Saturday, March 17, 2012
Boardmaker Share - Device Overlays for Activities (Rhonda MacKinnon)
CSHA District 7 awards for SCAAC-N!
At the annual conference, on March 16, 2012, District 7 of the California Speech-Language Hearing Association (CSHA), recognized Anne Davis (SLP at Pasadena Child Development Associates), and Gwendolyn Meier (SLP at Villa Esperanza Services), with the Outstanding Achievement Award for their work to initiate and support the Southern California AAC Network.
Thank you to all of YOU, who have participated in our quarterly meetings, weighed in on the blog and Facebook page, and made this network and our mission your own! In particular we would like to thank our co-founder Sharon Rogers, and our quarterly meeting presenters and supporters: Julie Packer, Lesley Mayne, Leslie Comstock, Cynthia Cottier, Prentke-Romich Company, Dunavox Technologies, and Villa Esperanza Services.
We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to Ms. Terry Kappe (SLP, AT specialist and Director Elect of CSHA District 7), who has supported our group through her attendance to each and every quarterly meeting!
Our local CSHA District 7 also awarded these deserving individuals (and program):
We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to Ms. Terry Kappe (SLP, AT specialist and Director Elect of CSHA District 7), who has supported our group through her attendance to each and every quarterly meeting!
Our local CSHA District 7 also awarded these deserving individuals (and program):
Outstanding service - Mary CarpenterOutstanding student - Rodina Eliasnik (CSUN)Outstanding SLPA - Alice MoraOutstanding Program - Pasadena City College's SLPA Program
CSUN 2012: AAC Device Implementation (Part 2 - San Diego Unified AT Team & Audrey Weed)
Continued from Part 1 - with Andrea Newall (read it HERE)
In this March 2, 2012 session, implementation strategies and procedures were shared from three different, public school-based vantages from Andrea Newall (Cajon Valley USD); Anne Callies, Cheryl Waterfield, and Lisa Lafoon (nee Knipmeyer; San Diego USD AT Dept); and Audrey Weed (NCCSE)...
San Diego Unified has rolled out a pilot program in AAC implementation support that utilizes an 8-week model of initial classroom-based support under the direction of one specially trained, full-time SLPA. Very interesting! Some background - SDUSD has 16,000 special ed students. In this session, representatives from the SDUSD AT Department shared about their process of providing AAC support to 1400 students district-wide that use AAC; 450 of these students use dynamic display AAC devices.
Historically, Assistive Technology (AT) SLPs in SDUSD completed the evaluation, procured the device, and provided initial training and set-up of AAC devices. Due to caseloads and time constraints, additional support could only be provided on an "as needed" basis. When additional support was provided, teams were receptive and excited to incorporate devices resulting in more proficient users and less 'device abandonment.'
What their program looks like:
(Technical training on device operation and programming has already occurred at this point)
AT SUPPORT ACTION PLAN (download a clean PDF version, HERE) Historically, Assistive Technology (AT) SLPs in SDUSD completed the evaluation, procured the device, and provided initial training and set-up of AAC devices. Due to caseloads and time constraints, additional support could only be provided on an "as needed" basis. When additional support was provided, teams were receptive and excited to incorporate devices resulting in more proficient users and less 'device abandonment.'
What their program looks like:
- Once AAC device has arrived, support is provided to new AAC users
- One full-time SLPA, 4 days/week of direct service on-site around the district; one day/week administrative support, record keeping, supervision and other duties
- 1.5-2 hour school visits once per week for 6-8 consecutive weeks
- SLPA visits 2-3 students per school day
- Under the direction of an AT SLP
(Technical training on device operation and programming has already occurred at this point)
Week 1: (Visit by the AT SLP and SLPA)
· Meet and greet
· Get email addresses of staff for weekly updates
· Discuss and provide AT Support Action Plan
· Discuss and provide journal for data, progress, & concerns
- In a 3-hole report cover; includes Action Plan, Weekly Goals, Implementation Chart, AT Tips and pages for collecting data, progress and concerns
· Discuss handouts
· Overview basics of device
· Assign teacher, classroom staff, and/or peer buddy to assist with charging device at end of each day. Name:_________________________________
· Discuss possible concerns regarding device
· Observe student
- To brainstorm communication needs
· Determine best times and activities for student to begin using device
· Determine 3 goals for the week
- Collaborate with the classroom team to identify reasonable goals. First goals of the week might include a goal for "take it out and keep it turned on and within reach throughout the school day"
· Set up weekly visits
- Different days/times in order to observe a variety of activities, settings, and communication opportunities
SLPA letter to the School Principal - A point of introduction, education and accountability
- Interest, acceptance and implementation of the AAC device may be helped by informing the administration of the presence of an AAC device. Other team members may take it upon themselves to follow up outside of the direct consultation dates of the AT SLPA.
Week 2:
· Provide additional training for programming device
· Discuss any questions staff has regarding device
· Review last week’s goals and progress
- What needs do they see in the area of classroom communication, what more does the student need to communicate
· Determine 3 new goals for the week
· Demonstrate AT support during classroom activity (if needed)
- Email the team following the site visit to keep everyone in the loop
Week 3:
- Address concerns or questions that have arisen
· Review programming instructions from previous week
· Provide additional training, if needed
- Determine additional programming or modifications as needed
· Review last week’s goals and progress
· Determine 3 new goals for week (collaboratively; goals may be carried over, as needed)
· Demonstrate AT support during classroom activity (if needed)
- Provide a follow-up email to the entire team following the site visit, and include an 'AT Tip of the Week')
AT SUPPORT TIPS
· Always have device CHARGED, TURNED ON and AVAILABLE (Teach student responsibility for doing this; assign peer buddy to assist student if needed.)
· EXPECT the student to be a communicator.
· MODEL, MODEL, MODEL using the device—they will learn how to use it by watching you do it first.
· USE TURN TAKING (“It’s my turn.” (model using device) “Now you do it. Your turn.”)
· PAUSE and wait for response to interaction (Count to 10 before intervening again.)
· REQUIRE LANGUAGE by NOT meeting the student’s needs and wants before the student makes those wants and needs known. (Doing this will create communication opportunities for student to use device. Playful obstruction or 'playing dumb' can be useful when coupled with a prompt to "use your device to tell me.")
· CONTROL REINFORCERS by keeping desired items out of reach and always in your control (put desired items in bin or bag.) HAVE THE STUDENT REQUEST with device before giving item.
· USE THE DEVICE YOURSELF to communicate with the student.
· USE CORE VOCABULARY (examples: “I like that.” “I want that.” “I do it.” “I see…” “Look at me/this.”)
· USE “TELEGRAPHIC” SPEECH use minimal words to convey message (examples: “Need more.” “I go.” “All done.” “Help me.”). The aim is to communicate the message; more complete sentences and phrases can be worked on in the future.
· THINK ALOUD when having trouble locating vocabulary or using device. Express your frustration by saying something like… “Where is that word?” or “Why isn’t this working?” Doing so teaches students that everyone struggles from time to time with technology.
· Teach student to use dominant hand and proper pointer finger position when using device.
· ASK QUESTIONS THAT HAVE NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER: Also known as open-ended questions. Examples: What is your favorite…? (animal, food, color etc.) Which one do you like?
Core Vocabulary suggestion: Turn a Yes/No question into a choice-making opportunity with two plastic bins clearly labeled with text and picture cues for THIS and THAT. The verbal prompt could be for choice making or sharing preferences ("Do you want this or that?" "Do you like this one or that one?").
Week 4 through 8:
· Review last week’s goals and progress
· Determine 3 new goals for week
· Demonstrate AT support during classroom activity (if needed)
Many thanks to Lisa Lafoon, SLPA, for sharing these documents with SCAAC-N!
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Audrey Weed, SLP, is part of the Assistive Tech team at the North Coastal Consortium for Special Education. The NCCSE is located in San Marcos, CA, and provides support, assessment, and education opportunities for local area districts in San Diego's north county communities. To view the NCCSE's robust list of single- and multiple-day trainings (open to all, and very affordable), visit their website HERE.
Ms. Weed shared some insights into the programming and support software for Satillo's iOS (iPod or iPad) app TouchChat and their ALT-Chat device that uses a similar language system (view their NEW device, on the Android tablet platform, NOVA Chat 7, HERE). The TouchChat Windows editor runs $59 (no Mac version available at present), and allows you to program vocabulary sets without having to keep the user's device for the entire programming process.
Another valuable service that is available with the iPod app is the iShare service. While 365 days of free iShare access comes with the purchase of the app, my personal opinion is that I will never allow my iShare subscription to lapse ($59/year). With iShare, and a wireless environment, I am able to upload a student's vocabulary set to the iShare cloud, and then download it onto my personal iPad, program away, and then do the reverse to load the vocabulary back onto the student's machine. iShare also works as a very handy and accessible back up, as well as a quick easy way to share a single page to a number of student iPads.
Ms. Weed had a very helpful editing tip to offer:
If you intend to share your programmed Chat vocabulary with both iOS devices, she encourages you to do your programming in the TouchChat Windows Editor (and not in the DesktopChat SE software). She has found more reliability with the TC Windows Editor, and cautions that the DC SE software may not upload to both platforms. Thank you, Audrey!CSUN 2012: AAC Device Implementation (Part 1 - Andrea Newall)
A great presentation, and excellent materials. LINKS to free downloads embedded (below and in Part 2 of this post, link HERE).
Originally entitled, "AAC Device Implementation with Saltillo," this 3/2/12 panel session at the CSUN annual conference was quite graciously un-branded by the great AT Manufacturer (visit Saltillo's website HERE), despite the title and introduction by their own Belva Holman.
In this session, implementation strategies and procedures were shared from three different, public school-based vantages from Andrea Newall (Cajon Valley USD); Anne Callies, Cheryl Waterfield, and Lisa Lafoon (nee Knipmeyer; San Diego USD AT Dept); and Audrey Weed (NCCSE).
Andrea Newall shared experiences from a small district model, where she provides on-site support to young elementary students using AAC. Following are highlights from her handout and presentation.
Initially, Ms. Newall's implementation goals include: 1) providing reassurance to the classroom staff, and 2) defining when and how the SLP will support classroom staff (programming, modeling, etc.)
Teacher and Classroom Staff Expectations
Initially, Ms. Newall's implementation goals include: 1) providing reassurance to the classroom staff, and 2) defining when and how the SLP will support classroom staff (programming, modeling, etc.)
Teacher and Classroom Staff Expectations
- Allowing time to explore is encouraged, as is tolerating talking out or random speaking (use of volume control should be taught to staff to minimize disruption to the classroom)
- Opportunities for expressing novel utterances should be built into the student's day
- Post handouts, visual cues for staff, in the classroom highlighting key points for teaching device use (see What to do with Ricky's Talker, below)
- Use of the "AAC Participation Plan" (download below) to target vocabulary, communication opportunities, and linguistic variety
- Staff are assigned modeling opportunities to demonstrate navigation and augment input using the vocabulary of the student's system.
A Sample Handout for Posting: (download PDF with student name removed, HERE)
WHAT TO DO WITH RICKY'S TALKER
Operation:
- Opportunities for expressing novel utterances should be built into the student's day
- Post handouts, visual cues for staff, in the classroom highlighting key points for teaching device use (see What to do with Ricky's Talker, below)
- Use of the "AAC Participation Plan" (download below) to target vocabulary, communication opportunities, and linguistic variety
- Staff are assigned modeling opportunities to demonstrate navigation and augment input using the vocabulary of the student's system.
A Sample Handout for Posting: (download PDF with student name removed, HERE)
WHAT TO DO WITH RICKY'S TALKER
Operation:
- Keep within Ricky's reach at all times when he is seated
- Bring the device if he requests it with sign language
- Only Ricky and teachers may use the Talker
- Allow exploration
- Respond whenever it makes sense, ignore some of the exploration
- Teach him to "clear" after speaking
- [Conversely, a recent suggestion from Cindy Cottier, SLP, is to keep the message on the display following 'speaking' until the teacher prompt "Get ready to talk". This allows for the text cue to remain present for clarification, correction of errors, and conversation about the the message. This is particularly important with iOS apps that do not allow for an easy Undo function - messages often have to be constructed again from scratch, which is frustrating]
- Touch the screen to turn it back on when it goes dark
- Follow the "Participation Plan" sheet for each table activity
- Model and demonstrate - YOU use the talker to communicate the target words, too
- Refer to using the device as "saying" a word, not "touching" or "writing" or "showing" (e.g., 'Ricky, say "water"')
- Work on single words for now. Don't expect him to "understand" how his talker works yet. It will take time to teach him.
- Think about what he will be motivated to say, not what we want him to say.
Ms. Newall also shared a valuable tool for generalizing communication across partners - the AAC PARTICIPATION PLAN (click to download PDF, HERE). This simple table outlines the activity setting, motivating vocabulary, and partner role for student AAC use during their usual classroom routine(s). Data is collected by the classroom staff on the prompting type for dual purposes; to gauge student progress, and to ensure staff participation with the plan via data points. Modeling of target vocabulary use, teaching through 'augmented input,' is encouraged and included in the data collection rubric.
(...Staff Expectations, continued)
MOTIVATE
- Give the student opportunities to be in charge - calling role or calling on peers to take a turn
Instruct staff on how exactly they should respond to random utterances and purposeful attempts
- Educate staff about the importance of teaching the student to use motivating vocabulary. This will increase interest and participation, and will likely lead to earlier generalization of skills. One example given was the difference in motivation to 'speak' the word "gross!" versus "I need the bathroom." (When available, digitized/recorded speech is even better for exclamations.)
[On the topic o motivating vocabulary, teaching commenting and sharing opinions, such as "I like that" and "I don't like that," has been very powerful in eliciting simple device use and has even inspired more generative opinion sharing, such as "I don't like stickers anymore." - from Ariel Hegedus, SLP, Villa Esperanza Services]
Student Participation and Expectations
- Using Communication Devices for Academics - It is important to emphasize to staff that the device use should NOT be heavily for completing academic tasks. The AAC user will learn the purpose of the communication device through a process of using it for its intended purpose. If the device is programmed and implemented primarily as an educational aid, the student will learn that this is the purpose of the device (to answer "What color" and "What do you want?", or for receptive vocabulary identification, letter/sound ID, math, telling time, etc. I've seen them all). It is imperative that use of the system for communication be first and foremost!
- Teaching comments and opinions right from the start is important. Teach a variety of commenting vocabulary [e.g., I like that, cool, good, awesome]
Parent Expectations
- Participate in training before the device is sent home
- Send to school daily, charged, and wiped clean [!]
- 3 "jobs" for parents:
- Respond to the child's use of the device
- Encourage indication of specific wants/needs
- Teach new words:
- Model them in context
- Narrate what you're doing as you explore the device [Talk aloud and try to find what it is you want to talk about - modeling the exploration and search process. "I'm looking for swings, would that be in Places?..."]
- Target and emphasize a select [and not an exhaustive] set of vocabulary
- Acknowledge[/praise] and THEN [and only then] correct or expand to say it better
- Model use of the device
- Add back-up and additional supports
~ Low-tech options (communication boards for modeling)
~ Matching versus other symbols
~ Classroom and home displays (communication boards for locations and activities)
Modeling board for Table Activities (download PDF modeling board, HERE, for teacher use or find it in Boardmaker Share, can be taped to the tabletop) Teaching staff can use this board as they speak to students giving choices or instruction, or speaking in the students' own words.
Classroom communication board for Places to Go on campus (download PDF comm board for locations, HERE, or find it in Boardmaker Share) This display is posted on the classroom door for staff to use to augment input and say to students while pointing, "We're going to..." before letting them go out the door.
Ms. Newall encourages you to consider using alternate pictures on your static communication boards to avoid student frustration at the lack of voice output when touching locations.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Partner Instruction in AAC - ASHA Online Conference
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You received this e-mail because of your membership or affiliation with ASHA. If you have a technical issue, please send an e-mail to listadmin@asha.org. If you would prefer not to receive e-mails from ASHA regarding conferences and other events, please send an e-mail to unsubscribe-events@asha.org. By unsubscribing, you will be removed from ASHA’s list for future events-related e-mails. Please note that you will continue to receive other e-mails related to your membership. |  American Speech-Language- Hearing Association www.asha.org 2200 Research Blvd Rockville, MD 20850 © Copyright 2012 | |||||
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Minspeak E-Newsletter, Issue 45- 3/15/12
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Tuesday, March 13, 2012
FREE training - Update Your AAC Toolbox (ATEC)
** Please forward! **
REGISTER NOW!
The Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center and ATEC hosts:
Update Your AAC Toolbox: Assessment, Current Devices, iPad Apps, & more!
Presented by: Randi Horikawa, CCC-SLP & Marjorie Gell, CCC-SLP from ATEC
When: Thursday, April 5th, 2012
Time: 12-1 p.m.
Where: In-Person (at Lanterman Regional Center – KYRC Conference Room, 1st floor)
-OR- Webinar (Sent Log-In information 1 week prior)
Description: Whether you are new to the field of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) or just need a refresher, please join us for an overview on assessment and communication devices, including the ever popular iPad!
Who Should Attend: Anyone interested learning more about Assistive Technology and assessment, i.e. people who use AT, parents, caregivers, case managers, family members, therapists, educators, and professionals.
To REGISTER and for more information, please contact the Koch Young Resource Center
213.252.5600 or kyrc@lanterman.org
Thank you,
Lauren Wetzler
Manager
A Program of Goodwill Industries of Orange County
Goodwill Fitness & Technology Center
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