Date of Award

Spring 2026

Abstract

AbstractBackground: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) supports communication in individuals with complex communication needs, yet narrative discourse remains underexamined in this population. This preliminary study investigated narrative production and comprehension in AAC users using a standardized narrative assessment. Method: Narrative language samples were collected remotely from four AAC users across three sessions over a three-month period. Participants completed three tasks: a Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (MAIN) story tell task, a conversational task, and a copy and paste task. Narrative macrostructure, including story production and comprehension, were analyzed using the MAIN scoring protocol, while microstructural features were assessed using CLAN software. Participant feedback was also gathered to further evaluate the feasibility of using the MAIN with AAC users. Findings: Results demonstrated variability in narrative performance with comprehension scores stronger than production scores. Measures of narrative length did not reliably reflect linguistic complexity of participants. Conclusions: These findings suggest that expressive narrative tasks placed greater demands on AAC users than receptive tasks. This study provides initial data on AAC users' narrative abilities using the MAIN, identifies methodological considerations for examining narratives in AAC users, and evaluates the feasibility of using the MAIN with this population. Keywords: AAC, narrative, MAIN

Document Type

Master's Thesis

First Advisor

Szu-Han Kay Chen Chen

Second Advisor

Marisa Nagano

Third Advisor

Jill Thorson

Department or Program

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Degree Name

Master of Science

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