Autism: Technology & Communication - Part 1
Gwendolyn Meier Eberhard, SLP, MT Villa Esperanza Services
Disclaimer
• The speaker has no financial or non-financial interests in the information or products in this presentation
• The speaker received an honorarium from the Autism Society of the Inland Empire for this presentation
Learning ObjectivesParticipants will:
1. Identify 3 iPad apps that can be used to build early language skills
2. Recognize the difference between operation of a touchscreen tablet for recreation and the potential to use a tablet for communication
3. Identify visual supports that can be used to increase the understanding of language vs. expressive communication
4. Understand the important role that modeling aided language plays in the language-learning process
5. Identify 3 activities that can be used to teach and support functions of communication beyond labeling
Agenda
iPad Apps for
Language Development
iPad Apps for
Augmenting Communication
Teaching Language through
AAC
!
BREAK 10:45-11:00
Hi! Who’s Here?
Parents Teachers
Speech People Other professionals
Today’s screen shots can be found in the full presentation - link on the Redlands 2014 tab at
scaacn.blogspot.com/p/redlands-2014.html
Redlands 2014
What an iPad CAN do:• Engaging apps for practicing skills
previously paper-based • Lure of the backlit screen • Touch access vs. mouse • Portability a computer lacks
• Opened up AAC consideration previously out of reach due to lack of SLP exposure
• Provide relatively low-cost options in a very expensive AAC landscape
What an iPad CAN do:
Play on the iPad may not necessarily lend itself to communication skills
Speech vs. LanguageThe means of communicating
!
• Articulation !
• Voice !
• Fluency !
!
Speech vs. LanguageThe means of communicating !
• Articulation !
• Voice !
• Fluency !!!
Shared rules of the symbolic system !
• What words mean • How to make new
words • How to put words
together • What word
combinations are best in what situations
Language Domains
• Vocabulary
(aka. semantics, word meanings, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, pronouns, )
Language Domains
• Vocabulary
• Grammar
(aka. syntax, word order, verb agreement, complete sentences)
Language Domains
• Vocabulary
• Grammar
• Concepts
(categories, opposites, location, direction, time relationships, emotions)
Language Domains
• Vocabulary
• Grammar
• Concepts
• Understanding
(receptive language, making sense of what you hear and read)
What are your student’s language goals?
•Vocabulary •Grammar •Concepts •Understanding
Language Goals• Multi-word utterances,
Grammatically correct sentences
• Answering Questions: Wh-Questions, Yes/No
• Categories, Word Relationships, Similarities and Differences, Compare and Contrast, Definitions
• Verbs: Past tense, future tense
• Story problems (math)
• Parts of speech:
• Adjectives (colors, number, describing words)
• Prepositions (under, between, above)
App Match
Goal Goal Goal
app appapp
First ask:
What is the goal?
!
Then ask:
Is there an app for that?
Bad App Match
1.Really great looking app.
2.How can my student benefit?
Goalapp
Warning #1: Goals Guide Activities
• This is what the teacher or SLP will do when they individualize any learning activity to student needs
Needs Goals Activities
Warning #2: Apps are Not Language Therapy
• But they can help us help students!
• Many times, the app is most useful when structured and/or mediated by an adult
Warning #3: Apps are Not Communication
• The essential aspect of communication should be in face-to-face interaction and play, not on a computer or app
Let’s look at the Apps!
First Phrases
First Phrases• Early language development
• 2- to 4-word phrases
• Animations bring verbs to life
• Record your voice speaking the phrase
• Text - ON or OFF
First Phrases• 3 Levels of Play - Easy, Normal, Challenge
Easy, Normal Challenge
Let’s play a round
• Level - Normal
Let’s play a round
• Level - Normal
• Text OFF
Let’s play a round
• Level - Normal
• Text OFF
• 3-part phrase
Let’s play a round
• Level - Normal
• Text OFF
• 3-part phrase
on the iPad!
First Phrases
• Verbs: Close, cut, drink, drive, drop, eat, kick, open, play, pop, pour, pull, push, ride, roll, throw, wash, go on, jump off, jump on, jump over, put away, put on, sleep on, step over, take off, take out, turn off, turn on
• Lite: Close, drink, drive, sleep on, turn on
Additional Language Targets
• Unlock Girl and Boy characters to create your own phrases and target pronouns
“He”
“She”
First PhrasesAdditional Language Targets:
• Pause the animation and talk about what the character did (past tense)
Picture the Sentence
Picture the Sentence• Auditory processing
• Create a picture of what you hear in your mind
• Auditory working memory - hear and retain
• Respond to multiple cues - Attend to the important elements
• Find a corresponding picture
Picture the Sentence• Hear and see a phrase (option for audio only)
• Wait time between is optional (5-40 seconds)
• Then choose the best picture
Picture the Sentence• 3 Levels of Difficulty
• Easy - visuals stay, slow presentation
!
• Intermediate - visuals flashed, moderate
!
• Advanced - no visuals, moderate-fast
!
• Text with the presentation - ON or OFF
Picture the Sentence• Visual cues - color drawings, stick figures, none
• Nouns (boy, girl) or pronouns (he, she, they)
• Simple sentence types:
• subject+verb
• subject+verb+object
• subject+verb+prepositional phrase
• subject+verb+object+prepositional phrase
Picture the SentenceRespond to multiple cues:
“The children are drinking orange juice on the couch”
Picture the Sentence“The children are drinking orange juice on the couch”
Picture the Sentence• Progress tracking
Apps for Similar Goals
• Splingo’s Language Universe
!
• Auditory Workout
Fun with Directions
More Fun with Directions
Fun with Directions• Easy -
• (No foils) Color the ball. Close the window.
!
• (Field of 3) Open the door on top. Give the girl a bed.
Fun with Directions• Intermediate
• (F:5) Touch something that says meow.
• Look on the middle shelf. There is something yellow. Put it in the basket.
• Open a red door on the top row. On the bottom row, open a red door.
Fun with Directions• Advanced
• (F:5) Touch something you make by blowing on it.
• Look for something on the middle shelf that goes on a foot. Put it in the basket.
• Open the second door in the bottom row.
• Give the boy without a hat or glasses something that you put food on. It goes on a table.
Fun with DirectionsFWD Concepts:
• Location words (bottom, middle, top)
• Actions (erase, touch, open, close, push, give)
• Colors
!
More FWD:
• Location words (above, below, behind, in front, on, under, up, down)
• Actions (put in, take out, turn on, turn off)
Fun with Directions & More Fun with Directions
GOALS:
• Auditory memory
• Auditory processing
• Following directions
• Spatial concepts
Fun with Directions• Progress tracking - similar to Picture the Sentence
Social Language
• Level 1, Level 2, Advanced (teen/adult)
• 3 Activities (65-75 tasks per activity)
1. Listening & Facial Expressions
2. Body Language & Perspective-Taking
3. Idioms & Slang
Back-To-$chool $ALE
• 30-50% off all Hamaguchi Apps
• Through 9/15/14X
Apps from
Preposition Builder
• Drag the word to fill in a blank
• Reading required
Preposition Builder
Most Important:
• Settings
• Play
Preposition Builder
• Settings changes the set
• Correction procedure
• Audio recording
• Progress tracking
Preposition Builder
Preposition Builder
Preposition Builder+Correction+
Rainbow Sentences
• Formulate sentences about what you see
• Order the words
• Word grouping
• Color coding
• Progress tracking
Rainbow Sentences
• Listen back - Play
• Check your work - I’m done
• Extra step: Recall and retell your sentence
More Advanced Language Goals
Conversation Builder & CB Teen
Conversation Builder
• Elementary and Teen versions
• Respond in role-play with an in-app “peer”
• Multiple choices (text and audio)
• Records your voice
Conversation Builder
• 1 on 1 (add half the conversation)
• Group setting (Photo only)
• 4-exchange or 8-exchange
• Record your turns and listen to the final product
Conversation Builder• Elementary and Teen versions
• 4-exchange or 8-exchange
• 1 on 1 (add half the conversation)
• Group setting (Photo only)
• Record your turns and listen to the final product
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning • Identify problem, cause, and solution
• Predicting what happens next
• Negative Wh-questions
• State differences and similarities
• State pros and cons
• What would happen if…?
• Why Questions
Verbal Reasoning 3 multiple choices (audio and/or text)
• ID problem, cause, solution
• 150 items
• Predicting what happens next (text paragraph)
• 50 items
Verbal Reasoning
• Features:
• Requires all 3 options be heard before making a choice
• Progress Tracking
• Report can be emailed
Creative / Customizable Apps
My Play Home• Virtual, interactive dollhouse
• Categorized contents by room
• Various characters
• Many actions possible
• Hours of fun!
Let’s take a home tour!
on the iPad!
My Play Home Stores• 4 Stores with employees
• Grocery, Produce, Ice Cream, Clothing
• Two apps connect
My Play Home• Solo play
• Great for promoting symbolic concept development, reinforcing categories
• Together play
• Unlimited expressive and receptive language possibilities!
• (Adult holds the iPad)
Barrier Games• 2 or more players
• Some kind of barrier(s) so that players cannot see each others materials (books, file folders, or binders can work as barriers)
• Same set of materials
• Without any visual cues
• Goal: Give and receive directions on how to arrange the materials
• All players’ materials look the same at the end of the activity
Barrier GamesPick a room or store and arrange items and people in a certain way.
Take a screen shot, send it to a computer and print
• Receptive: Give the student the iPad with a “tidied” room and give spoken instructions on where things should go, which elements to change
• Expressive: Give the student the print out and have them tell YOU where each element needs to be placed
• Receptive: Give the student the iPad with a “tidied” room and give spoken instructions on where things should go, which elements to change
• Expressive: Give the student the print out and have them tell YOU where each element needs to be placed (you have the iPad)
More GoalsWord Comprehension
• Backyard: Touch the watering can, Point to a flower
Following Directions
• Kids Bedroom: Put the girl in bed
• Bathroom: Turn on the shower then brush the boy’s teeth
• Kitchen: Open the fridge and take out a piece of pizza
Prepositions
• Bathroom: Put the shampoo under the sink
More GoalsTime Concepts
• Living room: Before you go to the kitchen, turn off the stereo
Problem Solving
• Kid’s Bedroom: What will make it brighter in this room?
Social Skills
• Any room: Provide dialog for the characters, greet, ask questions, comment
Dr. Panda’s Day Care• Similar features, plus ongoing actions
• Present progressive tense -ing
Bouncing
Rocking
Book Creator
• By: Red Jumper Studio
• Create “books” that include photos, video, text, drawing, music
• Record narration on each page to make an “audio book” students can read to themselves
Book Creator• Consumption - books you write for them
• Production - books they write themselves (or with help)
Written by three, 4th grade students who have autism
FREE in the iBooks Store
on the iPad!
Book Creator
• Expository writing - gives information
• Narrative writing - tells a story
• Create personalized, talking flashcards for any subject
Planets flashcards
• Export to iBooks and read on the iPad (within the book)
• Export as a PDF and email it
• Print from your iPad or computer
Book CreatorEndless possibilities:
• “What I did on my vacation...”
• Record lines for a play to aid memorization
• Create a Social Story for a new experience
• Video yearbook
Tactilly
Tactilly
• By: Tactilly, LLC
• Create personally relevant photo albums
• Use your own photos or pics from the web
• Hotspots that talk
• Unlimited pages
Tactilly• Any Language Domain can be addressed
• Albums for each student’s goals
• (Speech too - articulation targets with an auditory model)
• Consumption - Albums made for them
• Production - Students can create too!
Tactilly
Tactilly
Tactilly
Tactilly
Guided Access
Disable the Home button locks you
into an app
Guided Access How To
• Settings - Accessibility - Guided Access ON
• Choose a password
• Triple click the home button
scaacn.blogspot.com
Warnings
1. Goals guide activities (and apps)
2. Apps are not language therapy in and of themselves
3. Apps are not communication
AAC Apps for Augmented
Communication
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
• Supports for communication
• Often for nonverbal communicators !
• Unaided - sign language, gestures
• Aided -
• Communication boards
• Picture exchange
• Speech-generating/voice output devices
AAC is more than the iPad…
An AAC system should...• Increase participation: classroom, work,
community, home • Address communication goals: IEP, personal,
work • Support efficient and interactive communication • Provide the user with meaningful language • Support language and literacy learning • Be age-respectful • Provide a positive support to behavior
Currently over 100 iPad apps designed to be communication tools Variety of levels of complexity and co$t Decision-making:
Speech Language Pathologists, special educators, and parents ALL need guidance
App Explosion
AAC Evaluation• Is essential • Must be conducted by, or include, a
Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) experienced in AAC
AAC Evaluation:• Language stage & literacy development • Symbol/icon recognition*
-Ability to visually discriminate between symbols and locations • Physical access
-Motor ability to point to, give, push a button, turn page, look at
• Categorization and Memory
-Cognitive ability to find vocabulary needed for expression • Trial period • Recommendation of an appropriate communication system
-Picture cards, choice boards, buttons, screens, etc.
The iPad is not a fit for everyone
Play on the iPad may not necessarily lend itself to communication skills
So, how do we go from this...
...to this?
Initial Questions
• Can they access directly? (point, tap, release)
• Can they navigate between pages?
• Or do they need a single page of choices?
• What language stage?
- Similar stages to spoken language
• What do they need to communicate to control their environment?
• How many different messages? In how many environments?
Initial Questions
• What language stage?
- Similar stages to spoken language
• Can they navigate between pages?
• Or do they need a single page of choices?
Initial Questions
LAMP Words For Life Advantages/ Disadvantages
✓ Fixed number of locations
✓ Excellent “hide” feature to limit visible vocabulary
- Small button size
- Uncommon symbol system and organization
- No voice recording
LAMP Words For Life✓One Motor Pattern per Word allows for the
development of quick effortless communication
✓ Vocabulary Builder shows only targeted words to limit distractions and increase success.
✓Word Finder shows the location where a word is stored
Proloquo2go Advantages
✓ Relatively easy to program (with practice)
✓Copy and paste multiple buttons at a time
✓ Suggests symbols for new buttons
✓ Vast symbol library, allows photos
✓Developer adds features, languages
Proloquo2go Disadvantages
- Requires significant customization to access a robust vocabulary
- One button size across all pages
- No voice recording
Basic Communication
Hiding Buttons in Customized Core Vocab
TouchChat with WordPower Advantages
✓ Robust built-in vocabularies at different levels
✓ Intuitive navigation for message construction
✓ Relatively easy to program (with practice)
✓Ample symbol library + photos, videos, music, voice recording
- Doesn’t copy/paste multiple buttons
- Requires symbol search for new buttons
- Developer slower with adding features
TouchChat with WordPower Advantages
Full Screen Hidden Buttons
MultiChat 15
Don’t forget to look at Part 2!
Email: [email protected] !
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