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Amy Starble
5/17/2017 1:21 AM
Participating in whole group lessons can be challenging for emergent AAC communicators because of the pace of instruction and the communication expectations. In my work in inclusive preschools and kindergartens I have trained classroom teachers to use various teaching strategies to help support the AAC communicator's participation in a wide variety of whole group lessons. Below are some of the strategies that teacher's have cited as being helpful and relatively easy to imbed into their daily instructional lessons:
Priming: If the emergent AAC communicator will be asked a question during full class instruction it may help to give him/her a cue such as, “I want you to think about....., I’ll be asking you about that after Sally’s turn”. This gives the child some prep time to find the vocabulary on his/her communication tool. For instance, if the teacher is asking the AAC communicator to share an animal he/she thinks lives in a water habitat this priming will help the AAC communicator navigate to the appropriate vocabulary, with assistance if necessary, and then answer the question when it's his/her turn.
Errorless Learning: When designing classroom activities, think about how questions can be asked in a way that does not require a “correct” answer. For instance during a phonics lesson, instead of saying, “What is this sound”, instead help the early AAC communicator navigate to the phonics or letter page in his/her device or communication book and say something like, “What sound do you want to find in our phonics cards?” This way any sound the child says is “correct” for the purpose of the lesson.
Non-Verbal Responses: During full class instruction try integrating a question that invites all of the children to respond using a non-verbal mode, such as raising a hand, giving a thumbs up, or holding up a specific number of fingers. For example, within a preschool spatial concepts lesson a teacher may demonstrate a spatial concept and say, "Give me a thumbs up if you think I put the dog 'next to' his doghouse".
Delayed Choral Answers: Choral answers can often be challenging for children who are learning to communicate with AAC systems. In order to reduce the pace of choral answers try asking a question and then have the children give a non-verbal cue when they are ready to answer. This procedure may allow the AAC communicator to prep his/her response. For example, saying, “Put your finger on your nose when you’re ready to tell me….” may allow the AAC communicator to navigate to a specific page in their device and prepare their answer.
Cloze Sets: Try using the materials within instructional activities as cloze sets for non-verbal responses. Cloze sets make generative answers into multiple-choice answers that may not require verbal output. Providing cloze sets in the form of paper-based options or even pointing to an option that the teacher is holding up can be helpful. I recently visited a preschool in which the classroom teacher made a topic board with lots of different play options (blocks, books, watch tv, play at the park, etc). She then asked each child in the class the question, "Tell us one thing you like to do with your family". Each child had the option of using the communication board or coming up with their own answer. This cloze set allowed the AAC communicator to answer a relatively open-ended question with ease.
Descriptive Teaching Method: Many questions asked during instruction are closed questions, with only one acceptable answer in mind. Descriptive style questions allow AAC users to answer using high frequency, core vocabulary that is readily accessible on their communicative devices or within their communication books/boards. When asking wh- questions consider how the question could be answered using Core Vocabulary. For example, when asking a question may require a complex vocabulary word, consider how to frame it differently. For example, if you are reading a book about hibernation you may ask, “What do you think another word for “hibernation” is? Using the core word “sleep” still tells you that the AAC communicator understood the word hibernation but does not require him/her to use it within his/her response.
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I like the idea of Errorless learning. It gives the student using their new AAC communicator a chance to work with their device and feel successful communicating because there isn't an incorrect answer.
slehmann - 5/17/2017
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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?
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.
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He knows how to get me to do something for him. He uses some of the kinds of behaviors below to communicate:
Does this statement describe 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
– 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
– Does this inconsistently
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Only does this when prompted or encouraged to do so. Only does this in one or two contexts or with one person.
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
