A Bidirectional Picture Exchange Communication System for Persons with CCN
摘要
Communication is fundamental to human connection. Individuals with complex communication needs (CCN), such as those with cerebral palsy, often face significant barriers to speech and language expression. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems address these challenges through the use of graphical symbols. In this work, we strengthen AAC capabilities by creating specialized datasets that support bidirectional translation between symbolic language and natural English text using NLP techniques (Sym2NL). The datasets are enriched with tense and narrative features to improve contextual accuracy. We also present PictoGen, a text-to-pictogram generation module designed to visually represent unfamiliar words or concepts. Together, these contributions support more natural, expressive, and accessible communication.