Communication Stephanie Miller, Jess Secrest, Lauren Reimels, Corinne Yorlano, and Alexis Vergos Assistive Technology Group Project.

Communication

Stephanie Miller, Jess Secrest,Lauren Reimels, Corinne Yorlano, and Alexis

Vergos

Assistive Technology Group Project

What is Communication?

• Exchange of information• Expressing and receiving…– Information– Feelings– Ideas– Wants– Desires

What is Communication?

• Occurs through– Seeing– Hearing– Speaking– Reading– Writing– Gesturing

• Involves at least 2 participants, except when we are talking to ourselves

Language• “The formal code of abstract symbols used by a

group of people to communicate.” (p. 105)• Includes rules for combining the abstract symbols

into larger parts• Rules for how spoken language is used to

communicate involves 3 kinds of skills– Using language for different functions

• Greeting or informing

– Following rules for dialogues• Personal space between speaker and listener

– Adapting to needs of a listener or situation• Speaking to a teacher vs. a peer

5 Components of Language• Phonology

– Rules of the sounds in language– Individual speech sounds

• Morphology– Form of language and structure of words– Meaningful units of sound

• Syntax– Meaningful structure of words into sentences

• Semantics– Content or meaning of a word or words

• Vocabulary and relationships among words

• Pragmatics– Social use of language

Speech

• Formation and production of oral language• Produced by 4 processes– Respiration: powers speech– Phonation: produces sound in larynx– Resonation: shapes the sounds– Articulation: forms specific speech sounds

Communication Disorders• Definition according to the American Speech-

Language-Hearing Association:– “An impairment in the ability to receive, send, process,

and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal, and graphic symbol systems.”

• Can be…– Mild to profound– Developmental or acquired– One or a combination of disorders

• Students can receive special education services if the disorder or impairment has an adverse affect on their learning

Language Impairments• Difficulty with comprehension or using speech,

writing, or other systems such as gestures• Aphasia– One of the most severe types– The language centers of the brain are damaged– Causes include stroke or traumatic brain injury

• Apraxia (learned movement cannot be performed)• Traumatic brain injury• Cerebral palsy• Autism

Speech Impairments

• Affects articulation of speech sounds, fluency, or voice– Articulation: substitutions, omissions, or

distortions– Fluency: flow of speaking is interrupted– Voice: vocal quality, pitch, or loudness is absent or

produced abnormally• Causes– Cerebral palsy, cleft lip or palate, stuttering,

significant hearing loss

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

• “The combination of communication tools available to an individual.” (p. 108)

• Augmentative– Helps the student use the communication he/she

has• Alternative– The oral system is bypassed

• The type and method depends on the student’s communication skills (including physical, cognitive, sensory, and receptive)

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) cont.

• Considerations– Primary is the student who needs it– Secondary includes: people who interact with the

student on a regular basis, financial resources, support, and usefulness across all environments

Indications for AAC• Indication: the technique the student uses to make

his/her message known• Scanning

– Choices are offered in a predetermined order and the student picks his/her choice• Yes or No responses, 20 questions game

• Encoding– Parts of the message are communicated by a pattern

• Sender selects signals to send a message using things like manual signing and spelling

• Direct Selection– Student directly chooses the parts of the message he/she

wants known• Usually connected to an output device like a printer or monitor

Implementations for AAC• Implementations are devices to help students communicate• Unaided

– No device is present• Body language, head nods, or manual signs

• Fundamental– Communication supplements

• Picture board

• Simple Electronic– Interprets motion

• Scans selections and student stops the scanner at his/her choice

• Fully Independent– Output can be auditory, visual, or both

• Connected to a monitor, printer, or speech output device• Connected to a power source

• Fully Independent and Portable– Same as Fully Independent, but not connected to a power source

• Some run on batteries

Assistive Technology for Student Learning

Helpful strategies for using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC):

1. Provide a supportive environment- collaboration is key

2. Challenge the student- providing challenges and positive reinforcement assists in the use of the device

3. Keep communication open among team members- develop common goals and consistent strategies

4. Take an active role- become knowledgeable about the system (be an expert)

5. Check the IEP, IFSP, and the transition plan language- these plans guide the process so be sure to follow them

6. Try simple strategies first- move from low to high devices

Assistive Technology and the Speech- Language Pathologist (SLP)

• The SLP can assist the classroom teacher by developing lesson plans, co-teaching lessons and adjusting teaching styles

• The role of the SLP:– Provides services to students on a one-to-one basis– Collaborates with the IEP team to select appropriate AT devices and

goals as well as provides assistance to the family with regard to using the AT device at home

– Works with students in an inclusive setting to assist with accessing the curriculum

– Consults with the general education teachers so that the student is getting the most beneficial use of the AT device in their classroom

Assistive Technology Strategies for Language

• Structure the classroom environment to maximize the potential for success

• Incorporate techniques such as eye gazing, gesturing, or sign language into the daily routine and content

• Develop and utilize a communication system which uses symbols for those students who use symbols for words

Assistive Technology Strategies for Speech

• The teacher should consistently encourage students to respond verbally whenever possible

• Verbalization can be encouraged through pictures, symbols, gestures, and eye gazing

• Repeat the same question each time a student uses a symbol in order to encourage verbalization

• Record lectures so that students may vocalize words on the tape when they are cued to do so

• Provide opportunities for students to work in groups to encourage participation in discussions

Assistive Technology Strategies for Reading

• Pair text with pictures or symbols• Present instruction using videotapes or DVDs

so that students may pace themselves and replay content

• Use e-books• Always have a variety of activities designed

and planned for students who have severe communication impairments

Assistive Technology Strategies for Reading: Phonemic Awareness

• Record books on tape with emphasis on specific sounds• Program output communication devices so that pictures

have certain sounds• Program letter games on output communication devices• Make index cards with letters and pair two cards

together while making a sound, this will allow students to gaze or point to the letter that makes the sound

• Use scan/read systems which can read printed material aloud while it is being displayed on a computer screen

Assistive Technology Strategies for Reading: Guided Reading

• Introduce vocabulary prior to reading• Relate vocabulary to symbols the student is

familiar with• Use graphic organizers to highlight and

organize information• Frequently stop throughout the story to ask the

student to summarize information using vocabulary developed specifically for the story

Assistive Technology Strategies for Writing

• Allow students to use the computer and adapt the computer to fit the needs of the AAC user

• Allow students to take notes using abbreviations of their own and store notes on the computer

Low Tech Assistive Technology for Communication

• One of the advantages of “low tech” systems is that they require both the student and their communication partner to be actively involved in the communication interaction

• Can include concrete representations and communication with pictures, words, and symbols.

• White boards and pinch cards

Using picture symbols, individuals learn to construct sentences and more complex communications and thus are more effective communicators. Individuals are taught to initiate communication in a social context. The emphasis on the social approach sets this picture-based system apart from more traditional systems.

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

$69.00$33.00

$35.00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TudUoW2_j1I

When the eye gaze board is held up at eye level to the child, the child and his/her communication partner should be able to make eye contact through the open window. Several steps may be involved in the training process, including:Learning to scan the items available on the boardLearning to fixate eye gaze on the desired item

Learning to look back at the communication partner to confirm the selection

Eye Gaze Board

http://bridgeschool.org/transition/multimodal/eye_gaze_boards.php

Eye-Com Board Combination Kit-Eye-Com Board, 1 Pocket Overlay, and 5 Standard Overlays.

$105.00

Eye-Com Board: Transparent acrylic board that fits into a study Wooden stand. $29.00

Pocket Overlay: Has 8 pockets sized to fit small toys or objectsAs well as oversized pictures. $29.00

Standard Overlay: 5 transparent overlays are custom sized to fit theEye-Com Board. Place a different set of pictures or stickers on each overlayTo expand vocabulary. Easy to Change. $29.00

Mid TechSpeaking Homework WizHomeWorkWiz ($24.95) & Talking Homework Wiz ($49.95) forprimary & early elementary; Merriman Webster Dictionary & Thesaurus ($59.95) or theSpeaking version ($79.95) for upper elementary to high

$29 for photo album, $45 for album with idea book; can also be found sometimes at large discount stores.

Talking Photo Album

Neo$150 & up

Time Timer$30 & up

What does high tech AAC look like?

• May require a large financial commitment• Some examples are:– Text-to-speech devices– Single-level voice output devices– Multiple-level voice output devices– Screen display devices

Text-to-speech DevicesName: Optimist-MMX-3

Benefit: preloaded with a choice of AAC packages and a variety of speech synthesizers

Cost: $2,900-$4,750

Name: e-Talk GT

Benefit: can be accessed using the touch screen, any USB input device; combines symbols, text, sounds, and/or pictures

Cost: $4,995-$5,295

Single-level Voice Output DevicesName: BIGmack and the LITTLEmack Communicator

Benefit: can record a single message, up to 2 minutes, and use the large, colorful button to play back the message

Cost: $183-$131

Name: Step-by-step

Benefit: each touch of the button plays and advances messages in sequence

Cost: $179

Multiple-level Voice Output Devices

Name: 7-Level Communication Builder

Benefit: allows user to record 16 messages per level; up to 300 seconds of recording time

Cost: $359.95

Name: Tech/128

Benefit: allows users to record up to 128 personal messages with corresponding images

Cost: $1,240

Screen Display Devices

Name: DynaVox Maestro

Benefit: user can customize this device by creating original pages; approx. 25,000 pre-made pages; touch screen

Cost: $8,025

Name: Jabbla Tellus 4

Benefit: using the touch screen, user can generate words, phrase, and complete sentences; internet capability, wireless printing, cell phone access,

Cost: $7,645

High tech AAC can come in so many forms!

Cryano Communicator Device

Tonii TX300 Eye Tracker

Touch & Talk

NOVA Chat 7

PapooTouch

How Successful High Tech AAC Can Be!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAdEOXD9Tvk&feature=related

Real Life Scenario

Johnny is a first grade student in Mrs. Johnson’s general education class. He is on the autism spectrum and he is high-functioning but non-verbal.

Mrs. Johnson incorporates a variety of communication devices that range from low to high tech to assist Johnny during instruction.

During Reading, Mrs. Johnson uses Every Pupil Response by utilizing pinch cards and white boards. The entire class is involved, so Johnny is an active participant in the class.

Center time and small group instruction includes talking photo albums and e-books. These tools provide an interactive and engaging opportunity for Johnny and his classmates to demonstrate understanding of curriculum.

Johnny has also been provided a DynaVox Maestro in order to give him a voice at any time during the day.