Evaluating the STANDUP Pun Generating Software with Children with Cerebral Palsy
Annalu Waller, Rolf Black, David A. O'Mara, Helen Pain, Graeme Ritchie, Ruli Manurung · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing · doi:10.1145/1497302.1497306
Summary
This paper evaluates STANDUP (System To Augment Non-speakers' Dialogue Using Puns), software that uses natural language generation to enable children with complex communication needs (CCN) to create and tell novel punning riddles. Unlike traditional AAC systems that rely on prestored phrases, STANDUP generates jokes dynamically, providing a "language playground" where users can explore vocabulary, rhyming, and linguistic ambiguity. The software was built on the JAPE pun generation engine but extensively adapted for accessibility: it includes an extensive phonetic lexicon, picture-word matching using Widgit Rebus and PCS symbol sets, vocabulary filtered by word familiarity, and configurable difficulty levels across six parameters (joke complexity, word familiarity, interface simplicity, speech prompting, symbol support, and task difficulty). The interface supports both direct touchscreen access and single-switch scanning with circular navigation patterns. Nine children with cerebral palsy (ages 8-12, all wheelchair users, eight using AAC devices) participated in an eight-week study with weekly 30-minute sessions. The user-centered design involved adults with CCN, speech-language therapists, teachers, and parents, though the children themselves were only involved in later evaluation stages due to fatigue and communication constraints.
Key findings
All nine participants successfully generated and told novel jokes with minimal or no support by the end of the study. Most achieved this within the first training session. CELF word class subtest scores (measuring ability to group similar words) improved significantly from pre- to post-study (t-test, df=8, p<0.01), with a mean improvement of 4.1 points out of 27. Eight of nine participants improved; one dropped one mark. Speech-language therapists and teachers reported a "knock-on effect" of increased day-to-day AAC use following participation in the study. Children displayed their favorite jokes in school corridors, initiated visits to neighbors to tell jokes (behavior not previously observed), and transferred jokes to their personal AAC devices. Anecdotal evidence suggested increases in self-confidence, turn-taking skills, and conversational initiation. The circular scanning pattern initially confused some switch users accustomed to row-column scanning, but all adapted and rated this interface component positively. Touchscreen users found the screen overly sensitive, leading to accidental selections. Voice quality received mixed ratings, with several participants finding the synthesized speech difficult to understand.
Relevance
STANDUP demonstrates that AAC can move beyond retrieval of prestored content toward generative language tools that support linguistic creativity and social interaction. For children who typically experience passive, response-only communication patterns, the ability to initiate interaction through joke-telling represents a meaningful expansion of communicative agency. The study highlights important design considerations for accessible language software: the need for multiple input modalities (direct and switch access), symbol support alongside text, configurable complexity levels, and vocabulary filtering based on word familiarity rather than just readability. The tension between novel interface designs (circular scanning) and user familiarity with existing patterns (row-column scanning) illustrates the trade-offs in accessible interface innovation. The research also raises methodological questions about involving children with CCN in participatory design—the authors used proxy participants (adults with similar conditions, typically-developing children) for early design stages, reserving direct involvement for evaluation. This pragmatic approach balances ethical concerns about participant fatigue with the goal of user-centered design, though it limits the degree to which children's perspectives shaped initial decisions.
Tags: AAC · cerebral palsy · children · natural language generation · computational humor · speech generating devices · language development · switch access · symbol support