Transcript Strategies for Emerging Communicators

Strategies for Emerging
Communicators
May 19th and May 27th
7-8:30
Barb Lark, SLP and ATP
Tips when taking an
Online Class
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If you use a microphone,
be sure it is turned off
when you are not
speaking.
Use the chat pod to add
information or ask
questions.
Signal a question or your
opinion using these.
Please…
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Let me know if:
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– You are having any technical difficulties;
– Anything interferes with your ability to
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(My cat may be howling in the background.
Sorry…)
Agenda tonight
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Who are Emergent Communicators?
Continuum of Communication Independence
 Why might a student be an emergent
communicator?
 Examples and case studies
 Our primary goal
 Vocabulary selection
 Likes and Dislikes Checklist
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Next week’s agenda
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Review Characteristics of Emergent
Communicators
Symbol assessment
Strategies – no tech to low tech
Who are Emergent
Communicators?
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Term used by Dr. Patricia Dowden –
University of Washington:
– “An "Emerging" communicator does
not have a RELIABLE method of
EXPRESSIVE communication
through SYMBOLIC language.”
– http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/0
3_cimodel/commind2a_emerging.htm
Important to know the
continuum of communication
independence…
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Emergent Communication
– We will talk about more
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Context Dependent Communication
– Uses symbols to communicate, but only with
certain partners in certain contexts.
– Relies on others to supply with symbols to use
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Independent Communication
– Can communicate on any topic with anyone
Back to Emerging
Communication
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“An "Emerging" communicator
does not have a RELIABLE
method of EXPRESSIVE
communication through
SYMBOLIC language.”
RELIABLE communication
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The child can communicate a message
he/she intends to communicate;
He/she doesn’t accidentally touch or
activate a message symbol, resulting
in an unintended message.
Reliability is critical for independence.
http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/03_cimodel/commind2a_emerging.htm
Expressive Communication =
Observable Communication
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It isn’t based on what the student
understands,
Or what we think the student means
to communicate.
It is only based on what we can
objectively see the student do.
http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/03_cimodel/commind2a_emerging.htm
What does SYMBOLIC
language mean?
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Symbols REPRESENT a concept, idea or
thought.
With symbolic language we can talk beyond
the here and now.
– If a student only points or gestures related to
things in the immediate environment, they are
not “symbolizing” beyond the here and now.
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Symbols don’t always need to be visual.
http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/03_cimodel/commind2a_emerging.htm
What would emergent
communication look like?
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Students engage in basic communication
behaviors like gestures, facial expressions,
body language;
The adults in the classroom try to figure out
the meaning of these behaviors.
The student may have a consistent way to
indicate acceptance, rejection and/or
continuation of something.
http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/03_cimodel/commind2a_emerging.htm
Why might a student be at the
Emerging Communication
level?
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Motor capabilities & communication device might
not be a match.
There might be a hidden hearing impairment or
vision impairment.
Adults in the student’s environment might have low
expectations and might not try AAC.
There might be few opportunities to communicate.
AAC services might have been abandoned
prematurely.
Some might maintain a belief in unreliable methods
of communication and not program for reliability.
This information can be found at:
http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/03_cimodel/commind2a_emerging.htm
Example #1 – Emergent
Communicator or not?
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3 year old girl with cerebral palsy.
Non-ambulatory, difficulty with fine
motor skills.
At snack time, gestures toward juice
pitcher. Pats a flattened box of raisins
and a pretzel that is under plastic,
then looks expectantly at teacher.
Example #2
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5 year old boy with diagnosis of
autism.
Pats a picture of a graham cracker.
Plays with cracker when it is given to
him.
Pats a picture of a cup, then pushes
away cup when it is given to him.
Pats a picture of a gummy bear, then
eats it when it is provided.
14 year old girl with
developmental disability
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Walks over to sink in classroom. Takes
glass of water her teacher gives her.
Walks over to adult in class, looks at adult,
and touches adult’s arm. Smiles.
Reaches up for favorite toy when placed out
of reach in classroom.
When given a 4 cell communication device
with 3 object symbols, the 4th cell blank, she
randomly touches all but the 4th cell.
7 year old boy with
developmental delay
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Cries and fusses. Pushes away toys
offered.
Takes adults hand and moves back
and forth in a rowing motion.
When provided with a Big Mack at
literacy time, will repeatedly or
randomly hit switch.
11 year old girl with
developmental delay
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Will seek out her object schedule and
take a transitional object with her to
next activity (e.g. take a cassette and
sit in music area, take a cup to the
lunch table, take a bead to the math
work area.)
Will occasionally take an object out of
sequence to a teacher and look
expectantly in the associated area.
16 year old boy with
cerebral palsy
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Has a 9 cell voice output
communication aid with programmed
with 5 requests and 4 comments.
Appears to hit cells randomly.
What questions would you ask yourself
about this student?
Goal for emerging
communicators…
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Establishing a reliable method to use
symbolic communication
Remember, this is a
continuum
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A student may clearly be an emerging
communicator, with no symbolic recognition;
Or a student may show some signs of
beginning to recognize some limited
symbols.
You can move between using those limited
symbols in more varied ways and still work
on establishing more symbols.
Okay, where do we start?
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Vocabulary selection
– Likes and Dislikes Checklist
– Communication in context
– Problem behaviors?
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Symbol assessment
– Next week
Likes and Dislikes
Checklist
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Motivation to communicate is KEY!!!
Communication must be POWERFUL.
From the standpoint of the
communicator.
– Requesting a preferred object
– Requesting a preferred action
– Protest
How to use the checklist
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Inventory with those who know student
well.
Set up activity trials to observe student.
Inventory looks at activities that utilize a
variety of sensory systems.
Determine what your student is likely to
want to request.
Try over several days & times of day; these
students may not demonstrate the same
interests each time.
Multiple contexts
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Study communication behaviors over a
variety of settings
– Snack/meals
– Group times
– Music
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Note what the behaviors are and what
the responses of others are in the
context.
Problem behaviors
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Pay particular attention to
inappropriate behaviors.
Can you determine the communication
goal of the behavior?
– Gain attention
– Getting or keeping objects or actions
– Getting pleasant sensory input
– Escaping a task
http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/01_vocab/vocab2_emerging.htm
Vocabulary selection
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When choosing vocabulary to work on, don’t
always select things/nouns.
Try vocabulary that can be used for a
variety of different activities/wants.
Examples:
–
–
–
–
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Go
Done/stop
More
Up
Big
http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/01_vocab/vocab2_emerging.htm
Vocabulary selection
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If the student has a successful way of
communicating something through a
gesture, don’t try to replace it right
away with another symbol.
You can include a foil, or a neutral or
slightly unpleasant activity, to be sure
that the student isn’t selecting
randomly.
http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/01_vocab/vocab2_emerging.htm
Let’s summarize!
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Who are Emergent Communicators?
What does Symbolic Communication
mean?
Why might a student be an emergent
communicator?
POWERFUL communication
– Likes and dislikes checklist
– Observation of communication in context
– Problem behaviors?
Next week
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Conducting symbol assessments
Introducing symbols
Voice output devices
– To participate
– For communication intent