Transcript My presentation - Communication Matters

Spontaneous
Communication Using
Core Vocabulary
What is
• A software program
• Only available within Liberator/PRC
devices
• A way to organise language with the
goal of generative communication
What is
• Unity uses a small set of pictures
combined in short sequences to produce
words, phrases, and sentences
• Pictures are combined with a consistent
set of rules
• Unity focuses on high frequency
vocabulary.
• Contains both core and fringe words
What is
• The location for a core word is always in
the same place
• The most frequently used core words are
always available on the first screen
• Created to both follow and enable the
typical language development process
• Promotes spontaneous speech
Unity 60 Sequenced
core = 2,000 + words (includes derivatives)
activities = 2,000 + words
pages = 2,500 + words
Unity 84 Sequenced
core = 3,000 + words (includes derivatives)
activities = 3,000 + words
pages = 700 + words
Unity 144 Sequenced
core = 7,000 + words (includes derivatives)
activities = 2,000 + words
pages = 300 + words
Language Representation
• Spelling with Word Prediction
• Single-Meaning/Page-based Systems
• Multi-Meaning Icons
Alphabet Based Systems
• Spelling one letter at a time
– Simple concept
– Requires spelling skills
– Slow – keystroke intensive
• Rate enhancements
– Abbreviation expansion
• Memory conflicts, letter conflicts
– Word Prediction
• Not a rate enhancement (counter intuitive)
• Distracting
Single meaning pictures
• Each word requires a picture
• Easy concept to understand
• Most words are not picture producers
– Requires training (Try to use without words.)
• Each picture means one word
– Not natural (Romski & Sevcik)
• Severe organizational issues
– (Three year olds have a vocabulary of over
1,000 words.)
Manual
Page-based systems
Master Page
(Environments, Topics &
Categories)
Circle Time
Clothes
Communication Pages
Trips to: Dr. Office
Cinema
Beach
Zoo
Zoo Animals
Special Vocabulary Page
Months by……
School Bus
Master Page
(Environments, Topics &
Categories)
Circle Time
Days of Week/
Months of Year Weather
Getting Dressed
Winter Clothes
Dressy / Church
Activities
Zoo
Dr. Office
Zoo Food
Reptiles
Airplane
Grocery Store
Movies
Birthdays
Zoo Animals
Hospital
Use of the communication aid is deemed
successful though it is used only to retrieve
pre-stored responses in engineered
situations
The speech generating device is
less and less viewed as a tool for
broad-range, independent
communication
Engineered participation in
activities replaces
conversational use of the
device
New pages, designed and
implemented daily or weekly, require
the continuous participation of
therapists, parents, teachers and
aides
The student indicates a wide range of
emotions and preferences in response
to teachers and family through
gestures and facial expressions, but
rarely communicates beyond this circle
The student’s good pragmatics leads the
staff to believe she could use a speech
generating device to communicate more
independently and with a broader range of
people
The
Navigation
Maze
To avoid navigation, more specialized pages
are added – defeating the development of
motor planning
Initial trial on a multi-page system
encourages expectations for
independent communication
After a short time, the
vocabulary becomes too limiting
More vocabulary pages are
added with great care
Searching for words across multiple pages
is hard and confusing to the student. Her
staff decides to do more whole-utterance
programming
The student is unable to navigate
independently to and back from environment
and activity pages to find needed vocabulary
Unity has all 3 LRM’s

Spelling and Word Prediction

Single-meaning icons

Multi-meaning icons

A finite set of multi-meaning icons

Combined in short 2-3 hit sequences

To quickly access a large CORE and FRINGE vocabulary
Effective communication
requires

Sentences

Phrases

Words

Letters
How are you?
want
I need
Abc
All words are not equal
up
do
is
hibernate
have
Paul Revere
about
want
cylinder
am
Jupiter
a
who
scaffolding
down
Core vs. Fringe
up
have
is
about
do
want
Paul Revere
who
hibernate
Jupiter
a
cylinder
am
scaffolding
down
Generative Language is Based on
Core Words
• 80% of what we say throughout a day
comes from a small bank of 400-500
CORE words
• 20% of what we say comes
from a bank of thousands of
FRINGE words
Vanderheiden & Kelso (1987)
Core
•
•
•
•
small number of words
used for most messages
usable across many situations
applicable to children and adults
Fringe/Activity-Specific
•
•
•
large, huge number of words
mostly nouns
infrequently used
Example
•
Can we go to Starbucks© to get a latte?
Toddler Vocabulary Arranged by
Frequency
 Twenty-six core words
shown here comprise
96.3% of the total words
used by toddlers. How
many of these words are
commonly seen on
language boards?
Frequently used words
Interjections
yes
thank you
okay
no
please
what
where who
why
Adjectives
all
big
hot
same
pretty
new
right
Question Words
more
little
cold
different
old
wrong
when
how
Pronouns
I
you
he
it
they
me
she
we
Useful wordlists
• Stuart Beukelman & King (1997)
•Marvin Beukleman (1994)
•Katya Hill (2001)
•Banajee, Dicarlo and Stricklin
(2003)
•Sue Baladin (1999)
•liberatorsupport.com – click
CORE VOCABULARY WORDLIST
Referential language model
How many of you do this?
Referential language model
Referential language model
•Responses require specific fringe
vocabulary
•Temporary vocabulary
•Labour intensive
•Fails to provide for independent
communication
Descriptive language model
It, is, and, big, little, hot, cold, near, far
Descriptive language model
•Responses require high frequency (core)
vocabulary
•Requires use of permanent vocabulary
•Less labour intensive
•Enables independent communication
Language Models
Referential vs Descriptive
Referential approach
What planet is this?
Sun
The target word is
referential
Descriptive approach
Tell me something about
the Sun.
It is big and hot
The question is re-phrased
using the target word, this
allows a descriptive
response
It is important to understand the meaning of referential vocabulary
but it is not necessary to store these words in a device and have to
learn and remember where they are.
The descriptive language model allows the user to demonstrate
understanding and gives a teacher better feedback about progress
and comprehension.
What is an Anaphoric
word
Anaphoric word
•A pronoun or similar word
•Used instead of repeating a word used earlier
I bought a new phone, IT is brilliant.
I am off to London, I’ll call YOU when I get there.
We went out to dinner last night, I had steak, IT
was delicious.
I like playing games on my Ipad, I think I will
download ONE
Activity
RowFringe
Core
Where to find CORE and FRINGE…
status bar
Vocabulary Builder
•Available in Liberator devices
•Masks/Hides all words except the ones
you choose
•Allows you to start on a large vocabulary
with much of it masked and grow over time
•Masking allows for keeping learned motor
plans consistent
•Eliminates transition issues from one
vocabulary program to another
Vocabulary Builder
• A variety of lists of words are already stored in
the Vantage-Lite.
• Liberator also provides a number of predesigned vocabulary lists that are commonly
used or found in the AAC field.
• They have been created in TXT format so can
be imported easily into the Vantage-Lite.
Wordlist menu
Computer emulation software
Liberator website
• Visit the Liberator on the web:
WWW.LIBERATOR.CO.UK
Other useful websites
•
•
•
•
•
www.liberator.co.uk
www.liberatorsupport.com
www.aaclanguagelab.com
www.aacandautism.com
www.communicationmatters.org
Please contact us on:
Tel: 01733 370 470