Although the Communication Matrix is mostly used as an assessment tool by SLPs and teachers, it was updated in 2004 to be used by parents as well. As a parent , your input is one of the most valuable resources for your family member with complex communication needs. You are the one who truly knows how the individual communicates in the home setting, and you are the only one who can provide that valuable information.
We encourage more parents to take advantage of this valuable FREE resource!
Here’s how:
As a parent, what can you do with your assessment results to support your loved one with complex communication needs? Here are some ideas:
As a parent, you are your child’s biggest advocate and spokesperson. We hope the Communication Matrix can serve as a tool as you advocate for accommodations and goals to guide your child’s communication skills. Here’s how:
The Matrix One-page Profile shows what level of communicative behaviors the child uses and what kinds of messages, or communicative intents, are expressed. Look at the Matrix Profile and think about:
The Communication Skills List shows which behaviors the learner uses to communicate and can help you think about what specific behaviors you want to focus on.
As a parent, you may want to understand more about how the assessment is organized so you may better support your child’s communication skills. Here are the basics:
The Matrix is organized into 4 REASONS TO COMMUNICATE that appear across the bottom of the Profile:
Under each of these 4 major reasons are 24 more specific messages that people express.
Each of these messages correspond to the 24 questions you answer as you complete the Matrix.
The specific messages are arranged by Level and Reason, as seen on our “Structure and Organization of the Matrix” tab here.
If you have additional questions as you administer the Communication Matrix, you can contact our customer support at info@communicationmatrix.org
Our online Community pages are free to access and available to everyone. You can post questions, topics for discussions, share information, search events or use our powerful search engine to find answers to your own topics of interest. Both parents and professionals use the Community pages. We encourage you to join them in posting and enhancing our valuable community!
Here are some examples of past posts that are useful for parents:
Parents, if you are looking for information about individuals with the same disorder that your learner experiences, we encourage you to check out the Shared Science section of our website.
The people who use the Communication Matrix – family members and professionals – contribute valuable information to our database. We use this anonymous data to learn more about communication skills in various populations of people with severe communication disorders. So far our database includes information about more than 20 disorders including: Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), Angelman Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, Deaf Blindness and many others.
We truly want the Communication Matrix to be a user-friendly and useful tool for you as you support your child’s communication skills.
If you have questions about how to begin, we encourage you to visit our “Help” pages to view brief 1-2 minute videos to learn more about completing the Matrix.
You will also notice that as you complete the Matrix, each question is supported by a short video clip and/or image to enhance your understanding of the skill in question.
If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact our customer support at info@communicationmatrix.org for assistance Monday through Friday.
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is a professional association of educators dedicated to advancing the success of children with exceptionalities. The CEC provides many options to support professional development. Below are a few of the options that can be reached through their website.
2021 Convention: CEC's Learning Interactive Live Event (L.I.V.E.). on March 8-13, 2021, will transform the Annual Convention & Expo into an online experience with 700+ on-demand sessions, 3 keynotes, 30 live mainstage presentations, 400 poster videos, pre-conference workshops, and more. You may register HERE .
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) offers many avenues for professional development for its members.
2021 Convention: After cancelling the 2020 convention, ASHA will provide updates on their plans for their 2021 convention as they come together. The organization hopes to welcome everyone to Washington, D.C. for the 2021 ASHA Convention, November 18–20, 2021.
","userID":2023,"timestamp":"11/23/2020","posted":true,"featured":false,"originalPostID":null,"moderatorID":null,"justification":null,"show":true,"User":{"email":"info@communicationmatrix.org","firstName":"Communication Matrix Team","lastName":"","userName":"Communication Matrix Team"}}},{"collectionItemID":486,"postID":24526,"quote":"","Post":{"postID":24526,"title":"ISAAC Professional Development Opportunities","body":"The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) offers webinars for distance learning opportunities.
2021 Conference: ISAAC postponed its 2020 conference, and plans to hold the 2021 conference in Cancun, Mexico;
The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC) offers a wide variety of learning opportunities designed for professionals who work with or on behalf of young children with special needs.
2021 Conference: The DEC's 36th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs & Their Families is a virtual event! We will kick off with pre-conference events on January 21st - 22nd, 2021. Then, from January 25th - 29th, 2021, join us as 130+ sessions offer the latest research, evidence based practices, and \"just in time\" advice for working with young children with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Find details HERE .
","userID":2023,"timestamp":"11/23/2020","posted":true,"featured":false,"originalPostID":null,"moderatorID":null,"justification":null,"show":true,"User":{"email":"info@communicationmatrix.org","firstName":"Communication Matrix Team","lastName":"","userName":"Communication Matrix Team"}}},{"collectionItemID":488,"postID":24528,"quote":"","Post":{"postID":24528,"title":"Closing the Gap Professional Development Opportunities","body":"Closing the Gap provides news and resources about the use of assistive technology for special educators, rehabilitation professionals and consumers. Some of the resources available on their website are:
2021 Conference: After a successful virtual 2020 conference, plans are underway for next year's conference. Check back for details after january 1, 2021.
","userID":2023,"timestamp":"11/24/2020","posted":true,"featured":false,"originalPostID":null,"moderatorID":null,"justification":null,"show":true,"User":{"email":"info@communicationmatrix.org","firstName":"Communication Matrix Team","lastName":"","userName":"Communication Matrix Team"}}},{"collectionItemID":489,"postID":24529,"quote":"","Post":{"postID":24529,"title":"AER Opportunities for Professional Development","body":"The Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) provides various opportunities for professional development targeting providers who serve individuals with blindness or visual impairment.
2022 Conference: The 2020 international conference \"Gateway to Community\" was rescheduled for July 2022 in St. Louis, MO. Check back for details HERE .
","userID":2023,"timestamp":"11/24/2020","posted":true,"featured":false,"originalPostID":null,"moderatorID":null,"justification":null,"show":true,"User":{"email":"info@communicationmatrix.org","firstName":"Communication Matrix Team","lastName":"","userName":"Communication Matrix Team"}}}],"followed":false,"showFollows":false},{"collectionID":169,"name":"Telepractice and Telework","description":"We will use this collection to provide resources and tips for telework to support professionals and parents working with students with complex communication needs.","dateCreated":"3/23/2020","bio":null,"published":true,"userID":2023,"User":{"email":"info@communicationmatrix.org","firstName":"Communication Matrix Team","lastName":"","userName":"Communication Matrix Team"},"PostCollectionItems":[{"collectionItemID":474,"postID":24482,"quote":"Great webinar opportunity about telework.","Post":{"postID":24482,"title":"Free Webinar-Using Telehealth with Project ImPACT","body":"Dear Community Members,
I just wanted to share this opportunity with our Community Here:
Offering Project ImPACT through Telehealth
FREE WEBINAR
With the current COVID-19 pandemic, many providers are having to shift their in-person services to telehealth. Our research and clinical experience show that Project ImPACT can be delivered very successfully over telehealth. This free webinar will provide important information to help providers transition the Project ImPACT program to a telehealth model.This webinar will be hosted by the Project ImPACT co-developers: Anna Dvortcsak, MS, CCC-SLP and Brooke Ingersoll, PhD, BCBA-D.
This 90-minute webinar will cover:
Brief overview and resources on the evidence-base and guidelines for providing services over telehealth
What information providers need to be able to provide telehealth-based Project ImPACT effectively
How to set families up for success with telehealth
How to conduct the Project ImPACT individual and group coaching models over telehealth
We will allow time for questions from participants. The webinar will also be recorded and shared over YouTube for providers who are not able to attend.
The webinar will be this Friday (3/27/20) from 1:00-2:30 PM EST. Registration for this event is free but required. This webinar is designed for providers who are already using Project ImPACT with families. We are also planning to host another webinar next week on parent coaching more generally for providers who are transitioning to telehealth but who may not be using Project ImPACT.
TO REGISTER, CLICK BELOW:
https://msu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HWkF164VRsiuMj9xmAGDpw
Dear Community Members,
If you haven't seen yet HHS has included a great resource about Remote Communications during the COVID-19 outbreak.
You can view the full announcement here: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/emergency-preparedness/notification-enforcement-discretion-telehealth/index.html
","userID":1015,"timestamp":"3/23/2020","posted":true,"featured":false,"originalPostID":null,"moderatorID":null,"justification":null,"show":true,"User":{"email":"quinnem@ohsu.edu","firstName":"Emily Dayle","lastName":"Quinn","userName":"Emily Dayle Quinn"}}},{"collectionItemID":476,"postID":5527,"quote":"This would be a great resource for parents working with children at home.","Post":{"postID":5527,"title":"Shared reading plan for Rap A Tap Tap","body":"Attached is a plan of action our classroom developed in implementing a shared reading experience in a middle school classroom of students with complex communication needs. I had the wonderful experience of meeting Amy Parker recently at Wing Lake and we talked about a couple of lessons that may be fun for students comparable to ours. The most exciting thing about this lesson was the amount of participation and enthusiasm our kids demonstrated. They certainly were more than anxious to participate. In fact, they were \"rap a tap tapping\" in their own seats! So please share and enjoy; that is my sole hope for contributing this: Passing the passion to others!","userID":3129,"timestamp":"5/14/2015","posted":false,"featured":false,"originalPostID":null,"moderatorID":null,"justification":null,"show":true,"User":{"email":"ajohnson@bloomfield.org","firstName":"Alice","lastName":"Johnson","userName":"Alice"}}},{"collectionItemID":477,"postID":6617,"quote":"Here is a shared reading activity for a very common book many people may have in their house already.","Post":{"postID":6617,"title":"Shared reading for Cat in Hat","body":"Following is a shared reading lesson that we have done a couple of times [the first with our speech pathologist]. When Amy Parker and the Matrix team were at Wing Lake, I had asked if she would like to see a few shared reading experiences posted and she was interested. I am just sorry that I have not done all of them together but time always runs too, too fast! Hope you enjoy! We loved it because we could incorporate the early math component. There also pictures attached to help with the explanation.","userID":3129,"timestamp":"7/16/2015","posted":true,"featured":false,"originalPostID":null,"moderatorID":null,"justification":null,"show":true,"User":{"email":"ajohnson@bloomfield.org","firstName":"Alice","lastName":"Johnson","userName":"Alice"}}},{"collectionItemID":478,"postID":22901,"quote":"If you are looking for crafting projects that could also help your students or kids than this is the post for you!","Post":{"postID":22901,"title":"These are a few of my favorite things! All the things you need for DIY low tech!","body":"These are a few of my favorite things...cue the sound of music! Materials that are so handy when crafting low tech systems of all kinds! People including far more crafty individuals than myself have trialed and errored many materials over the years so you don’t have to! This is what I know of. If others have suggestions comment below to share!
Secure pages of symbols of communication books together:
Air craft cable rings: Unlike binder rings which can become misaligned and lose pages and zip ties which don’t allow you to add pages after they are secured, these rings have twist closures. They can be found at all kinds of retailers including Amazon: Aircraft cable keychain rings
Binding machine: Binding machines allow you to quickly punch pages and bind a book together. This type of binding may also last longer.
Support visual and motor access:
Glitter glue gun sticks: Use red sparkly glue gun sticks to highlight distinctive features on symbols. I’ve known people to purchase at dollar tree! See image below to see what highlighting with glitter glue could look like.
Pom poms: Make page turning easier by using different sized Pom poms at the corners of the page. Larger pom poms will increase spacing between pages and will increase participation and/or independence during page turning. This is great for creating symbol-adapted or adapted books.
\nPipe cleaners: The benefit of using a visual highlighting tool to increase visual attention to symbols or to features of symbols cannot be emphasized enough. Red/yellow pipe cleaners and better yet red and gold glitter pipe cleaners are your best friends. See picture below of a visual highlighting tool.
\nMatte lamination sheets (5 mm): Non-reflective sheets prevent distraction of reflection of light off sheet. This is particularly useful with supporting vision in individuals who have CVI.
\nSoft gel-paint adhesives: Put over symbol to increase dimensionality or create border and edges. A less expensive and potentially more durable version of puffy paint.
Display symbols
Tri-fold poster board: Fold into wedge to display symbols on one of three sides or open up to support visual attention to symbols in center by reducing visual complexity.
Velcro dots: Quick and easy way to secure symbols! Different sizes and strengths and no more sticky scissors!
\nAprons: This is so great for group based activities with AAC users (circle time, story telling) and leaves you with your hands free by placing symbols on an Apron.
\nBinders: Organizing symbols in binder is so portable and symbols can be displayed on front or within binder. Check out this organization below in picture for storage and display. The symbols are stored within the binder and displayed for choice making on the front using a felt backing.
","userID":46861,"timestamp":"12/5/2018","posted":true,"featured":false,"originalPostID":null,"moderatorID":null,"justification":null,"show":true,"User":{"email":"deirdre.e.mclaughlin@gmail.com","firstName":"Deirdre","lastName":"Galvin-McLaughlin","userName":"Deirdre Galvin-McLaughlin"}}},{"collectionItemID":479,"postID":8488,"quote":"This guide might be helpful for siblings while families are all together.","Post":{"postID":8488,"title":"Encouraging and Equipping Peers to Interact Well with Classmates with Complex Communication Needs","body":"Peers may need to be equipped and encouraged in order tobuild the skills and motivation to interact really positively with a classmate with complex communication needs. So often, peers without disabilities want to interact with a classmate, but don’t know how. So, peers sometimes need extra information and support to learn new skills and strategies to support really positive, meaningful interactions with a classmate with a severe disability. One way to do this is to invite a few peers to participate in meaningful roles in an intervention effort focused on supporting social interaction among them and their classmate with a disability. To launch an intervention effort, it may be important to hold an initial orientation meeting and/or continue to provide support for them so that these peers are equipped with the information they need to be comfortable and effective in their interactions.
Any information shared with peers should be individually tailored. The information should help peers know exactly what you are expecting of them through the roles you’ve invited them to have in an intervention effort. For example, peers may be asked to serve as a partner within a peer support arrangement during an inclusive academic classroom (see Carter, Cushing, & Kennedy, 2009). No matter what the intervention looks like, here are some topics of information that might be helpful for peers:
Information should not be shared with peers that is confidential—such as information about a child’s disability diagnosis or other information in an IEP. Often, this type of information is not helpful for peers anyway! Instead, peers benefit from individualized, specific information about what they can do to interact well with their classmate and make sure their classmate has what they need to be successful in that interaction. I’ve attached an example of a handout that could be used to teach peers to use a few simple interaction strategies with a classmate who uses an aided AAC device. The handout itself would be most appropriate for older students; however, these strategies could easily be tailored to be more appropriate for younger students as well!
References
Carter, E. W., Cushing, L. S., & Kennedy, C. H. (2009). Peer support strategies for improving all students’ social lives and learning. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
There is a free website with a wide variety of books called Unite for Literacy. Books are posted with photographic images and bold print. All books are non-fiction. The print is in English and in Spanish, although I haven't found a book with both together. Books are narrated in English and Spanish, with options for sorting in other languages, but I haven't seen other books in those languages as yet. Books can be sorted in 10 categories such as Animals, Home, Earth & Sky, Technology, Community, etc.
Pages are turned with a click, so switch users will need a modification through switch interface or the screen turned into a switch through built-in options if you are on a tablet or iPad.
One of the nice things about using photographic images, is that photos allow books to be age appropriate across a wide variety of ages. So for students of any age who are just encountering text, for whatever reason, and they are at the beginning levels of reading that text in English or in Spanish, they should not be embarrassed to be seen looking at some of these books.
Website is http://www.uniteforliteracy.com/
Unite for Literacy is a not-for-profit organization with a wonderful message of literacy for all. They partner with various Zoos, Aquariums and Museums around the US and World to produce these colorful books. As an organization, here's the copy of their message from their website:
\"We picture a world where all children have access to an abundance of books that celebrate their languages and cultures and cultivate a life-long love of reading. As a for-profit social enterprise, we partner with businesses to change the literacy landscape of their communities by introducing families to our free digital library.
Unite for Literacy has originated a unique way of assessing and talking about book scarcity. We analyzed statistical variables including income, ethnicity, geography and languages as they relate to the number of books in homes. The resulting interactive Book Desert Map presents our conceptual findings in visual form from the state down to local scale. Our intention is for this map to illuminate the problem of book scarcity and initiate conversations across the public, private and civic sectors about the geography of books and reading, in order to focus community efforts to create book abundance.\"
There is a free website with a wide variety of books called Unite for Literacy. Books are posted with photographic images and bold print. All books are non-fiction. The print is in English and in Spanish, although I haven't found a book with both together. Books are narrated in English and Spanish, with options for sorting in other languages, but I haven't seen other books in those languages as yet. Books can be sorted in 10 categories such as Animals, Home, Earth & Sky, Technology, Community, etc.
Pages are turned with a click, so switch users will need a modification through switch interface or the screen turned into a switch through built-in options if you are on a tablet or iPad.
One of the nice things about using photographic images, is that photos allow books to be age appropriate across a wide variety of ages. So for students of any age who are just encountering text, for whatever reason, and they are at the beginning levels of reading that text in English or in Spanish, they should not be embarrassed to be seen looking at some of these books.
Website is http://www.uniteforliteracy.com/
Unite for Literacy is a not-for-profit organization with a wonderful message of literacy for all. They partner with various Zoos, Aquariums and Museums around the US and World to produce these colorful books. As an organization, here's the copy of their message from their website:
\"We picture a world where all children have access to an abundance of books that celebrate their languages and cultures and cultivate a life-long love of reading. As a for-profit social enterprise, we partner with businesses to change the literacy landscape of their communities by introducing families to our free digital library.
Unite for Literacy has originated a unique way of assessing and talking about book scarcity. We analyzed statistical variables including income, ethnicity, geography and languages as they relate to the number of books in homes. The resulting interactive Book Desert Map presents our conceptual findings in visual form from the state down to local scale. Our intention is for this map to illuminate the problem of book scarcity and initiate conversations across the public, private and civic sectors about the geography of books and reading, in order to focus community efforts to create book abundance.\"
In an effort to help support speech-language pathologists who are needing to pivot to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) has created an online resource called \"Telepractice Resources During COVID-19\" that they are updating regularly.
You can access the page here https://www.asha.org/About/Telepractice-Resources-During-COVID-19/?utm_source=asha&utm_medium=enewsletter&utm_term=picks&utm_content=032420&utm_campaign=ashanow
While the site focuses on speech-language pathology and audiology services, it includes some general information regarding telepractice that may also be useful for educators and allied health professionals. Since this situation has resulted in a push for legislation to make telehealth more accessible to clinicians and families, they will be regularly updating the page to include the latest information on that front as well.
I hope you find this information helpful and take care!
","userID":3203,"timestamp":"3/24/2020","posted":true,"featured":false,"originalPostID":null,"moderatorID":null,"justification":null,"show":true,"User":{"email":"atkinskr@ohsu.edu","firstName":"Kristi ","lastName":"Atkins","userName":"KristiA"}}},{"collectionItemID":483,"postID":24485,"quote":"","Post":{"postID":24485,"title":"Free Webinar- Telemedicine-based Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Assessment in Toddlers","body":"I wanted to share that there will be a free webinar hosted by Zachary Warren, Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics; Executive Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) / Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) offered tomorrow. See details below:
Description: Please join us for training on a tele-diagnostic triage tool for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This tool is designed for clinicians working with young children in need of autism assessment while faced with geographic or social distancing barriers. Traditional in-person diagnostic evaluation services for young children with ASD through the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center / Treatment and Research Institute for ASD (TRIAD) have been suspended due to the COVID-19 response. We are presently converting all diagnostic evaluations of toddlers to telemedicine evaluations using a new tool (TELE-ASD-PEDS) explicitly built for this purpose and under evaluation in an ongoing trial (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03847337). The TELE-ASD-PEDS was designed for experienced diagnosticians to use without the need for extensive training or standardized materials. We will review pilot data from established telemedicine programs and evaluation studies and offer training and free use of the TELE-ASD-PEDS to any provider similarly responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will also briefly review how our telemedicine models for identification flow into early intervention services for families where there are developmental concerns, including ASD.
Time: Mar 25, 2020 01:00 PM in Central Time / 2:00 PM in Eastern Time
Registration: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tOrOW0NlQZ2r8nV-7cOXWA
For more information about future trainings: Triad.vumc.org/covid19
What is the Project?
This was a collaboration between the Community Vision Assistive Technology (AT) Lab, Portland State Speech & Hearing Department, Portland Parks & Recreation, and SUN Schools to create a local, affordable day camp that is accessible and welcoming to children with CCN who have physical disabilities. It was funded through a grant from the Oregon Scottish Rite in collaboration with Portland State Speech & Hearing Sciences Program.
Why was the Pilot Project Developed?
There are summer camps that specialize in AAC supports, which can be a fun and effective way for children who use AAC to have lots of opportunities to learn and use their AAC systems and for them to meet other AAC users! However, there are few camp opportunities in the Pacific NW for children with CCN to join their speaking peers within their own communities in an accessible and affordable program. Fees for attending SUN camps range between $52 - $80 for an entire week, with full scholarships available for those in financial need. These fees are far more affordable than private camps and, inclusion of children with CCN in camps based in their communities, is more equitable, given these are the same fees paid by other families in their neighborhood.
How the Project was Designed?
The Children:
6 children with CCN and physical disabilities signed up for the project. They had varying degrees of experience with their AAC systems, a variety of language levels, and diverse physical abilities. Their ages ranged from 6 – 10 years old. Examples of their AAC systems were: PRC Accent 1000 SGD, 84 cell Unity with direct selection; Go Talk Now app on iPad set up for direct selection in a 4 cell layout with a white board for quick choice making; Tobii Dynavox eye gaze SGD and large visual symbols for quick choice making; Go Talk Now app on iPad with high contrast symbols accessed with 2 switch step scanning or Partner Assisted Auditory Scanning; Auditory Scanning PODD book; multiple children used Partner Assisted Auditory Scanning; multiple children regularly used a Step-by-Step(SBS) communicator for quick, social participation.
Graduate Students:
4 SLP graduate students, who were interested in AAC clinical experience, and who had just completed the graduate AAC class, participated in the project. In addition to the Graduate AAC Summer Intensive class, they were provided with a day of orientation to look at specific AAC tools in the summer camp setting, and to learn about adapting activities and the environment. The orientation occurred on the Monday of the “Get-to-know-you Week” (GTKY Week – see below). Also, during the orientation day, the students were given information on each of the children with CCN, camp curriculum, and were tasked with thinking about possible adaptations to be trialed during the GTKY week.
Get-to-know-you (GTKY) Week:
The children attended three 1.5 hour pre-camp play sessions at the AT Lab in Portland. They were grouped according to age (3 younger children attended a morning session and 3 older children attended an afternoon session). This was arranged secondary to space constraints at the Lab but, retrospectively, was deemed beneficial to help the Grad students get to know the children’s physical access to activities and their AAC systems.During the GTKY week, the grad students worked 1:1 with the children, talked to parents and caregivers, and began exploring ways to adapt activities, and to learn each of their AAC systems. Specifically, the students practiced programming SBS communicators, anticipating this as a tool that could be frequently used in the camp setting. They also learned how to support Partner Assisted Auditory Scanning (PAAS), as this can be a difficult concept to grasp without practice.On the Friday of the GTKY week, the grad students and their supervisor visited the SUN Camp to see the environment teeming with campers and staff and to see how some activities were organized. The supervisor had done a site visit many months prior, but went to see how the space was organized with a camp day full of children and summer staff.
Camp Week:
The 6 children with CCN attended one week of regularly scheduled SUN camp at Faubion School in NE Portland, with the option to add additional weeks if they wanted. The 4 grad students worked with the children with CCN and also coordinated with Portland Parks & Rec Inclusion staff to train them on each of the campers’ specific communication supports and activity adaptations. Results of this adult-heavy set-up will be discussed in the reflections and next steps section
The first picture below shows an adapted art activity during GTKY Week, followed by the logos of our project partners, and a collage of pictures from camp.
Physical Accessibility
Faubion School is a newly built, very accessible space in NE Portland. It was chosen as one of the best site options because it is newly designed and open with large passage ways and activity/play areas. SUN camps were specifically chosen because the camp activities occur indoors with some outdoor time. Given the physical and medical status of the campers with CCN, a full outdoor program in potentially very hot summer conditions would not be feasible and could be dangerous for some of the children.
Picture 1 shows Faubion school
Picture 2, the playground
Privacy and Toileting
For some children with physical disabilities assisted transfers to a toilet are not possible. In these circumstances, a full sized changing table in a private restroom are needed. This is not yet a standard feature of even ADA accessible bathrooms. The AT Lab delivered a stand-alone changing table that was placed in a private ADA restroom so the campers could have privacy and appropriate accommodations.
Picture 3 is ideal set up for full sized changing table in private ADA restroom
Picture 4 is of the stand-alone changing table provided at the facility
Adaptations to Activities
Games & Sports
Many games were included as part of the curriculum. For children with significant motor challenges, they were reliant on partners for help participating but even small changes in placement or materials allowed them to participate with peers.
Picture 5: playing ball with soft, grippable ball
Picture 6: pool noodles for ‘light sabre’ fight
Picture 7: baseball with pool noodle & beach ball
Picture 8: basketball with a little partner support
Art Activities
Art was a big part of this camp. As with the sports and games, some children relied on partner support for participation; however, there was always a way to position or alter the activities so that everyone could participate!
Picture 9: a little protective plastic and shaving cream activity can be brought to a wheelchair tray
Picture 10: a little tape and a friend to make a bracelet
Picture 11: slant board & tape for drawing
Picture 12: a friend to hang art on the wall
Picture 13: A soft arm splint and stretchy rubber band allowed one camper, with muscle contractures to hold her own pen. Working with an OT and setting this up only for short periods is recommended.
Group Games
The campers liked to play group Hangman. Alternative Pencils and Step-by-Step (SBS) communicators allowed campers with CCN to participate in Hangman. Camp staff knew to call on a camper with CCN when their support person indicated that they were ready to guess a letter.
Picture 14: Hangman Participation
Morning Meeting
Each morning at 9:30, the campers would gather for attendance and go over the camp rules. A Step-by-Step (SBS) Communicator was programmed with ‘here’ for children who use AAC and made available for any other camper who wanted to use the SBS for attendance. The rules were not only spoken, but also signed and presented in symbol form. On the first day, the concept of different ways to communicate was introduced during morning meeting.
After the pilot project was completed, the SUN staff reported that they (and the campers) continued to use signs during Morning Meeting.
Picture 15: camp rules with symbols
Picture 16: SBS for ‘here’ and rules
Picture 17: first day intro to alternative communication during morning meeting (taught signs & explained AAC tools)
Picture 18: Some campers caught on and made their own adapted communication tools!
Many of the campers at SUN camp had never met children with CCN or children with significant physical challenges. Alternative communication methods were new to many of them. We began the week during the Monday Morning Meeting by explaining the different ways we all can communicate. The campers were all very interested and offered their thoughts and experiences. However, since the concepts were relatively new and this was the first day meeting the campers with CCN, if we had left interactions to simply develop ‘naturally’, it was quite likely that the campers with CCN would have remained on the edges of the activities. Most people who are unfamiliar with specific kinds of disability, can feel intimidated by wheelchairs, communication devices/tools, and are afraid they will do or say ‘the wrong thing’.
Additionally, since many of our campers with CCN also rely on a Personal Support Worker (PSW), the adult can unintentionally become a barrier instead of a bridge to peer interaction. Starting from the first day at camp, we were very purposeful about positioning children with CCN in the group and trained the PSWs (and Grad SLP students) to intentionally invite campers to come learn about the Assistive Technology tools and showed them how they could interact with the campers with CCN.
Some strategies might seem obvious, but it is amazing how the smallest details can make the difference between children with CCN simply being present and actually being integrated in to the group.
The following are some examples of intentional, small changes that can encourage integration and inclusion:
1. Intentional Seating: peers seated next to peers with adults behind, not between (see Picture 1)
2. Intentional Spacing: not grouping all the children with CCN together – this is especially important with wheelchairs, which can be a physical and psychological barrier (see Picture 2)
3. Bridging Communication with Technology: teaching the technology to all campers who were interested. By actively inviting campers to look at and learn about the technology, it increased comfort levels around disability and demystified assistive technology. Once the assistive technology (and the accompanying disabilities) were demystified, campers began organically forging friendships and becoming helpful partners when that was appropriate. (see Pictures 3 – 10)
Picture Explanations:
3 -4; teaching children how to program jokes on a SBS
5 -6; introducing and letting them try a camper’s eye gaze device;
7 – 9; campers beginning to take initiative programming SBS on their own with new friends with CCN
10; campers who were initially reticent to try assistive technology, eagerly & enthusiastically getting involved!
11 – 14; new friends made!
Planning Curriculum
The SUN camp staff were amazing and open partners in this project! However, after the pilot project, we had a debriefing meeting and it was agreed that it would be beneficial for us to co-plan curriculum for next summer. The pilot, overall, had a very positive impact but the staff felt a little overwhelmed learning the adaptations on the fly while they were implementing the curriculum that they had planned in the Spring. By co-planning curriculum, we would be able to imbed some ideas of adaptations from the outset. Assistive Technology (AT) and working with children with physical disabilities and CCN was not only new for the campers, it was also new for the staff. To increase their own familiarity and comfort with how to include all children and imbed use of AT, they felt that co-planning and building a relationship with us would greatly improve this process for them as professionals.
We are in the midst of setting out a plan for co-planning curriculum for the Summer of 2020.
Number of Adults & Goals
We quickly realized during the first day of camp, that there were far too many adults involved in the process. Since this was a pilot and there were a lot of partners involved in the project, erring on the side of too much support was preferred over too little support. In the next phase of the project we will want to streamline the support.
Specifically, there may be too many ‘goals’ trying to be addressed at once in the project. The goals were as follows:
1. Campers with CCN to have access to community-based camps and be meaningfully included
2. Campers at the local camps to feel more comfortable with disability and AT and to form friendships across perceived barriers
3. SUN camp staff to learn about and feel comfortable and confident in supporting children with CCN who use AT
4. Portland Parks & Rec staff to be trained and proficient on how to be a support person who helps bridge gaps for inclusion without unintentionally becoming a barrier
5. Graduate SLP students to gain AAC experience
The first 3 goals were, and continue to be, essential to the project. As we proceed, goals 4 & 5 will have to be prioritized since those are the goals that created ‘too many adults’ involved. There are benefits and drawbacks to each of the choices. The benefits of including the grad students is that this intensive, hands-on experience with AAC will likely be very beneficial to them as they transition in to their SLP professions, where they can continue to support children with CCN. We heard from one parent that she thought this was essential to the pilot project. The benefit of including the Parks & Rec staff instead of the grad students is that they could be available for multiple weeks in the summer should the children with CCN want to continue to attend camp. Another parent highlighted the importance of training the Parks & Rec staff. We are in the process of discussing the goals of the project with the involved stakeholders to determine our approach for Summer 2020.
Get to Know You Week
The pre-camp sessions were invaluable to the graduate students to have the time and space to learn specifics on each campers communication tools, learn how to adapt activities, and to prep the children with CCN on what to expect at camp (and to get to know the grad students who would be supporting them). Parents also gave feedback that this was an important and helpful component to the camp experience since it can take time to understand their child’s tools and cues.
Interviews
The YouTube Video below includes clips of feedback we received via interview on the SUN Camp Project (2 parents + 1 SUN staff)