Augmentative Communication Step By Step - Empowering Child's Communication Ability
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Learn from Tracy Vail, a Speech/Language Pathologist, how to teach non-verbal children to communicate effectively. Follow a step-by-step guide to understanding the child's responses, becoming a provider of positive experiences, selecting the right communication form, and choosing appropriate targets. Discover the power of augmentative communication in empowering children to control their environment and communicate meaningfully.
Augmentative Communication Step By Step - Empowering Child's Communication Ability
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Presentation Transcript
Augmentative Communication Step By Step By Tracy Vail,MS,CCC/SLP Speech/Language Pathologist Letstalksls.com tlvail@mindspring.com
Why? • Teaches the child the power of communication even before they can vocalize. • Makes “words” valuable • Gives the child some control over their environment. • Serves as a replacement for other maladaptive behaviors
Step 1. Learn the child • How does the child respond to different sights? • How does the child respond to different sounds? • How does the child respond to different textures? • How does the child respond to touch? • How does the child respond to taste?
Step 2. Become a provider of “all good things” • Provide all the favorite things with no demands • Never allow the child to play with favorite things alone. • Look for “engagement” • The child is running TO you, not away from you
Step 3. Determine the best response form • Voice Output Devices • Picture Communication Board • Picture/Object Exchange • Sign Language
Considerations for Voice Output Devices • Vary greatly on complexity and cost • Allow child to hear speech when button is pushed • Can be understood by anyone • There is a tendency for children with Autism to use the tool inappropriately.
Picture/Theme Boards • Can be used to stimulate language development • Allows child to “see” what’s being said • Children can be taught to point to communicate • Easy to use for specific activities • Child must gain attention of “listener” before communicating.
Considerations for Picture/Object Exchange • Teaches child to initiate communication • Photos/objects/icons can be used • Requires 2 people for initial teaching • Must keep pictures/objects/icons available • Movement of handing picture is always the same • Tough to teach functions other than requesting
Considerations forSign Language • Not everyone understands • Child may have difficulty with fine motor movements • Signs can be iconic • Child always has hands available • Abstract concepts easy to teach • Each movement is different, just like speech
Considerations in choosing • Choose what works for the individual child • Run experiments to see which the child will learn the quickest • Can use a variety of response forms simultaneously but not for the same object/action
Step 4. Choose Targets • Avoid general words –( i.e. eat, more)- Be as specific as possible • Teach the child’s very favorite items/actions even if they seem strange to you • Avoid words that are “polite” but carry no meaning (i.e. please/thank you) • Avoid words you would like the child to request but for which he/she has no interest (i.e. potty) • Avoid “yes/no” early in teaching