No one form of communication will meet all needs or all social situations

1. No one form of communication will meet all needs or all social situations • Teaching a combination of different modes is necessary • Examples: Vocalization, body movements, pointing, facial expressions, nodding, gestures, use of object symbols, picture symbols, manual signs • Morgan: A multiple-mode communicator! • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhLA-TQX4Ow&feature=related

2. Updates • Today – • Ecological Inventory/Daily Schedule Analysis & • Task Analysis #1 • Article Review #2 has been cancelled. • Your Article Review #1 score has been doubled • If you want to improve your score you can do Article Review #2 to receive a doubled score on that assignment (I will take the highest graded assignment) • May 20th- Task Analysis #2 & Quiz • June 3rd- Task Analysis #3 • June 10th- Ecological Assessment Report

3. Steps in Ecological Assessment Process • Step 1: Plan with Student & Family • Person-centered Planning • Step 2: Summarize what is known about the student • Record Review, IEP Review • Step 3: Encourage Self-Determination/ Assess Student Preferences • Preference Assessment • Step 4: Assess student’s instructional program • Daily Schedule Analysis • Task Analyses • Other Assessments • Step 5: Develop ecological assessment report • To inform IEP: PLAAFP, Goals & Objectives, Interventions

4. Review from Preference Assessment Assignment • Selecting Forms- How you will display the choices to the student • Rationale: Why did you select that form….based on previous experience? Why not other forms? • Operationally Defining Behaviors • Remember must be measurable & observable • Engaged? • Define more concretely • Summary • Write them professionally, but in a way that is jargon-free. • Focus is on presenting to a parent at an IEP meeting

5. Qualities of a Well-Designed Standards-Based IEP (modified from Wakeman et al., 2010)

6. Functional Communication Training: Carr & Durand, 1985 Desired Behavior Typical Consequence Summary of Behavior Setting Event Antecedent Problem Behavior Maintaining Consequence Alternate Behavior

7. Basic Conditions for Communication (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2005) • At least 2 people who understand each other • Form (i.e. a way to send the message) • Content (i.e., something to talk about) • Function: Reason/Purpose to communicate • Educational team members must ensure these are addressed

11. Ecological-Functional Assessment Process • Uses observational techniques to analyze skill demands of the natural environment and determine how the student performs within the environment • Leads directly to intervention plan (Snell, 2002)

12. Bryant, D.P., Smith, D. D., & Bryant, B. R. (2008). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Bryant, D.P., Smith, D. D., & Bryant, B. R. (2008). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive classrooms. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

13. Important Results from Ecological Inventory of Communication Skills • Student’s current FORM (modes) of communication. • What ways he/she is presently communicating • What ways could be used to communicate more effectively (fluency, comprehensible to others) • CONTENT of the environment and activities • Vocabulary: Expressive & Receptive • Natural Supports • Communication Partners (will have to teach them) • FUNCTION/ Intent of student’s communication • Requesting, Refusing, Initiating

14. Communication Ecological Inventory Worksheet (Figure 8-10, p.249, Best, Heller, Bigge, 2005) 1. Ask: Where does the student spend time? (environment, sub-environment, activities) 2. Select Activity: (e.g., ordering food) 3. Observe: (for vocabulary used in activity) • List Expressive Vocabulary used in the activity • List Receptive Vocabulary used in the activity 4. Review listed words and determine which words & skills need to be taught to the student.

15. Ecological Inventory of Communication Skills

18. Review Ecological Inventories • With a partner, share your ecological inventory • Did your partner look at an age appropriate general education class? • Did your partner identify ideas for how the student could participate in general education?

23. Review the task analysis on the data form so that steps … • Are stated in terms of observable behavior • Result in a visible change in the product or process • Are ordered in a logical sequence • Are written in the second-person singular so that they could serve as verbal prompts (if used)…example: Step #7- “Go sit on rainbow rug” • Use language that is not confusing to the student, with the performance details that are essential to assessing performance enclosed in parentheses Ex. Step #6- Go to schedule get Ms. W’s room card [when circle done]

24. Discussion Time!

25. STUDENT TOOLS ENVIRONMENT TASK

26. SETT- similar to ecological inventory

27. STUDENT • What are the student’s current abilities? • What are the student’s special needs? • What are the functional areas of concern? • What are the other students doing that this student needs to be able to do? • What does the student need to be able to do that is difficult or • impossible to accomplish independently at this time?

28. STUDENT A useful resource to support these questions from a student point of view is Bowser, G., & Reed, P. (2001). Hey Can I Try That? A Student Handbook for Choosing and Using Assistive Technology. This is available from www.educationtechpoints.org/manuals-materials/hey-can-i-try-that

29. ENVIRONMENT • What activities take place in the environment? • Where will the student participate—classroom, home, community, therapy? • What is the physical arrangement? • What activities do other students do that this student cannot currently participate in? • What assistive technology does the student have access to or currently use?

30. Sensory Considerations (new) New section as a subset of Student & Environment • Does this student have sensory deficits or sensitivities that will impact his/her ability to …. ? • Do the learning environment(s) impact the sensory issues of the student?

31. Sensory Considerations STUDENT ENVIRONMENT Background noise Lighting (full spectrum vs. flourescent) Physical space • Visual (glare, color vs. black & white, white space between symbols, etc.) • Auditory (voice, volume, button click) • Tactile (velcro, weight) • Personal space • Student specific

32. TASK • What specific tasks occur in the environment? • What activities is the student expected to do? • What does success look like?

33. TOOLS • Are the tools being considered on a continuum from • no/low to high-tech? • Are the tools student centered and task oriented and • reflect the student’s current needs? • Are tools being considered because of their features • that are needed rather than brand names? • What is the cognitive load required by the student to use the tool? • What are the training requirements for the student, family and staff?

34. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xatHPazOXw0&feature=related

35. AT Continuum • Follow the progression of low tech, through mid tech to high tech when selecting assistive technology tools

36. Assistive Technology for Communication Low Tech Tools

37. Symbols for Communication • Real Object Symbols • Photographs & Pictures • Line Drawing Symbols • Textured Symbols • Letters & Words

38. AT Communication ContinuumLow Tech Concrete Representations Real Objects • Calendar box • Tangible Symbols • Miniatures • TOBIs (true object based icon)

39. AT Communication ContinuumLow Tech Communication system with pictures, symbols, letters &/or words

41. Considerations for Designing Displays • Messages: which are needed, in what contexts • Symbols: depending on the individual & messages • How symbols are displayed: booklets, notebooks, wheelchair trays, scanners • Organizing symbols: context specific, how many per page, etc.

42. Selecting Symbols—What to look for? • Should make sense to the user & communication partners (assess with range of choices) • Similarity between the symbols & what represents should be obvious • Students sensory modalities should be considered • Symbols introduced gradually building on current communication skills

43. Using Symbols to Promote Participation/Conversation • Calendar/Schedule Systems • Choice Displays • Remnant (e.g. Movie ticket, scraps from activities) Displays • Conversation Displays

44. Porter & Burkhart, PODD • Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display (PODD) • http://www.novita.org.au/Content.aspx?p=683#What_is_PODD • Vocabulary is organized according to communication function and discourse requirements • Simplified Technology by Linda Burkhart • http://www.lburkhart.com/ • Pragmatic branch starters • I like this, I don’t like this, I want something, Quick word/question, I have an idea, I want to show you something… • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux1KIrz5rpY&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDjVFXu9MZk&feature=related

45. Assistive Technology for Communication Mid Tech Tools

46. Graphic arrays • Designing communication boards or communication notebooks • Choosing items • Size of each item • Positioning each item • Accessibility of each item • Perception of each item (both user and communication partner) • Item placement/ordering- groups? Effort in scanning? • Motor involvement in using array- vertical or horizontal?

47. AT Communication ContinuumMid Tech Simple Voice Output Devices Step-by-step BIGmack CheapTalk Hip Talk

48. AT Communication ContinuumMid Tech Speech Generating Device with levels Leo Tech series Bluebird II 7 Level Communication Builder Message Mate

49. Assistive Technology for Communication High Tech Tools

50. AT Communication ContinuumHigh Tech Speech Generating Devices with icon sequencing OR Vantage Plus Pathfinder Plus SpringBoard Lite