Introduction to Symbols

The Project: Background, Aims and Approach

Phase I: Data Collection

Literacy Skills

Future directions

Amatullah KadousNadine Zeinoun

What is it like to be a non-reader/ non-speaker?

Les Règles à respecter au parc

Communication and language are essential to every human being

The AAC systems aim to increase or compensate communication difficulties

AAC includes various symbol systems, graphic and gestural

Symbols cover a wide vocabulary Who uses symbols?

- Children and adults with learning difficulties or a communication disorder

- Children and adults with severe physical difficulties- Children beginning to read or having literacy difficulties- People for whom English is an additional language

ARASAAC

SCLERA

PCS

WIDGIT

Hello, how are you today?

am

I am sick

Background:

There is a growing number of individuals who can benefit from AAC

Their needs are being met by the use of externally developed AAC symbols systems

- High cost of symbols systems

- Lack of symbols suitable for

Arabic AAC users

- Cultural differences

- Lack of research regarding

local core vocabulary

Aims of the project:

Researching and developing needs to complement all the work that has already been achieved in Qatar

To develop a freely available Arabic symbol dictionary suitable for use by individuals who have a wide range of communication difficulties

To develop a set of symbols that are culturally appropriate for AAC users in Qatar and the Arab world

Making life easier for Arabic AAC users

Lack of articles and research

Setting up forums and workshops

To involve symbol users, families, therapists, teachers and experts

To learn more about the use of symbols in Qatar and the ME

Advisory group, ‘critical friends’ and a voting system

What was the method used to collect data?

Step 1: AAC forum + survey

Step 2: Core vocabulary

Step 3: Symbol Voting

Data collection

20 therapists attended from 9 centers

Purpose of forum:

- Know the demographic of AAC users in Qatar

- Qualify AAC users concerns/issues with AAC currently

Survey Findings

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

0 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 15 16 to 20 21+

Most populated AAC user age group

Number of ST's

working with

this age group

0

5

10

Most Prominent Diagnoses

Number of

ST's

working

with this

condition

Survey Findings

Survey Findings

PCS Boardmaker

Other (google…

SymbolStix

Widgit

Makaton

ARASAAC

0 5 10 15

Most Commonly Used Symbol Sets

Most Commonly Used

Symbol Sets

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Most Commonly used AAC types

Survey Findings

1. Culturally & Linguistically inappropriate

symbols

Inappropriate symbols send mixed messages

AAC users can’t relate to foreign symbols

Symbols must be able to relate to all cultures

Arabic linguistic rules occasionally disregarded

2. The need for an English & Arabic Symbol

Dictionary

Therapists speak English = Therapy in English

Expats make up 86% of Qatar

Nannies/drivers speak

EnglishRachel Gadsden who has exhibited internationally and works across the mainstream and disability art sectors, presenting cross-cultural visual dialogues http://www.rachelgadsden.com

Vocabulary

Core“Common words that can be used across more than

one setting” e.g. more, here, look

Fringe“Words only used in one

setting but are critical in that setting”

e.g. Eid, Desert, Hamad

Reference: AAC: A way of thinking. Supporting Augmentative & Alternative Communication Technologies in the Classroom Second Edition.

‘I want to play on the scooter butAhmad won’t let me’

Step 2: Collecting a Core Vocabulary

100-200 most common words make up 80% of the

total words used to communicate (Hill, Baker &

Devylder, 2000)

Evidence suggests when core and fringe vocabulary

are taught together = ↑ frequency of AAC use

(Beukelman et al., 1991)

Gives AAC users independence and allows them to

guide the conversation (Hill, Baker & Devylder, 2000)

No literature - bespoke Arabic Core Vocabulary

Visited 7 centres across Doha to collect most commonly used symbols/words

Collected from classrooms, progress notes, therapists and parents

Result: majority NOUNS!

“It appears that the meanings of nouns are learnt before verbs” in Arabic(Shahin, 2006)

ARASAAC 3.5 times more preferred than Sclera

55% of ARASAAC symbols were seen as appropriate vs. 51% of Sclera symbols

Main issue: symbol ‘not representing the word/phrase/meaning’ (777) –> ‘drawing, contrast color’ not good (499)

Symbols culturally insensitive (172)

“In Qatar a rainy day is a good day!”

Aid literacy skills in AAC users

Include the representative phonemes with their diacritics in Arabic, their change in shape and the sound

Listening to the sounds and seeing the text highlighted, helps reading skills

Facilitating the phonological

awareness increases reading

and spelling abilities

(Ehri et al., 2001)

Development of new Arabic symbols with changes made to the lexical entries

Voting on adapted/new symbols and lexical entries

Working with AAC forum and participants for feedback and evaluation

Testing and evaluating new or adapted symbols by AAC users

Providing case studies

Development of the online Arabic Symbol Dictionary website

Hamad is telling his teacher what he did over the WE

األوالدمعالفريجملعبفيلعبت

دجاجوبريانيلحممشبوسواقف،سوقفيوأخواتياخوانيمعأكلت

ربعيمعالسينمارحتثم

في

فيمع

معثم

مع

و؟ و

References:

Baker, B., Hill, K., & Devylder, R. (2000). Core vocabulary is the same across environments. In California State University at Northridge Conference.

Banajee, M., DiCarlo, C. & Stricklin, S. (2003). Core Vocabulary Determination for Toddlers. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 19, 67-73.

Bloomberg K, Karlan GR, Lloyd LL (1990): The comparative translucency of initial lexical items represented by five graphic symbol systems and sets, Journal of Speech and Hearing Research 33, 717–25.

Beukelman, D., McGinnis, J., & Morrow, D. (1991). Vocabulary selection in augmentative and alternative communication. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 7(3), 171-185.

Ehri, L. C., Nunes, S. R., Stahl, S. A., & Willows, D. M. (2001). Systematic phonics instruction helps students learn to read: Evidence from the National Reading Panel’s meta-analysis. Review of educational research, 71(3), 393-447.

Hock, B. S. & Lafi , S., M. (2011). Assistive Communication Technologies for Augmentative Communication in Arab Countries: Research Issues. UNITAR e-Journal, 7(1), 57-66.

Saiegh-Haddad, E., & Geva, E. (2008). Morphological awareness, phonological awareness, and reading in English-Arabic bilingual children. Reading and Writing, 21(5), 481–504. Accessed 12th October 2014 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11145-007-9074-x

Shahin, K. (2006). Remarks on the speech of Arabic-speaking children with cleft palate: three case studies. Journal of Multilingual Communication Disorders, 4(2), 71-77.

Van Tatenhove, G. M. (2009). Building Language Competence With Students Using AAC Devices: Six Challenges. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 18(2), 38–47.!

Yorkston, K. M., Beukelman, D. R., Smith, K., & Tice, R. (1990). Extended communication samples of augmented communicators. II:

Analysis of multiword sequences. The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 55(2), 225–30.!

Thank you