TITLE:		FLEXIBLE ABBREVIATION EXPANSION
AUTHORS:	Gregg M. Stum and Patrick Demasco 
COMMENTS:	(c) 1992 RESNA Press. Reprinted with permission.


ABSTRACT:
This project is part of an augmentative and alternative communication
project directed toward reducing the burdens imposed on both
clinicians and users by traditional fixed abbreviation
expanders. These burdens include the requirement to devise and
memorize good unique abbreviations for the items that are to be
abbreviated. This is achieved by the application of a set of formal
abbreviation rules across the user's vocabulary in order to anticipate
the abbreviations that the user will enter. A flexible expander is
currently under development for the Microsoft Windows operating
environment. Being independent of any particular application this
expander offers consistent access to abbreviation expansion from
within any context.