Over the past 2 months I’ve been talking a lot about beginning with augmentative communication; including what it is and who needs it. The next question I most often get from parents, teachers and SLPs is about what kinds of materials are needed for intervention (and “where the heck do I find them”)? We all know that genuine communication interactions in context are the best for teaching any communication skill. Too often in AAC implementation we “test” more than teach. We ask students to identify symbols at random, or find target words outside of any social engagement or genuine interaction. Since many of our students require additional specific, structured practice beyond the opportunities throughout their school day, I encourage role playing and simulations. There are a lot of ways to do this; such as including using props, dress-up, role playing, and using books and apps. We also know that our students need to have a robust communication system; either no/light tech or high tech systems. Again, there are dedicated devices that use core words as well as categories of fringe words, AAC apps that are similarly robust with sufficient vocabulary to meet all of their communication needs, and dynamic communication books that have robust vocabulary to meet a variety of communication functions. Systems that are either totally core word based (with available fringe words) or are function/pragmatically based but include the same high frequency words, are robust enough to meet many needs. Much research has been done on language development in general, and on the acquisition and use of early words; especially those words we know of as “core words.” But, somehow, we often seem to get stuck with those first 15, 25, or 32 core words. Sometimes even SLPs forget about 2-word combinations when teaching AAC users. But isn’t that the natural next place to go? I love it when I hear SLPs or teachers exclaim, “Look! He’s putting two words together.” Two word combinations are necessary to convey meaning when one of those words is a noun. “Apple.” Well, what about an apple? Do you want an apple? Did your apple fall on the floor? Did someone take your apple? Are you tired of apples? But think of the magic of communication when combining two core words. All of the multiple meanings of both words create powerful combinations. “Want apple.” “Not apple.” “Give apple.” “Bad apple.” Good apple.” “More apple.” I’ve made meaning intelligible, and I’ve covered - how many functions? I have made a great many resources available in my TPT store for AAC implementation. One that I particularly enjoy is my AAC Starter Kit, because it provides a robust picture communication book that employs basic core and adds a variety of fringe topics and concepts. When the book is assembled, it shows the easy to access to core words, as well as the variety of fringe words available. The kit also includes my 10 Weeks to 40 Core Words. The activities for teaching use of core words in this resource are similar to my other Activities and Games for a Year of Core and Teach Me Core Words resources. I have attempted to provide both suggestions for using core words in every day routines and activities, as well as activities to simulate other real-life activities that you may not have access to within your intervention setting or classroom. There are 4 target core words per week, planned out over 10 weeks. You may need a different pace for your students, and that is certainly fine. Move at a pace that works for the students you are working with; making sure to always presume competence, provide maximum opportunities for genuine communicating, and use the least intrusive cues and prompts possible. Consistent partner use of Aided Language Stimulation is crucial. For each of those 4 word groups, there is a different lesson plan/activity suggestion/contextual idea(s) for each day of the week. The words are provided on large cards (approximately 4.5 X 3) for use in the classroom, as well as on a complete 40-location communication board. Each week you will get a small book to read with the student(s) on Day 2 that uses those words. When possible, act out the statements in the book in real time, giving a context with real objects and people. The books can be interactive; having students place the appropriate symbol on each page of each book. Simulation activities for each week include activities such as an Animal Escape game, making a volcano, blowing bubbles, playing a familiar game, building a pizza, doing a group puzzle, and more. 3X5 sized cards for use on a classroom board come in white background as well as red & yellow for students with cortical vision issues. Also in the starter kit is my Teach Me 6 Core Words resource and Teach Me More Core Words resource; each of which has a variety of simulation activities. Order a pizza, order animals back to the barn, get dressed for the weather, go to the store are some of the activities. And my 3 Games for AAC practice are also in this set. The first game involves students picking a card from a pile and finding the words in their AAC system. The second game uses dice to provide a single core word and asks students to create a phrase using that word. The third game is a bit like Scrabble, but uses core words tiles rather than single letter tiles, and has students build phrases and sentences using the words they’ve picked. There are more than 500 pages in this resource, with enough activities to keep your AAC users learning to use language throughout the year - and beyond! However you choose to do it, keep your AAC users “talking!” An InLinkz Link-up
It’s AAC month! AAC is an important aspect of my job as a special education teacher. What is AAC? AAC stands for Assistive and Augmentative Communication. It can be anything that helps a person communicate. Why is AAC so important? Imagine if you suddenly lost your ability to talk or even use parts of your […]
Write effective AAC goals for speech therapy with my easy method! This template works for everyone - preschoolers to high schoolers and up!
Create measurable goals, monitor cues and prompts, and learn more about foundational skills to track in AAC data collection.
Using AAC for communication in the classroom can be overwhelming. Here are my tips for using AAC to support students in the classroom.
This is 4 page "cheat sheet" to help you find your way around TD Snap AAC application from Tobii Dynavox. Also included: Tips for AAC Evaluators! Enjoy! Vicki
Are you looking for more ways to build vocabulary with students who use AAC devices or a VOD? Here are 6 phrases to get you using AAC more in the classroom!
Using AAC for communication in the classroom can be overwhelming. Here are my tips for using AAC to support students in the classroom.
Great FREE Printables for AAC/PECS to use with students with Autism and PMLD. Awesome free printable communication boards for special ed.
Create measurable goals, monitor cues and prompts, and learn more about foundational skills to track in AAC data collection.
Great FREE Printables for AAC/PECS to use with students with Autism and PMLD. Awesome free printable communication boards for special ed.
The myths of AAC are a combination of misconceptions and misinformation. Unfortunately, they are both pervasive and dangerous. They may continue to be perpetuated by beliefs that communication must be verbal that AAC is restricted to specific options that use of AAC will prevent children from developing speech that there are prerequisite skills that must be developed before an individual is able to use AAC that AAC systems are too complex for individuals with intellectual disabilities Not too long ago I got a call from a mother. She was interested in looking into AAC for her child, but the school district said the child was too young. How old was he? He was 6. Last week I had the same experience. This time, however, the child was 3. As soon as I put a dynamic display device in front of her with core words to use in our play interactions she began to use the system independently to direct my actions and her choice of activities, including which colors of markers she wanted. Too soon for AAC? Two years ago I attended an IEP meeting for a girl for whom I was providing consultation. The school district was appalled when I suggested an AAC system as a repair strategy. She was verbal; but with a repertoire of less than 3 dozen words. Their response; “We’re not giving up on speech. It’s too soon!” How old was she? She was 9. And note that I suggested an AAC system as a repair strategy, not as a replacement for speech.** BUSTING THE MYTHS: Some parents and professionals believe that AAC is a last resort for their nonverbal or minimally verbal children, and should only be used when there is no more hope for developing speech. Unfortunately, this all too often means that children (and some adults) have no means of communicating for far too long; resulting in frustration, negative behaviors, and significant limitations on their language development, access to curriculum in school, access to social interactions at home and in the community, and in adapted living skills. Waiting too long to provide a mode of communication denies the child the opportunity to learn language, acquire vocabulary, and express himself appropriately. Waiting too long to provide an appropriate mode too often means communicating with an inappropriate mode. Research shows that any intervention delayed beyond a child’s first three years has less significant impact, and that children - including those with disabilities - learn faster and more easily when they are young. Lack of access to communication results in the individual being excluded from appropriate educational and vocational placements, restricting social development and quality of life. Rather than being a last resort, AAC can serve as an important tool for language development and should be implemented as a preventative strategy - before communication failure occurs. Withholding AAC intervention not only impacts building language skills, but also has an impact upon cognitive, play, social, and literacy skills development. BUSTING THE MYTHS: Parents and professionals may also believe that use of AAC will stifle the child’s potential verbal skills and/or serve as a “crutch” upon which the child will become reliant. However, research has shown that use of AAC often stimulates verbal skills in users with the potential to be at least partially verbal. Children need access to appropriate and effective modes of communication as soon as possible. Without an appropriate way to communicate genuine messages, individuals frequently use inappropriate behaviors to communicate, or withdraw. Struggling to learn to speak, while having no other way to communicate, leads usually to frustration. Further, those who have access to AAC tend to increase their verbal skills. So, not only is there no evidence to suggest that AAC use hinders speech development, there is evidence that suggests access to AAC has a positive impact on speech development. Why AAC use promotes speech development is not precisely known. Theories include the possibility that use of AAC reduces the physical and social/emotional demands of speech and that the symbols/words provided visually serve as consistent cues and the speech output provides consistent models. Although the goal of AAC intervention is not necessarily to promote speech production, the effect appears to be that it is a result. BUSTING THE MYTHS: Many times parents are told children need to have a set of prerequisite skills in order to qualify for or benefit from AAC, and that their young and/or severely disabled children (and adults) do not yet possess those skills. In addition, some professionals believe that there is a hierarchy of AAC systems that each individual needs to move through; utilizing no- or low-technology strategies before gaining access to high technology systems. In fact, this outlook only tends to limit the type of supports provided and limit the extent to which language may be developed. First, there are NO prerequisites for communication; everyone does it. And as we’ve seen above, all children learn to communicate before learning to speak. Second, research does not support the idea of a hierarchy of AAC systems, and shows that very young children can learn to use signs and symbols before they learn to talk. Research has also shown that very young children with complex communication needs have learned to use abstract symbols, photographs, and voice output devices during play and reading activities. Requiring an individual to learn multiple symbol systems or AAC systems as they develop skills merely serves to make learning to communicate more difficult. BUSTING THE MYTHS: Many parents and professionals believe that AAC is only for individuals who are completely nonverbal. Students who have some speech skills are frequently not provided access to AAC systems in the belief that intervention should focus only on building their verbal skills. However, if speech is not functional to meet all of the individual’s communication needs - that is, if the student does not have sufficient vocabulary, is not understood in all environments, or if speech is only echolalic or perseverative - AAC should be considered. “Any child whose speech is not effective to meet all communication needs or who does not have speech is a candidate for AAC. Any child whose language comprehension skills are being claimed to be ‘insufficient to warrant’ AAC training is a candidate for aided language stimulation and AAC.” (Porter, G.) BUSTING THE MYTHS: When working with individuals with severe disabilities - particularly intellectual disabilities - many professionals assume the individual is too cognitively impaired to use AAC. Kangas and Lloyd (1988) wrote that there is no “sufficient data to support the view” that these individuals cannot benefit from AAC because they have difficulty paying attention, understanding cause and effect, don’t appear to want to communicate, are unable to acquire skills that demonstrate comprehension of language, are too intellectually impaired. The relationship between cognition and language is neither linear nor one of cause and effect; they are correlative. They are intertwined in a very complex way. We cannot say that a specific level of cognition or skills needs to happen before language develops. They are interdependent. We often see language skills in the (supposed) absence of expected cognitive skills. Research and observation continue to indicate that there is no benefit to denying access to AAC to individuals with significant disabilities. Intervention should be based on the idea that learning is based on the strengthening of neural connections through experiences and that repetition of these connections through multiple modes facilitates learning. Providing users with rich experiences with their AAC systems builds on the neural patterns and facilitates communication skills building. Not providing AAC services based on preconceived ideas about the cognitive skills of the individuals simply continues to segregate and limit access to life experiences for them. BUSTING THE MYTHS: Unfortunately, there are also those who believe that simply providing access to an AAC system will solve the communication problems of the user. The AAC system cannot “fix” the individual or their communication difficulties. While use of AAC will facilitate development of speech or language, and of literacy skills, and will increase the individuals’ ability to communicate effectively, it will not do so simply by being there. The AAC system is a tool and, like any tool, the user needs to know how to use it. And for most of those individuals, direct, specific, and structured intervention and opportunities need to be provided. Users and their partners need to accept the AAC system; they also need appropriate instruction in how to use the system and how to develop effective communication and further language skills with the system. The success of the AAC system is not dependent upon only the individual’s skills and cognitive abilities. It is also not only dependent upon the completeness or robustness of the AAC system. It is strongly dependent upon the willingness, training, and responsiveness of partners. Partners who do not understand the need for the AAC system are less likely to respond to the individual’s communication attempt with it. If the partners have low expectations of the AAC learner, do not respond consistently, do not use aided input consistently or do not provide sufficient communication opportunities the AAC learner is not likely to progress. Communication partners have a significant responsibility. I know this has been a really long post! But I hope it proves you with some good information with which to arm yourself. Here is a free handout you can download. Until next time, Keep on Talking!
I work with three classrooms of minimally/non-verbal students. My ultimate goal for all of these students is SNUG: spontaneous novel utterance generation. Novel utterance generation of and combinations of words will enable my students endless communication possibilities. To facilitate SNUG, the following teaching tools are important for all: Model. All language learners needs hundreds and even
Using AAC for communication in the classroom can be overwhelming. Here are my tips for using AAC to support students in the classroom.
Core vocabulary dice are a fun way to learn, practice, and play with AAC core words. Perfect for AAC and sentence formulation goals!
Using AAC for communication in the classroom can be overwhelming. Here are my tips for using AAC to support students in the classroom.
Echolalia- Learn strategies for your Autism classroom. What echolalia is and how to reduce it with activities to decrease repetitive speech or non-authentic communication.
Don’t know where to start with core vocabulary? Get a FREE starter board, tips and tricks to teach with, and even the first 5 words to start with!
One of the most frequent questions I get is which AAC device should I choose? Find out what factors I take into account when recommending a device for a student.
Most of you seasoned therapists know and use the techniques that I am going to share, so I apologize if you are disappointed that there’s n...
Is writing meaningful for your students? Does everyone have a choice and a voice? Read more on how to make writing with nonverbal students meaningful!
Special Ed Data using Google Forms - check out these user-friendly tips and tricks for busy special educators to streamline IEP tracking and student progress monitoring!
Echolalia in autism can be difficult. Find out about the types of echolalia and get practical tips to help your students with autism. Be sure to check out the links to free, important information and research to get therapy started on the right track!
Ideas for how to use AAC devices and core boards with core vocabulary in a special education classroom setting. Learn more at Mrs. D's Corner.
What is AAC? AAC refers to a range of methods and tools that can be used to augment or replace spoken communication for people who have difficulty speaking or expressing themselves.
Antecedent interventions involve changing the setting, environment or situation to address a problem behavior. With antecedent interventions, adjustments are made to the classroom to remove triggers for the problem behavior and to give students opportunities to practice a replacement behavior. I love antecedent interventions because they are meant to change the setting/ environment before the behavior even occurs. They're super helpful interventions to implement with individual students as well as entire classes. When it comes to behavior plans, it's important to make sure that the antecedent interventions are linked to the function of the behavior. However, I've also found that the below antecedent interventions are helpful to implement with entire classes. -Using visuals Visuals are probably some of the most universally used antecedent behavior interventions across all special ed. classrooms. Visuals are great to use for schedules, behavior reminders/ redirections and prompting for tasks. I use a variety of visuals across our day to avoid certain problem behaviors and to encourage replacement behaviors. A simple first/ next/ then board is great for giving kids predictability and reduces problem behaviors during transitions. Labeling chairs with students' favorite characters can help to motivate students to sit in their chairs! A simple visual schedule so students know what to expect next in the day. Stop sign on the door to remind students to not leave the room -Arranging the physical environment A simple way to avoid many problem behaviors is to sanitize the classroom environment. Specifically, keep all of the distracting toys and items out of students' sight and reach! This will reduce distractions and will also encourage communication! You can check out this blog post that explains more about sanitizing your environment. Another way to modify the physical environment to decrease problem behaviors is by giving students clear boundaries/areas for specific activities/ tasks. Arrange the classroom so that there are specific areas of the room for specific activities (like a large carpet for circle time, small tables for free time or specific games/ toys, desks 1:1 work, etc.). It's important to remember that if you determine a specific location to play with a toy, you should stay consistent with it and not allow students to play with a toy/ activity while not in that area. A puzzle area with a bookshelf and table Rugs can be a great way to show students' boundaries for activities! A table designated for playing with cars/ trains A designated location for independent work -Offer choices This is literally one of my all time favorite go-to antecedent interventions because it's quick, easy and often doesn't require any prep! Many students benefit from having choices and control in aspects of their day. This page from PBISWorld is super helpful- it explains why giving choices is important, when you should give choices and how to give choices. Here are just a few examples of choices you can quickly and easily give students include: -What kind of chair they want to complete their work in (regular chair, cube chair, bean bag, etc.) -What staff they work with (teacher, para, classmate, etc.) -What writing utensil to use (pencil, marker, crayon, etc.) -What order to do work in (first book then phonics work or phonics work and then book) -The reinforcer they will receive after they complete a task Remember: You should never give a student an option/ choice that doesn't work for the staff in your classroom! For example, don't ask a student, "Do you want to work with me or Ms. Suzy?" if Ms. Suzy's lunch starts in 2 minutes or don't ask a student if they want to write in pencil or pen if the assignment is part of a formal portfolio assessment that needs to be completed in pen. It sounds silly for me to say this, but you'd be surprised how often I see staff giving students options that aren't very appropriate. -Transition cues Smooth transitions make the entire school day SO much better. There are a ton of options out there for helping students with transitions. You can give students verbal warnings like, "2 minutes until math," "In 1 minute we clean up," or "When we are done with art, then we go to recess." You can also use visuals and audio cues to alert students of transitions. I love cheap egg timers from the Dollar Tree and kitchen timers (I love this one because it's magnetic and so I can attach it to my door and whiteboard). I also love to use different sounds/ sound effects to cue students of transitions. I have a doorbell answer buzzer from Amazon velcroed above my door that I use to cue students to line up. We practice it a ton at the beginning of the year, but basically when the doorbell rings, it's time to quickly clean up and line up. The doorbell that we use to cue students that it's time to transition to line up. This free Children's Countdown- Visual Countdown App is also AMAZING! You can set the time to whatever second/minute interval you need and as the timer goes, it reveals a stock picture or a you can upload a picture from your phone! I like to set a timer and reveal the picture of the next activity (for example, if there are 2 minutes until we go to the lunch room, a picture of the lunch room would be revealed when the timer is done). A few other cheap/ simple options for timers are: Timers on cell phones/ iPads, egg timers, Children's Countdown app, sand timers, timer websites (this link has a super easy to use timer), Children's Countdown app (Free and super fun!) Children's Countdown app- it let's you customize the amount of time and then choose the picture that will be revealed as time goes elapses! What are you your go-to antecedent interventions to prevent problem behaviors throughout your classroom?
Tons of ideas for how I use student work folders in speech and language therapy. Includes organization tips, storage examples, and tips and tricks.
You can support your nonspeaking student/child with Augmentative-Alternative Communication. Give them this robust picture communication system and teach them to be competent communicators. There are 4 different core word boards provided in this resource. Basic core 15 core words Next level 24 core words Universal core 36 words 40 core words from the DLMTM project These 4 boards are not necessarily cummulative; they do not necessarily build on one another. The symbols are not all in the same relative locations as the board sizes increase. They are not meant to be used that way; rather each is its own right now communication system. Choose the one each student needs to use now and for a period to come. Choose a size the student can “grow into” a bit; you can cover up some symbols and reveal them as his vocabulary grows. You can also add flip pages as needed. 52 strips with 5 symbols per strip at the larger symbol size (approx. 2”). Plus 5 blank strips for you to add personalized vocabulary 55 strips with 6 symbols per strip at the medium symbol size (approx. 1 3/4”). with 6 strips for specific activities with activity-based vocabulary plus 2 blank strips for personalizing) 50 strips with 8 symbols per strip at the smaller symbol size (approx. 1”). Plus 2 blank strips for you to add personalized vocabulary. Symbols on flip strips are in 3 sizes, with 5, 6, or 8 symbols per strip. This accommodates student visual and motor access. Some flip strips have additional core words. Others offer fringe vocabulary for specific topics. There are some blank strips so that you can add symbols on the fly as needed. Some strips also have an additional blank space or two at the end for adding additional words. Some strips have “something different” (using the different symbol) as the last choice, so students can indicate what they want is not on that strip/not available to them. On any of the people strips, glue or velcro photos of real people and edit family members as appropriate. Flip strips are perfect for students who need to use Partner Assisted Scanning. Core vocabulary research is growing in its application in aac intervention almost daily. What we do know, to begin with, is that there is a small core number of words that make up the biggest percentage of the words we use daily. For toddlers, there are only 25 words that make up more than 95% of what they say. These words are largely social regulatory; including some pronouns, verbs, some “little words.” There are very few nouns in core vocabulary, and none in the initial 25 that children use the most. Give your child the vocabulary they need to meet their wants and needs, be social, and participate in life. Please Note: This is a digital file. You will receive a PDF by using the link Etsy provides. After Etsy verifies your payment, they will provide a link to download the file. You will need to download it on your computer. Then, simply print, laminate, and assemble. Assembly is easy with a 3-hole punch and binder rings. You will also need scissors or a paper trimmer.
Do you have a hard time getting your students with autism to communicate for anything other than asking for highly desired items? Here are some ideas about activities you can use with sentence starter strips to get more commenting from them.
One of the classrooms I was consulting to over the past couple of years was a class of medically fragile students with Complex Communication Needs. At the time, there was not a lot of AAC going on. Fortunately, for both myself and the students, the teacher was very open to adding more Assistive Technology. So, here are a few of the elements we added to her classroom: 1. At circle time, the teacher used a Big Mack button to have students respond to taking attendance. Access was an issue for many of the students. So, where the BigMack button was held was a big issue. And this was just 1 single response. 2. One of the students had the motor skills to touch a target with her hand independently, and the ability to use more words. I made her a PODD book, and demonstrated how to provide Aided Language Stimulation consistently. I provided support monthly throughout the school year. 3. At one point, this student needed to have something that was more compact. Aides were having a difficult time dealing with her behavior in the room, which included trying to contain flailing arms and legs and head butts. So, since they told me they couldn’t handle the PODD book, and I wanted to make sure whatever AAC I was providing was getting used consistently, I backpedaled and went to a small (20 symbol) core word board, with some activity specific fringe words (presented in pages of 6 symbols) for the 2-3 favored activities she would spend some time in. This student had some cortical vision issues, so these symbols were printed with bright red and yellow and high-contrast symbols where available. 4. For other students, I looked at adapting books and encouraged the teacher to do more read aloud and shared reading with specific objectives in mind. For the students in this class who were going to be involved in shared reading activities, she needed a way for them to respond to questions or make comments. For most, this involved using eye gaze. So, we went from the teacher holding up a 2-choice array to a version of an E-tran board with 4 choices, and then 8. Thus, student response choices were quadrupled in a short period of time. And, with multiple boards with this many choices, there was a bigger array of responses possible. 5. Speaking of read aloud time, this was another opportunity to use the Big Mac buttons or a Sequencer. Recording the repeated line of text gives students a way to participate. Recording sequential lines gives them even more opportunities. 6. Access was the biggest problem with this group of students. I added visual cues and communication opportunities in as many places as possible. We looked at a variety of different switches for them to use and I pushed Partner Assisted Scanning as a no-tech mode. (District purchasing processes are still a mystery to me. All I know is it usually takes forever.) We looked at SCATiR switches, toggle switches, sip-n-puff, pillow switches, and more. Fortunately, we also had access to the California Assistive Technology Exchange (CATE) loan program. This allowed trials of a wider variety of switches we would have had access to. 7. I made large, 3X5 card sized symbols so that there was a classroom sized communication board that was core word based, that was large enough for all the students (with the exception of those totally blind) to see, that was high contrast for students with vision disorders, and whose symbols were easily removed one at a time during instruction time to emphasize use of the target core word. Any opportunity to use a core word is important. Access to symbols needs to be as easy as possible. Putting these cards into a large pocket chart provided that quick and easy access to enough core words that the teacher could use them seamlessly in instruction. Using aided input during routines is a great way to introduce the core vocabulary in consistent formats. With this particular group of students life was full of routines. Between changing diapers and clothes, washing up, feeding (which for a number of them was via G-tube), and other daily care routines there were a lot of times throughout the day when the same sequence was carried out and talked through. Perfect opportunities to provide aided language. In my 40+ years of working with children with little or no speech, I’ve learned a lot. The field of AAC has learned a lot. I like to think we now know enough to give every child, no matter the disability, a voice. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve seen it work. And my hat is off to all those SLPs and teachers and paraprofessionals who make it work every day, even when it seems a Sisyphean task. We just need to continue to provide the input and presume competence. And……keep on talking, with pictures.
Learn how to create your own digital AAC symbol library so you can easily use icons to create materials for your students!
Check out my 5 favorite high quality, low tech AAC boards. A free core board is perfect for trials or provide back-up communication.
Picture Exchange for nonverbal students is an effective way to implement a communication system. It relies on three main principles and a cycle of phases.
October is International AAC Awareness Month! People all over the world are working to raise awareness of AAC and underline the importance of communication – for everyone. Back in May, David …
