Make and Take:Make and Take:Communication BoardsCommunication Boards

UM-NSU-CARDUM-NSU-CARDDr. Robin ParkerDr. Robin Parkerparkerr@nova.eduparkerr@nova.eduDecember 1, 2006December 1, 2006

FocusFocus TerminologyTerminology Basic Decision Making IssuesBasic Decision Making Issues Purposes of Communication SystemsPurposes of Communication Systems Selecting and Organizing Selecting and Organizing VocabularyVocabulary

Promoting Use of the Promoting Use of the Communication SystemCommunication System

ResourcesResources

TerminologyTerminology AAC-Augmentative and Alternative AAC-Augmentative and Alternative CommunicationCommunication

PCS-Picture Communication Symbols PCS-Picture Communication Symbols (different from PECS-Picture (different from PECS-Picture Exchange Communication System)Exchange Communication System)

VOCA-Voice Output Communication VOCA-Voice Output Communication Aide Aide

Symbol Set-type of symbols to use Symbol Set-type of symbols to use for communication systemfor communication system

Decision MakingDecision Making Decide symbol setDecide symbol set

Picture SymbolsPicture Symbols Type-Mayer Johnson-PCS, real photos, Type-Mayer Johnson-PCS, real photos, dynasymsdynasyms

WordsWords BothBoth

Decision Making Decision Making Continued…Continued…

Identify the purpose for the displayIdentify the purpose for the display General expressive communication and languageGeneral expressive communication and language

Sharing thoughts, making requests, getting help, telling Sharing thoughts, making requests, getting help, telling about past or future events, asking questions, social about past or future events, asking questions, social communication, answering questionscommunication, answering questions

To actively participate in classroom activities or To actively participate in classroom activities or group routinegroup routine

Reciting the Pledge, Calling attendance, Giving the Reciting the Pledge, Calling attendance, Giving the daily news, giving an oral book report, doing show and daily news, giving an oral book report, doing show and tell etc.tell etc.

For receptive language and organizationFor receptive language and organization To follow instructions, to be more independent, to To follow instructions, to be more independent, to understand sequence of events etc.understand sequence of events etc.

For organization and navigation within the For organization and navigation within the communication aide or devicecommunication aide or device

A main page that allows exploration in an organized A main page that allows exploration in an organized fashion to other ‘pages’fashion to other ‘pages’

Decision Making Decision Making Continued…Continued…

How will the child use the How will the child use the communication system?communication system? To create new sentences by combining To create new sentences by combining words /pictures/or letterswords /pictures/or letters

To communicate an entire thoughtTo communicate an entire thought Look in my backpack, That’s not what I Look in my backpack, That’s not what I meantmeant

Communicate a predictable sequenceCommunicate a predictable sequence Words to a song, lines from a bookWords to a song, lines from a book

For General Expressive For General Expressive Communication: For this Communication: For this

Make and TakeMake and Take Consider Activity Based PagesConsider Activity Based Pages Keep Commonly used vocabulary on the same Keep Commonly used vocabulary on the same place on each page (more, thank you, finished)place on each page (more, thank you, finished)

Organize vocabulary to teach sentence building Organize vocabulary to teach sentence building Left to right Left to right Think sentence subject-object-action (Johnny more, Think sentence subject-object-action (Johnny more, Give juice, See plane, need marker, we go park)Give juice, See plane, need marker, we go park)

Add in other word classes such as descriptors, Add in other word classes such as descriptors, conjunctions, prepositions, questions words, and conjunctions, prepositions, questions words, and social conventions as appropriatesocial conventions as appropriate

Common DisplayCommon DisplayAgents/Agents/SubjectSubjectss

ActionActions/s/VerbsVerbs

DescriptoDescriptors/rs/AdjectiveAdjectives/s/Adverbs/Adverbs/ModifiersModifiers

Function Function Words/Words/PrepositPrepositionsions

ObjecObjects/ts/NounsNouns

Social Social CommentCommentss

I, you, I, you, Mom, Mom, Grandma, Grandma, friendfriend

Want, Want, like, like, need, need, have, have, will, will, cancan

Blue, red, Blue, red, big, big, heavy, heavy, pretty, pretty, cold, cold, fast, coolfast, cool

In, out, In, out, off, off, under, on, under, on, outsideoutside

Tree, Tree, candy, candy, cookiecookies, s, pencilpencil, car, car

Please, Please, thank thank you, you, sorry, sorry, excuse excuse meme

Anne, Anne, Mrs. SMrs. SGrocerGrocer

Go, Go, help, help, pour, pour, ask,ask,Tell, Tell, cry, cry, write, write, cutcut

Good, Good, some, few, some, few, more, more, done, done, finishedfinished

The, an, The, an, yesyes

Hi, bye, Hi, bye, finishedfinished

Other considerationsOther considerations May sentence build for strong May sentence build for strong communication functionscommunication functions

May use one symbol to convey May use one symbol to convey message in absent or limited message in absent or limited communication functioncommunication function

Consider that requests may be Consider that requests may be very strong while comments may be very strong while comments may be more limitedmore limited

Consider Color-CodingConsider Color-Coding More than looking goodMore than looking good Have a purposeHave a purpose

To distinguish between word classesTo distinguish between word classes To have new communication functions To have new communication functions stand outstand out

Be as consistent as possible Be as consistent as possible with color coding between with color coding between displaysdisplays

Some ExamplesSome Examples

Images courtesy of:

www.dynavox.askinazy.com

Courtesy: TLC, Courtesy: TLC, Mary Ann LoweMary Ann Lowe

Courtesy of:

Kim Berwa, 2003

Kami

Sharing InformationSharing Information

Alisyn Clayman, NSU, 2002

NSU, Autism Spectrum Disorder Class, 2002

Organization for Group Organization for Group DisplaysDisplays

Make display easy to useMake display easy to use There is often time pressureThere is often time pressure

Promoting Use of AAC Promoting Use of AAC StrategiesStrategies

Use Aided Language Stimulation TechniquesUse Aided Language Stimulation Techniques Limit questionsLimit questions Increase Pause TimeIncrease Pause Time Use Communication Temptations and Use Communication Temptations and

Sabotage StrategiesSabotage Strategies Provide Non-Verbal CueingProvide Non-Verbal Cueing Provide Appropriate Verbal FeedbackProvide Appropriate Verbal Feedback Expect To Provide A Lot of PracticeExpect To Provide A Lot of Practice Think of AAC Strategies as Prolonged Think of AAC Strategies as Prolonged

Visual Representation of LanguageVisual Representation of Language Use your team to work together to make Use your team to work together to make

this work for the childthis work for the child Have Fun!!Have Fun!!

Getting Started..Getting Started.. Do not worry about perfectionDo not worry about perfection Think about what you want the Think about what you want the child to say/communicatechild to say/communicate

Use the communication display to Use the communication display to talk about the activity or event talk about the activity or event before, during, and after .before, during, and after .

Let’s Start Creating…Let’s Start Creating…

Websites…Just a few….Websites…Just a few…. Do2LearnDo2Learn

Do2learn.comDo2learn.com Mayer-JohnsonMayer-Johnson

www.mayer-johnson.comwww.mayer-johnson.com Mayer-JohnsonMayer-Johnson

www.mayer-johnson.comwww.mayer-johnson.com New 2 YouNew 2 You

www.news-2-you.comwww.news-2-you.com Social StoriesSocial Stories

www.thegraycenter.orgwww.thegraycenter.org Use Visual StrategiesUse Visual Strategies

www.usevisualstrategies.comwww.usevisualstrategies.com Speaking of Speech Speaking of Speech

www.speakingofspeech.comwww.speakingofspeech.com