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Post #2: Language Domains: Why We Need Each One in AAC
Jennifer Kent-Walsh & Cathy Binger
9/22/2016 3:58 PM
A typically-developing 18- to 24-month old child is an amazing being. At this stage, children begin to combine words (“Daddy up,” “Mama home,” “Want juice”), and then their language skills explode. They use the social skills they have been building since they were infants to map an ever-increasing vocabulary onto the sentences they are learning to use. That is, the four language domains are expanding and integrating at this stage:·
- Pragmatics: social skills such as commenting, rejecting, socializing, and requesting
- Semantics: vocabulary skills, including a range of parts of speech such as verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and articles
- Syntax: sentence forms such as agent-action-object (“Rover lick face”),attribute-entity (“Big bowl”), and recurrence (“More juice”)
- Morphology: word endings such as -ing (running), -ed (walked), and plural -s (apples)
All four of these domains are present in a simple sentence of a 19-month-old toddler. For example, if a child looks at his mother, points, and says, “Mommy’s cup!”, he has made a comment (pragmatics), used two different vocabulary words (semantics), indicated the relationship between those words (syntax), and used a grammatical marker to clearly indicate this relationship (morphology).
What about AAC?
Using and playing with language in these ways is crucial to the development of an intact language system. Determining how to mirror this process with children who need AAC is undeniably challenging, but we strongly believe there is no better model for supporting language development than by doing exactly that. Therefore, in our posts over the next two weeks, we will attempt to:
- (a) share some of our thoughts on how to consider using normal language development as a model for AAC service delivery,
- (b) explore the ways in which common AAC approaches currently are – and are not – adhering to this model, and
- (c) explore some ways to bring missing language
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Teachers:
Many teachers require their college students in communication disorders or child development classes to complete a Communication Matrix online. Please have your students use the Test Drive site for this purpose. You may ask them to print out the Profile and Communication Skills List as proof of their work.
Statement A
My child doesn't seem to have real control over his body yet.
The only way I know that he wants something is because he fusses or whines when he's unhappy or uncomfortable, and he smiles, makes noises or calms down when he's happy and comfortable. Does this statement describe your child?
Statement B
My child has control over her own behaviors, but she doesn't use them to try to communicate to me.
She doesn't come to me to let me know what she wants, but it's easy for me to figure out, because she tries to do things for herself. She knows what she wants, and her behavior shows me what she wants. If she runs out of something to eat, she will just try to get more, rather than trying to get me to give her more.
Does this statement describe your child?
Statement C
My child clearly tries to communicate his needs to me through gestures, sounds or language.
He knows how to get me to do something for him. He uses some of the kinds of behaviors below to communicate:
- Gestures such as pointing, shaking his head, tugging at my arm or looking back and forth between me and what he wants
- Sounds such as squealing to show you he wants something or fussing when he doesn't want something
- Language or symbolic forms of communication such as speech, written words, Braille, picture symbols, 3-dimensional symbols or sign language
Does this statement describe your child?
How to score your child
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging
Mastered
– Does this independently most of the time when the opportunity arises
– Does this in a number of di erent contexts, and with di erent people
Emerging
– Does this inconsistently
–
Only does this when prompted or encouraged to do so. Only does this in one or two contexts or with one person.
Tips on Communication Devices
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging