Make & Take Visual Strategies April 4, 2008

1. Make & Take Visual StrategiesApril 4, 2008 Cindy Nankee OTR, ATP CESA #3 WATI Consultant cnankee@cesa3.k12.wi.us Lilly Rider SLP, MA CESA #4 WATI Consultant lrider@cesa4.k12.wi.us Karen Stindt OTR, MA, ATP CESA #6 WATI Consultant kstindt@cesa6.k12.wi.us

2. Agenda • Intro/Materials • Strategies for Success • Who/Why/Where ideas • Examples (symbol hierarchy) • Digital Photos- social stories/story starters/adapted books/tutorials • CCE Prompt Hierarchy • Assessment • Design Considerations • Literacy –extension activities/vocabulary • Using Boardmaker • Extension activities • Digital pictures • Materials development

3. Who Sank the Boat Make and Take We will be using the Boardmaker software and digital photography to create visual strategies for communication and literacy. We will provide you with strategies to help you successfully use the materials you create.

4. Session Objective • Support vocabulary building with low tech picture strategies • Support reading with picture/word symbols • Support functional communication through social stories/visual supports • Support language acquisition (expansion activities) • Support motor skills with adapted tools (expansion activities)

5. Using visual strategies as a vehicle for developing:expressive languagereceptive languageliteracycontrol over the environmentcommunication initiationbehavior management

6. Individuals Who Might Benefit from Visual Tools… • English Language Learners • Traumatic Brain Injury • Pre-Readers • Comprehension Problems • Communication partner • Communication Delays/Disorders • Attention Deficit Disorder • Learning Disabilities • Down Syndrome • Autism Spectrum Disorder • Developmental Delays

7. Why Use Visual Tools and Strategies… Hodgdon, 2002 • Give students information about their activities • Prepare students for what will or will not happen • Reduce the anxiety that comes from the unexpected, especially during transition times • Help students understand the concept of “finished” • Provide the structure for appropriate behavior and participation • Support communication and conversation

8. Communication Symbol Hierarchy • LINE DRAWINGS • PICTURE COMMUNICATION SYMBOLS • TEXT W/ PICTURES • TEXT & LETTERS • REAL OBJECTS • TANGIBLE SYMBOLS • TOBIs (true object-based icons) • COLOR PHOTOS • BLACK & WHITE PHOTOS

9. Object Communication Systemwww.adaptivation.com

10. Tangible Symbols • Tangible symbols are objects or pictures that stand for or represent something about which we need to communicate.

11. A T.O.B.I. can be a line drawing, photograph etc. which is cut out in the actual shape of the item it represents

12. When Billy gets home from school…

13. Line Symbols

14. Picture Communication Symbols

15. Text with Pictures

16. Communication Board with words/letters/numbers

17. Ideas for Using Visual Strategies • In Therapy • In the Classroom • In the Home • In the Community • Behavior Regulation

18. Schedules and Calendars • Tools to Give Information • Tools to Make Choices and Requests • Tools for Protesting and Rejecting • Tools for Behavior Regulation • Tools for Literacy

20. Communication Boards http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/as/asteachersites.html

21. Snack Time Boscobel ECH Lily Rider, Louise Hebel

22. Snack Time Boscobel ECH Lily Rider, Louise Hebel

23. School to home note Boscobel ECH Lily Rider, Louise Hebel

24. Schedule and Behavior Chart

25. Incentive Chart

27. Preposition Activity

29. Visual Strategies Using Digital Photos • Social Stories • Adapted Books • Photo Story3 for Windows – free download • http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx • Story Starters – Communication Motivators • www.animoto.com • Tutorials • Video demonstrations

30. Communication Partner Activity Environment The following section from CCE Creating Communication Environments Set Up Success • Activities that focus on communication • Environment that’s conducive to communication by the child • Partnerthat knows how to prompt, model, elicit language, pause

31. Arrange the Environment to Increase the Likelihood of Communication Common Strategies…. • Use motivating materials and activities • Materials should be in view but not accessible • Student should need assistance with some materials • Provide small or inadequate amounts of materials • Sabotage • Provide something the student doesn’t like/want • Use communication boards/devices & visual tools

32. Increase Communication by being a good communication Partner • Accept and respond to ANY communication attempt • Provide descriptive feedback instead of praise (“You wanted paint. Here’s more paint.”) • Be silent when appropriate • Be aware of use of figurative language (“take your seat” vs. “sit”) • Use a prompt hierarchy

33. Prompt Hierarchy • Environmental Cue • PAUSE • Open Question • PAUSE • Prompt OR Request for Communication • PAUSE • Full Model • PAUSE • Incorporate descriptive feedback into each step

34. Prompt Hierarchy Step #1 Environmental Cue • Set up the environment to signal to the student that an activity is about to begin. • Ringing bell • Lining up at the door • Art materials prepared but out of reach • Desired items visible but inaccessible • Cutting the pizza, e.g. • After student responds, provide... Descriptive Feedback

35. Prompt Hierarchy--PausingPause after every step • Focus your attention on the student (expect communication!) A N • PAUSE D • After student responds, provide... Descriptive Feedback

36. Prompt Hierarchy Step #2 Open Question • If the student does not respond to the pause by making a response: • Ask a WHAT, WHY, WHO, WHEN, WHERE, OR HOW Question • “What do you want?” • “Whose turn is it?” • “Where does that go?” • AND then…...PAUSE • After student responds, provide... Descriptive Feedback

37. Prompt Hierarchy Step #3Prompt or Request Communication • Provide a prompt to students • Choices, carrier phrase, initial sound, visual cue OR • Request Communication • “Tell me what you need.” • “Tell me what goes next.” • AND then……PAUSE • After student responds, provide... Descriptive Feedback

38. Prompt Hierarchy Step # 4 Full Model • Provide a full model for student • Use student’s AAC device • Use developmentally appropriate model • AND then…...PAUSE • After student responds, provide... Descriptive Feedback

39. PAUSE Pause Pause PausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePausePause! In other words…PAUSE!

40. Prompt Hierarchy—WHY? • Gives student the necessary time to process information and to formulate a message to communicate • Provides a structure for adults that encourages communication • Can be customized for individual students • Organized least to most

41. CCE video Lilly’s student using a communication board Lilly using the prompt hierarchy

42. Creating Visual Tools • Planning • 80/20 Rule • Design Considerations • Assessment • Software • Boardmaker • PixWriter • Microsoft Word Table • www.imaginesymbols.com • http://www.symbolworld.org

43. Design Considerations • Physical considerations: • Size of symbols • Spacing between symbols • Physical access to all locations of board • Landscape vs. Portrait orientation

44. Design Considerations • Language/Cognitive Considerations: • Type of message (single word vs. phrase) • Type of symbol (Photos, line drawings) • Amount of vocabulary to be displayed at a time • Organization Brandenburg, S., & Vanderheiden, g.C. (1988) The Vocally Impaired: Clinical Practice and Research pp. 84-135

45. Vocabulary should be: • Reinforcing to the user • Functional to the user • Used frequently and regularly • Flexible • Include a wide range of communication functions • Responsive to the changing needs and circumstances of the user

46. Color Codingwill allow user and facilitator to locate symbols more easily www.aacintervention.com Tip of the month

47. Design Considerations • Visual considerations: • Color vs. black/white • Color background • Size & spacing • Assessment: • TASP • EVALUWARE • STAGES • ASNAT

48. Like Again Show me Whole Past Fast Correct Short Tomorrow Word Communication That’s crazy! Keep in mind the communication partner

49. Assessment • Evaluware • Computerized assessment • Assesses size/spacing/visual preferences/auditory preferences • TASP • Hard copy assessment • An easy-to-use tool for assessing symbolic skills, • Design communication boards • Help select Aug Communication device • Set appropriate AAC goals • Serves as a tool to benchmark progress in aided communication performance. • ASNAT • www.wati.org • Communication Matrix • http://www.communicationmatrix.org