Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems: Procedural Description Emily Gallant Caldwell College June 23, 2008.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems:

Procedural Description

Emily GallantCaldwell College

June 23, 2008

Overview

• Resources

• Rationale

• Terms

• Types

• Conceptual analysis

WITH

VIDEO!

Search (Academic)• PsycINFO

– sign language + autism– pecs + autism– aac + autism

• Colleagues

Search (Public)• Google [search “AAC”, “AAC +

autism”]

• YouTube

• PECS (www.pecs.com)

• Dynavox (www.dynavoxtech.com)

AAC: Rationale• Evidence-based?

• Communication: presence > form– Medical-type diagnoses (e.g., “apraxia”)

– ABA marketing

• However, for most: GOAL = vocal speech– Shaping?/Fading?

Terminology• “Unaided”

Signing

• “Aided” Low-tech (e.g., PECS) High-tech (e.g., vocal output systems)

Wilkinson & Hennig (2007)

Hourcade, Pilotte, West, & Parette (2004)

ASHA (2004)

Terminology• Symbols

– Manipulated to achieve communication goal

– Formal similarity to target varies (e.g. line drawings vs. photographs)

ASHA (2002)

Signing• May use just a few signs

• Imitation training? (e.g., Tincani (2004))

• Communication partners limited

What does it look like?• Signinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlFwLxqAUkk

PECS

PECS• Manualized/packaged; Certificates• Materials:

– Preferred items– Pictures– Book to store pictures

• People involved:– Communicative partner– Physical prompter

Bondy & Frost (1994)

Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc. (2008)

PECS• Phase I: Physical Exchange • Phase II: Expanding Spontaneity• Phase III: Picture Discrimination• Phase IV: Sentence Structure• Phase V: Responding to “What do you

Want?”• Phase VI: Responsive & Spontaneous

Commenting

Bondy & Frost (1994)

What does it look like?• PECS Phase I• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP48lxnNdHM

What does it look like?• PECS Phase II• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3lQXNEcps

Higher-tech Options• Picture audio• Text audio• Text composition audio

What does it look like?• Variety of materials and equipment

What does it look like?• “Supertalker”; “Bookworm”

What does it look like?• DynaVox

Summary• What’s available?

– Products– Testimonials

• What’s less available? – How to teach a child to use AAC

• Up to implementer?• PECS: manual guidance + appropriate fading

– Reference to empirical support• For typically developing children• For children with autism

How does it work?

Higher-order antecedent

stimuliResponse SR+

• Basic contingencies of verbal behavior

SD(s)

MO(s)

Availability of listener

Verbal behavior

SR+

Listener

Something to say

Initially, AAC response;

Later, vocal speech

Where do we go from here?

• Claim: AAC enhances vocal speech• True? Evaluate using EBP standards

• Transition from AAC to vocal speech?– Public resources do not specify– How could we facilitate this? We could…

• Would you (do you) teach it?

References• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2002). Augmentative and Alternative

Communication: Knowledge and Skills for Service Delivery [Knowledge and Skills]. Available from www.asha.org/policy

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2004). Roles and Responsibilities of Speech- Language Pathologists With Respect to Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Technical Report [Technical Report]. Available from www.asha.org/policy

• Bondy, A. S., & Frost, L. A. (1994). The picture exchange communication system. Focus on Autistic Behavior, 9, 1-19.

• Hourcade, J., Pilotte, T. E., West, E., & Parette, P. (2004). A history of augmentative and alternative communication for individuals with severe and profound disabilities. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19, 235-244.

• Millar, D. C., Light, J. C., & Schlosser, R. W. (2006). The impact of augmentative and alternative communication intervention on the speech production of individuals with developmental disabilites: A research review. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49, 248-264.

• Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc. (n.d.) Retrieved June 23, 2008, from http://www.pecs.com

• Romski, M. A., & Sevcik, R. A. (1997). Augmentative and alternative communication for children with developmental disabilities. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities: Research Reviews, 3, 363-368.

• Tincani, M. (2004). Comparing the picture exchange communication system and sign language training for children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19, 152-163.

• Wilkinson, K. M., & Hennig, S. (2007). The state of research and practice in augmentative and alternative communication for children with developmental/intellectual disabilities. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities: Research Reviews, 13, 58-69.