Post on 18-Jul-2015
Do’s and Don’ts of implementing REAL communication through AAC
AGOSCI 2015!
David Niemeijer!AssistiveWare!
Jane Farrall!Jane Farrall Consulting!
Overview
• The challenge!
• Counterproductive!
• systems!
• context!
• practices!
• Productive practices!
The Challenge
• More high-tech AAC users than ever!
• But, does getting an iPad and an AAC app deliver REAL communication?!
• How do you achieve communicative competence?!
Communicative Competence
• Linguistic Competence !• Operational Competence !• Social Competence !• Strategic Competence!!(Light, 1989; Light & McNaughton, 2014)
Counterproductive Systems
• Provide a system with only a handful of choices!
• Put mainly nouns in the system!
• Focus on adding academic vocabulary to the system!
• Creating custom pages for specific activities!
Counterproductive Context
• Demand prerequisite skills!
• Require mastery of every step before moving further!
• Give someone a system without modeling its use!
• Provide a vocabulary without a communication context!
• Limit access to the communication device!
• Starting with simple “beginning” AAC systems!
No prerequisites !
“My daughter was started with a BIGmack and advanced to a Go Talk 4+, with the idea she might advance further to a Go Talk 20 and maybe
one day, if all the stars aligned and she was a very good girl, a DynaVox. Nothing about this changing technology supported her to build a
foundation of language development.” !
Erin Sheldon, QIAT Listserve, 21/03/2013!!!!!!!!
Rethinking our own practices !!
“WE USED TO THINK: Start with just a few (4-6) picture symbols and add a few more at a time, as the student with ASD shows that he or she can communicate
appropriately with them usually by requesting.”
“NOW WE THINK: Really? Where is the research that defends this practice? This is certainly not how other kids learn new words and acquire language”!
!Pat Mirenda, ISAAC Portugal 2014!
!!!!!!!
Counter-productive practices
• Use the AAC system to quiz or test!
• Ask questions the AAC user knows you already know the answer to!
• Reward communication with food!
• Require the AAC user to say it ALSO with “their words”!
AAC Success
Factors impacting long-term success!• Person who uses AAC system experiences success 91.76%!• Degree to which the system is valued by the user and partners
as a means of communication 90.58%!• System serves a variety of communicative functions 89.85%!• System is used for communication, not just as a toy or therapy
tool (Real communication) 87.20%!• Other areas:!
• Appropriate device selected !• Support for system!
!Johnson, et al. (2006)
Productive practices • Don’t aim too low!
• Provide access to high & low tech!
• Use a well-designed research-based vocabulary!
• Provide appropriate access!
• Have the device available at all times!
• Use Aided Language Stimulation!
• Provide specific vocabulary instruction!
• Teach how to describe words that are not on the device!
• Create communication opportunities!
• Allow exploration!
• Work towards literacy and language!
• Respect multi-model communication!
Remember
• Behavioural issues will decline with REAL communication!
• Academic goals will follow REAL communication!
• Communication is essential!!
References
• Johnson, J.M., Inglebret, E., Jones, C., & Ray, J. (2006). Perspectives of Speech Language Pathologists regarding success versus abandonment of AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication 22 (2), 85-99.!
• Light, J. (1989). Towards a definition of communicative competence for individuals using augmentative and alternative communication systems. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 5, 137– 144.!
• Light, J. & McNaughton, D. (2014). Communicative Competence for Individuals who require Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A New Definition for a New Era of Communication? Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 30, 1– 18.!
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