilities (i.e., seizure disorder, strabismus, nystagmus, unknown level of cognitive functioning due to inconclusive testing). The child uses a tablet form of AAC that she cannot independently access. In the interaction, the mother first invited the child to make an open choice, but little time was provided and the child did not respond. The mother quickly shaped the interaction into a choosing activity that included four preferred responses on the device. The child used embodied resources to provide a response external to the AAC device, but the mother did not treat this response as relevant or meaningful. Instead, the mother designed slots for her daughter to participate with extended pauses following her initiations, and the child’s responses were interpreted as responses if they sequentially follow a suggested choice and were directed towards the AAC display. When the child did not confirm these interpretations, the mother narrowed the type of question and expected response, which resulted in a faster paced interaction as the child dismissed the proffered options.