July 29, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Traffic lights and stop signs Quarter rests and half rests Commas and periods There are times when a brief pause is just what is needed. In AAC intervention, sometimes a pause is more powerful than anything we can do or say. More effective than us repeating or rephrasing, because those can interfere with processing. More helpful than a question or a mand, because overuse of those can build learned helplessness. Focused attention. Quiet bodies. A few seconds of silence. Provide access to AAC with sufficient vocabulary. Provide an eliciting context. Provide a space for the communicator to process and respond. There is power in the perfect pause.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: pause, prompt
September 16, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
When you’re learning something new, it’s likely that you’ll need some help along the way. The same is true for our AAC learners. Here are some of the things we’ve been thinking about lately regarding prompts and cues. 1. Sometimes, actually MANY times, a ‘perfect pause’ is all that’s needed. Stop the action, look expectantly at the learner, and wait quietly. How long? It depends on the individual and the situation, but 10 or 15 seconds is in the ballpark for most AAC learners. 2. It’s important to consider both the type of prompt (e,g., gestural, verbal, physical) and how much information that prompt provides to the learner. We hear lots of SLPs say that they prefer verbal prompts because they are less helpful than, say a physical prompt, and, thus, require more from learner. Not always. Here’s an example: “Jason, tell me, ‘More milk.’” Vs. Gesturing over the message... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: fading, intervention, prompt, prompt hierarchy