Do's and Don'ts of Implementing Real Communication Through AAC
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The document discusses dos and don'ts for implementing real communication through augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). It outlines counterproductive practices like providing limited vocabulary systems focused only on nouns or custom pages for activities. In contrast, productive practices encourage providing appropriate access to high- and low-tech AAC systems with well-designed vocabularies and communication opportunities, as well as aided language stimulation and specific vocabulary instruction. The goal is for AAC users to develop communicative competence through real communication.
Do's and Don'ts of Implementing Real Communication Through AAC
- 1. Do’s and Don’ts of implementing REAL communication through AAC AGOSCI 2015! David Niemeijer! AssistiveWare! Jane Farrall! Jane Farrall Consulting!
- 2. Overview • The challenge! • Counterproductive! • systems! • context! • practices! • Productive practices!
- 3. 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?!
- 4. Communicative Competence • Linguistic Competence ! • Operational Competence ! • Social Competence ! • Strategic Competence! ! (Light, 1989; Light & McNaughton, 2014)
- 6. 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!
- 7. Too Many Nouns! Wants page! Home page!
- 8. 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!
- 9. 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! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
- 10. 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! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
- 11. 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”!
- 13. 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)
- 14. 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!
- 15. Remember • Behavioural issues will decline with REAL communication! • Academic goals will follow REAL communication! • Communication is essential!!
- 16. 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.! !