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Peer to Peer Interaction with AAC
dherrera
5/31/2017 8:02 PM
As a teacher for students with multiple disabilities, encouraging peer to peer interactions can be a major challenge. I have found that many of my students prefer to communicate with staff rather than with their own peers. Students need to be presented highly structured opportunities in order to engage in purposeful interactions with each other.
During our morning meetings, I have students practice writing letters to one another using their language on their AAC device (Touch Chat for the majority of my students). They choose their communication partner on their device and write a message or a comment related to a picture. They will then engage in a communication exchange with one another where they read their message to their partner.
It is also equally important for our students to interact with their typically developed peers. Throughout the school year, I have had a local high school student come to my classroom 3 times a week as part of their teacher prep program. This high school student needed to be trained in how to communicate with our students. Your typical high school student has most likely never even heard of Touch Chat or other similar AAC programs. I had to train her in how to communicate using each students AAC device. Many typical peers may be too timid to interact with their peers with disabilities only because they do not know how to effectively communicate with them. The more they can be accustomed to the different types of communication devices that our students use, the better communicative exchanges can occur between our students with disabilities and their typical peers.
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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