Building AAC Facilitation Skills with Tabi Jones-Wohleber: MASTER PAL Training, Module 6

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Think of a young child (0-5 years) in your life, past or present.

1. First word(s)
2. Fun phrases (not so fun when they get older)
3. Growth in interactions from 1.5 years to 3 years to 5 years.

1. For most children, 1st words are preferred items (aka fringe words) such as mama, dada, ball, milk, etc.  These words emerge because 1.) they are powerful, 2.) they are reinforced (with an enthusiastic response in addition to receipt of the item or attention from the person), 3.) they have been modeled repeatedly, IN MEANINGFUL CONTEXTS!  By some estimates, a child hears their first word 2,000-5,000 times before speaking it.
2. Children are at liberty to use ANY word that is modeled.  That is why young children will sometimes say words like “shit”, appropriately with the exact intonation of the caregiver who let it slip a time or two.  This reminds us not to be gatekeepers of language for our student who use AAC.  Robust language is necessary. You must give language to get language. They will choose the words that resonate (not our choice).
3. Consider the differences in the expressive language skills of a 1.5-year-old, and then a 3-year-old. Then again at 5 years +old.  The growth that happens in this brief time is tremendous. Language quickly progresses from first words and phrases to full sentences for a variety of purposes.  For typically developing children it seems like it happens “fast”, yet it takes 3-5 years! Too often, provision of an AAC device is perceived as a “magic box”….now the child can communicate.  Rarely is this the case. The child learning to use AAC also requires a time span of years (not weeks or months) to learn to use his device to become a competent communicator. As a communication partner it is imperative that we understand that we are not running a sprint, but a marathon.  

THINK-TIME…aka wait-time

Hink Pink activity

Slide 21 – This is an animated slide.  The hink pinks appear on the left.  When you press enter or space, the answers appear on the right.  Show only the left column to start. Time 30 seconds.  Instruct participants to put down their pencils. Survey the room…how many finished? How many even got started? Show the answers.  

Slide 22 – This is an animated slide to help participants label and describe their experience.  Invite participants to raise their hand or discuss their experience of being rushed, per the examples, as well as share their own thoughts.

Slide 23 – This is another animated slide with different hink pinks.  This time there is no time limit.  Let participants work until they feel finished (even if they don’t get all the answers).  Show answers.

Slide 24 – This is an animated slide to help participants label and describe their experience.  Invite participants to raise their hand or discuss their experience of being given the time they need to process the task and try their best, per the examples, as well as share their own thoughts.  How does this relate to the wait-time needed by our students who use AAC?

See chart above for Warm-up Discussion.

Acquired in a relatively predictable fashion

The last statement is animated; modeling (in the child’s communicative modality) shapes the language learned.

Evolution of words & phrases

• First words=Fringe words=Power words.  It is important to consider that when starting with an AAC system, the user must have access to powerful and meaningful words, often fringe words; favorite toys, foods, people, activities.  For many, this is where buy-in begins.
• First phrases pair fringe words with core words to extend meaning. Phrases emerge quickly after the power of communication is established.  Fringe words may fade out as core words are learned. For example, pronouns may take the place of object names.
• Phrases expand and are comprised primarily of core words.  Fringe words may or may not be interspersed depending on whether the context is known.
• Well-formed sentences include core and fringe words as well as grammatical markers.

Slide 13 – Summary statements related to the emergence of language.

Babbling

Self-Talk

The functions of self-talk for a child learning AAC are described at the bottom.

Repetition

When it’s disruptive

Slide 18– Examples of management strategies, when slide 17 examples aren’t enough

• Teach student to gain attention before speaking, by “raising a hand”.  The sensory feedback of this “toy” can be useful for piquing interest, then faded to more appropriate modalities such as waving an “I have something to say” bracelet, or simply raising a hand.
• Provide a low-tech screenshot of the high-tech device
• Visually cue student of expectations.  This student’s iPad is under the “Stop” sign.  This routine has been established in his classroom.  The teacher hands out “Stop” signs, as needed during teacher-led instruction.

See chart above for Warm-up Discussion

Brief video spells out similar points made in the article. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCLRrmeLk6A

In summary, all aspects of interactions (teacher and student interactions and learning opportunities), improve when extended wait-time is provided.  Consider having the group sit in silence while you count silently to three. Indicate aloud when you stop and start. Three seconds actually feels long when no one is speaking.  Discuss with the group how long they wait for a response from a specific student. Is there an awareness of the amount of wait-time a specific student requires…10 sec, 20 sec, 60 sec.  How long do we actually give? wait-time is hard, but essential

Slide 26 Video: It takes the student more than 30 seconds to indicate a response.  Note that the response was incorrect, but validated by the teacher and the correct response modeled.  Also, the student was not interrupted during the time it took for him to respond. It appears all of the components addressed on this slide may have influenced the amount of wait-time this student required to formulate a response.

Invite participants to share their strategies for providing wait-time in the midst of attempting to provide rigorous instruction.  The support of paraprofessionals is critical here. The more invested they are in instruction, the more individualized instruction is able to be provided simultaneously.  

1. AAC is an umbrella term-it means many things.
2. ALL language is learned through modeling (developmentally, foreign languages, AAC, etc.).
3. Typical language development is our guide for teaching AAC.  Skills evolve in a logical and predictable progression.
4. AND…Language development is messy …so is learning and teaching AAC.
5. Think-time (aka wait-time) improves the quality of interactions and instruction, both receptively and expressively.