Technology as a Language Tool: Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the Classroom

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 28-34
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kent-Walsh ◽  
Cathy Binger
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Environment ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Obvious Effect ◽  
School Based ◽  
Exponential Increase ◽  
Communication Needs

As evidenced across the articles in this issue of Perspectives, the modern classroom includes a range of technologies that afford educators, students, and families more ways to engage and communicate than many of us ever could have imagined. One group for which the technological revolution has had a particularly obvious effect in the school environment has been with students who are not able to meet all of their communication needs using natural speech. Students requiring the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) have enjoyed an exponential increase in options for communicating in all relevant environments, including the classroom. School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) possess a range of skills that allows them to help facilitate functional use of AAC technologies in the classroom environment. Given that AAC technologies are language tools, SLPs can employ their expertise in language to implement relevant goals, objectives, and interventions for children with AAC needs. To illustrate this point, an AAC case study is presented along with sample goals and interventions that may be used in the school setting.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication in an Elementary School Setting: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Virginia L. Walker ◽  
Yun-Ching Chung
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Function Type ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Communication Needs

Purpose: Although there is a strong evidence base supporting the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in school settings, the research-to-practice gap in this area remains a concern. Few studies have examined how AAC systems are implemented in school settings and whether these systems adequately promote communicative competence for students with complex communication needs. The aim of this case study was to better understand the ways in which elementary-age students with complex communication needs used AAC throughout daily routines. Method: Observations of five students, four receiving services under the category of autism and one under intellectual disability, in school settings were conducted to document the communication function, type of AAC systems used, and the times and activities during which AAC systems were accessible. In addition, supplemental interviews were conducted to understand the rationale for AAC implementation from the perspective of the special education teacher and speech-language pathologist. Results: Overall, findings from the observations and interviews indicated that a variety of AAC modes were utilized. Interactions represented a range of communicative functions, with the exception of social closeness, and were primarily observed during academic activities. However, there were some discrepancies between observations and interview data. Conclusions: Although these findings provide insight into how students with complex communication needs may use AAC in elementary school settings, more research is needed to explore AAC use across a range of students, classrooms, and schools. We present specific future research directions, along with implications and recommendations for AAC teams and researchers.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Assessment in the Schools

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa A. Proctor ◽  
Jill Oswalt
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Receptive Language ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
Communication Assessment ◽  
School Based ◽  
Main Portion ◽  
Communication Needs

Abstract The purpose of this article is to review augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment issues in the schools. Initially, the article discusses the role and responsibilities of school-based speech-language pathologists in the assessment of children with complex communication needs. Next, the article briefly reflects on the importance of teaming in device selection for children with AAC needs. The main portion of the article provides information on assessment tools and resources related to comprehensive assessment for children with complex communication needs. This includes information on assessment of speech production and the relevance in AAC assessment. This is followed by tools and resources for receptive language and expressive language assessment. Also included in this main section is information on tools that examine academic and social participation. Finally, information on literacy assessment for student with complex communication needs is provided. The intent of the article is to provide the reader with a brief overview of assessment tools and resources for children with complex communication needs.

Case Studies of Intermediate Steps/Between AAC Evaluations and Implementation

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 150-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheela Stuart ◽  
Christopher Ritthaler
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Motor Planning ◽  
Second Opinion ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Successful Communication ◽  
School Based ◽  
Speech Generating Device ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
And Behavior

Abstract This article presents two case studies of children with complex communication needs, including a diagnosis of autism. Although different in age and overall diagnoses, both children primarily used behaviors, gestures, and limited overall vocalizations for communication. In each case, some pictures and signing had been intermittently incorporated into their school programs with very little success. The school-based augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) teams had used the candidacy model and decided that, until the children made gains in cognition and behavior, they could not use any type of speech generating device. In each instance, the child's parent disagreed and requested a second AAC evaluation. The second opinion evaluating center incorporated Language Acquisition Though Motor Planning (LAMP) to utilize a speech generating device for participation in some motivating activities. Results were sufficiently positive to support trial use of this approach and private outpatient sessions were provided. The article includes a brief overview of the resulting journey: the give-and-take process between second opinion center, parents, and school to arrive at a form of successful communication for each child.

Communication Partner Training to Increase Interactive Communication Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 584-592
Author(s):  
Lori Marra ◽  
Katie Micco
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Strategy Instruction ◽  
Training Model ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Interactive Communication ◽  
Functional Activities ◽  
Specific Device ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
Communication Partner Training

Purpose The purpose of this clinical focus article was to assess the communication partner's (CP) perception regarding the effectiveness of a CP training model to support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) use within a parent–adolescent dyad. Method This case study implements an adaptation of an 8-stage strategy instruction protocol for teaching aided language modeling across functional activities. Procedures for designing CP training to meet the specific needs of a particular CP and an individual using AAC (IUA) are offered. Pre- and posttraining questionnaires surveyed the CP's feelings and knowledge about using the AAC strategies and the IUA's AAC skill level. Results Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the CP's responses on the pre- and posttraining questionnaires revealed more confidence in supporting her son when using his device, increased knowledge of strategies to support AAC use, and increased understanding of the device operation. She also perceived that her son used his device more confidently and effectively in a variety of ways. Conclusion CP training that includes strategy instruction, along with practice and feedback, helps to increase the CP's and the IUA's understanding of the specific device and how to use it in more naturalistic, functional settings and situations. Since the CP's needs are similar across developmental and neurogenic groups, the direct strategy instruction described in this clinical focus article can be used by practicing clinicians working with pediatric or neurogenic populations to teach communication and operational skills. The results suggest that CP training should be included in treatment planning for speech-language pathologists working with individuals with complex communication needs who use AAC.

Conducting an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Assessment as a School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist: A Collaborative Experience

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Dodd ◽  
Alicia Schaefer ◽  
Aaron Rothbart
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Position Statement ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Communication Assessment ◽  
School Based ◽  
Aged Child ◽  
Therapy Services

In addition to providing services to children who demonstrate speech and language impairments, it is within a speech-language pathologist's (SLP's) scope of practice to “recognize and hold paramount the needs and interests of individuals who may benefit from AAC [Augmentative and Alternative Communication]” (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), 2005, Position Statement section, para. 3). However, in spite of nearly one-half of all school-based SLPs reporting they provide services to nonverbal students who utilize AAC systems (ASHA 2012; Kent-Walsh, Stark, & Binger, 2008; Proctor & Oswalt, 2008) many SLPs across the country still do not feel adequately trained to assess and provide therapy services to these children (Costigan & Light, 2010; Kent-Walsh et al., 2008; Light, Drager, Currall, & Roberts, 2012). It is becoming increasingly necessary for all SLPs to assume responsibilities in the AAC process. The case study presented in this article illustrates the collaborative process of conducting an AAC assessment for a preschool-aged child.

Guiding Student Clinicians as They Develop AAC Goals and Monitor Progress During School-Based Externship

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
pp. 29-37
Author(s):  
Charles H. Carlin ◽  
Katie Boarman ◽  
Erin E. Brady
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Progress Monitoring ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
School Based ◽  
Supervision Model ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
The Continuum

Student clinicians find goal writing and progress monitoring to be difficult tasks to learn, especially when children on the caseload have complex communication needs (CCNs). School-based externship supervisors play an important role in developing students' understanding and competence in these skills. This article provides supervisors with strategies for instructing student clinicians to write goals and evaluate the effectiveness of services for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Additionally, the authors adapt the Continuum of Supervision Model (Anderson, 1988) for supervisors who train students to write goals and monitor progress for children who use AAC.

Lessons Learned From AAC Camp

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 81-85
Author(s):  
Janet Dodd
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Language Intervention ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
School Based ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
New Millennium

Children who benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) need not only the support of individuals knowledgeable in the technologies themselves, but ones who understand the translation of language intervention principles to AAC. It is vital that school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) possess the knowledge and skills necessary for working with children who use AAC. The purpose of this article is to discuss what we have learned as we teach the new millennium of clinicians and how we can apply these lessons to the work we do with children with the most complex communication needs.

Guiding Student Clinicians as They Develop AAC Goals and Monitor Progress During School-Based Externship

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (12) ◽  
pp. 32-40
Author(s):  
Charles H. Carlin ◽  
Katie Boarman ◽  
Erin E. Brady
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Progress Monitoring ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
School Based ◽  
Supervision Model ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
The Continuum

Student clinicians find goal writing and progress monitoring to be difficult tasks to learn, especially when children on the caseload have complex communication needs (CCNs). School-based externship supervisors play an important role in developing students' understanding and competence in these skills. This article provides supervisors with strategies for instructing student clinicians to write goals and evaluate the effectiveness of services for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Additionally, the authors adapt the Continuum of Supervision Model (Anderson, 1988) for supervisors who train students to write goals and monitor progress for children who use AAC.

Improving Patient Safety and Patient–Provider Communication

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1017-1027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard R. Hurtig ◽  
Rebecca M. Alper ◽  
Karen N. T. Bryant ◽  
Krista R. Davidson ◽  
Chelsea Bilskemper
Keyword(s):  
Acute Care ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Health Care Team ◽  
Provider Communication ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Patient Provider Communication ◽  
Acute Care Settings ◽  
Nurses Perceptions ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Many hospitalized patients experience barriers to effective patient–provider communication that can negatively impact their care. These barriers include difficulty physically accessing the nurse call system, communicating about pain and other needs, or both. For many patients, these barriers are a result of their admitting condition and not of an underlying chronic disability. Speech-language pathologists have begun to address patients' short-term communication needs with an array of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies. Method This study used a between-groups experimental design to evaluate the impact of providing patients with AAC systems so that they could summon help and communicate with their nurses. The study examined patients' and nurses' perceptions of the patients' ability to summon help and effectively communicate with caregivers. Results Patients who could summon their nurses and effectively communicate—with or without AAC—had significantly more favorable perceptions than those who could not. Conclusions This study suggests that AAC can be successfully used in acute care settings to help patients overcome access and communication barriers. Working with other members of the health care team is essential to building a “culture of communication” in acute care settings. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.9990962

An Exploratory Study on Augmentative and Alternative Communication Classroom Integration Training for Special Educators Who Work With Children With Complex Communication Needs in the Bahamas

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 991-1016
Author(s):  
Shameka Stanford ◽  
Ovetta Harris
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
The Bahamas ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
Classroom Integration ◽  
And Training

Purpose In 2011, the United Nations estimated there were between 180 and 220 million youth with disabilities living around the world, and 80% of them resided in developing countries. Over the last 6 years, this number has increased significantly, and now, over 1 million people live in the Caribbean with some form of disability such as communication disorders resulting in complex communication needs (CCN). Method This publication discusses the benefits of an exploratory, descriptive, nonexperimental study on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) classroom integration training for 8 special educators in the Bahamas who work with children with CCN. Results The results of this study revealed that 100% of the participants reported the study to be effective in increasing their knowledge and skill in the area of implementing AAC into their classrooms, enhancing their ability to team teach and incorporate AAC opportunities for all students with CCN within their classrooms, and increasing their knowledge and skill overall in the areas of AAC and CCN. Conclusion The findings highlight an important area of potential professional development and training that can be replicated in other English-speaking Caribbean territories focused on AAC classroom integration training program for special educators who teach students with CCN.

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