Cybersafety: Educating individuals with aphasia or cognitive-communication disorders

Patterson, Janet and Bernstein-Ellis, Ellen and Glista, Sandra and Goldblum, Glenn and Pollens, Robin (2012) Cybersafety: Educating individuals with aphasia or cognitive-communication disorders. [Clinical Aphasiology Paper]

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Abstract

The Internet poses risks, also known as cyberthreats. Everyone is vulnerable to cyberthreats, including individuals with aphasia (IwA) or cognitive-communication disorders (IwCCD). When speech-language pathologists introduce Internet into treatment plans for IwA or IwCCD the ASHA Code of Ethics dictates they “shall fully inform the persons they serve of the nature and possible effects of services rendered and products dispensed”. Yet safe-use products and protocols designed to inform or educate IwA and IwCCD about cybersafety are not reported in the literature. In this project we examine cyberthreats and cybersafety as they affect IwA and IwCCD by1) reviewing literature on cyberthreats; 2) reporting anecdotes from IwA and IwCCD who are Internet users; and 3) proposing strategies to support safer Internet use. We examine information and knowledge needed to create adaptations and scaffolds supporting safer Internet-use for people with language/cognitive-communication disabilities, and propose strategies for teaching cybersafety concepts. Issues drawn from the human-computer interaction (HCI) literature will facilitate discussion of privacy, accessibility, and universal design (Hochheister & Lazar, 2007).

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