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The Power of Highlighting

Author-Avatar Deirdre Galvin-McLaughlin

5/14/2018 10:17 PM

Every student has a bright highlighter in their school backpack to bring the most important terms and words to the forefront of their visual attention using the bright, colorful markers. Highlighting with colors (using pipe cleaner, highlight features on device, bright highlight color on image or paper) is a useful strategy to use when working with children with CVI.

Red/Yellow tend to be more universally attractive colors for children with CVI and can be powerful tool for supporting visual access in a communication system.


Here are some simple ideas to include highlighting strategy in AAC intervention. Note: important to have black background and black handle to not distract for subject of visual attention.

Visual highlighting tools:
 Make a visual highlighting tool using pipe cleaners to draw the student’s visual attention to the symbol (object, photograph, picture) you are focusing on. Incorporate red/yellow as highlighting color. Sparkly highlighters is even better to capture attention!



You can also use highlighting features in many speech generating devices to serve the same function of a visual highlighter. Several popular devices/apps are included with directions on how to turn on this feature. Please see picture of how highlighting can be used for visual scene displays. 

Visual Behavior,Speech-Language Pathologist,Parent/Family Member,Occupational Therapist,Other,Intervention Strategies

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