What We Do
Over one million individuals in the United States remain minimally-speaking throughout their lifetimes despite access to quality interventions. With a deep commitment to addressing communication challenges faced by these individuals, ROSCO (Rapid Online Sample of Communication) embarks on a groundbreaking initiative. Recognizing the persistent gaps in existing methodologies for assessing communication abilities in individuals with neurodevelopmental delays (NDDs), including those with extremely limited speech, ROSCO strives to pioneer a natural communication sampling paradigm. This paradigm seeks to capture the nuances of communication abilities remotely, providing a more comprehensive and personalized understanding of the unique needs of individuals facing such challenges.
The motivation behind launching the ROSCO lab stems from a profound desire to revolutionize the way we approach and measure communication in non- and minimally-speaking individuals. The conventional methods often fall short in capturing the true extent of their capabilities, hindering the development of tailored interventions. By introducing a new communication measure specifically tailored for this demographic, ROSCO aims to empower individuals with NDDs to express themselves more effectively and contribute meaningfully to society. This endeavor is fueled by the belief that everyone, regardless of their communication abilities, deserves the opportunity to be heard, understood, and engaged with in a manner that respects their unique strengths and challenges.
Our Plan
Through the ROSCO study, we propose a remotely-administered natural communication sampling paradigm called ROSCO (Rapid Online Samples of Communication). This supplemental study will be one of the first to remotely capture broad expressive communication samples – including non-speech vocalizations, gestures, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) usage – from NDD individuals, including those with extremely limited speech. This study will pilot a new virtual, semi-personalizable, natural communication sampling paradigm developed specifically for these individuals and will generate a coding scheme that reliably quantifies verbal and nonverbal expressions from this population.
ROSCO
ROSCO (Rapid Online Sample of Communication) is designed specifically for non- and minimally- speaking individuals. The study involves a 15-20 minute parent-led protocol that includes everyday communication activities like requesting, playing, and watching videos. By meeting with the individual and their parent/caregiver, we ensure that all communication is observed and documented. ROSCO is designed to capture total communication, including non-word vocalizations, augmentative technology use, facial expressions, and eye gaze.
