Assessment of Picture Span and Feature Binding with Visual Graphic Symbols: Implications for Aided Communication Displays for Children with Complex Communication Needs

This study investigated developmental picture span and feature binding with typically developing children and adults during a visual search and retrieval task with visual-graphic symbols and experimental aided communication displays. This study incorporated a between group comparison design between third grade students and adults (independent variable) on measures of picture span and feature binding (dependent variables). This study was conducted at one public elementary school and one public 4-year university. Twenty-one of 29 3rd grade children and seventeen of 24 college-age adults met inclusionary criteria (age-appropriate cognition and language). Participants were shown a sequence of visual-graphic symbols on 4 X 4 stimulus grid displays. Participants were then asked to recall these symbols among distractor symbol items, by placing the original stimulus items in the correct location and sequence on response displays. Each individual symbol item was assessed in each trial for: (a) symbol recall, (b) location recall, (c) symbol location recall and symbol sequence recall. A two-tailed t-test revealed significant differences between 3rd grade and adults for picture spans (t(36) = 5.24, p <.001, Cohen’s d = 2.04). An interaction effect was found for features by grade (Pillai’s Trace = .52, F(4,33) = 8.98, p < .001, partial 2 = .52, f = 1.04), as well as main effects for feature (Pillai’s Trace = .84, F(4,33) = 43.62, p < .001, partial 2 = .84, f = 2.29) and grade (F(1,36) = 13.33, p = .001, partial 2 = .27, f = 0.61. Results revealed marginal differences with feature binding in comparison to previous work conducted by Wagner and his colleagues (2021) during their replicated study (with added auditory stimulus presentation). Nevertheless, feature binding (with a non-audio stimulus presentation) also revealed significant challenges when binding symbols to sequence, a much needed ability for children with Complex Communication needs when constructing multiple word syntactic utterances with communication displays. The author has no personal or financial conflict of interest with this research.