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Author-Avatar Mollie Bolton

9/21/2017 2:24 PM

Last year we had the opportunity to work with Gayl Bowser and Charity Roland on the Communication Matrix Project through Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, OR.  Through our work with them we looked at the custom reports and recommendations that were included.  Many of our teachers struggled with activity suggestions that they did not feel were age appropriate for certain students.  Through Gayl’s guidance, we worked to create a chart of suggested activities that we felt met the purpose of the activity in a more age appropriate manner.  We started with social communication. We are still working to create charts for each of the domain areas and plan to have those completed by the end of this school year. 
We would love for you to look at the chart and give us feedback as well as add ideas that you may have used successfully with your students.  Our teachers have found this chart very easy to reference as well as successful in meeting the needs of our students to further develop their communication skills in social communication.

Intervention Strategies

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This is an activity I use with 18-20 year old students who are verbal and/or use an augmentative communication device. I have the YTK (YouTubeKids) App on my IPad. The students take turns requesting a song or video by speaking into the microphone. The student then picks his choice from the selection presented. The microphone on the app can understand an aug com device's speech. My verbal students need to speak clearly and/or change the way they say something so that they are understood. It is a great requesting activity.

Diane - 2/22/2018

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This chart will be extremely useful for my students. I struggle at times with ways to promote better social skills and the ideas will help tremendously. I really liked how they are broke down into grade appropriate sections and the examples provided are very useful.

RPJ12 - 10/13/2017

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I have to say that I was Sososo excited when you folks suggested adding more recommendaitons and activities for older people with complex communication needs. The chart you posted here has some really creative activities that people might use or adapt for their own environment.

Here are a couple that really struck me.

When {name} gives you an enthusiastic smile, say “I see you smiling at me, I really like you too.”

If {name} uses an inappropriate touch to request for attention (e.g a hug to a stranger or a touch to private body parts), redirect {name} to a conventional communication strategy such as a fist bump or wave and model it?

I look forward to your ideas about other communication functions too.

gaylbowser@gmail.com - 9/26/2017

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