Enhancing Augmentative and Alternative Communication with Card Prediction and Colourful Semantics

Jayr Alencar Pereira, Francisco Rodrigues, Jaylton Alencar Pereira, Cleber Zanchettin, Robson N. Fidalgo

Abstract: This paper presents an approach to enhancing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems by integrating Colourful Semantics (CS) with transformer-based language models specifically tailored for Brazilian Portuguese. We introduce an adapted BERT model, BERTptCS, which incorporates the CS framework for improved prediction of communication cards. The primary aim is to enhance the accuracy and contextual relevance of communication card predictions, which are essential in AAC systems for individuals with complex communication needs (CCN). We compared BERTptCS with a baseline model, BERTptAAC, which lacks CS integration. Our results demonstrate that BERTptCS significantly outperforms BERTptAAC in various metrics, including top-k accuracy, Mean Reciprocal Rank (MRR), and Entropy@K. Integrating CS into the language model improves prediction accuracy and offers a more intuitive and contextual understanding of user inputs, facilitating more effective communication.