May is Better Hearing and Speech Month! In preparation for the month, learners in Kindergarten at Round Hill Elementary School engaged in an experience where they explored augmentative/alternative communication. Led by speech language pathologist Amy Cote and supported by an ensemble of other educators including the early childhood special educators, the Kindergartners explored the Language Acquisition Through Motor Planning: Words for Life application. The students learned how the app was organized, explored how to find words, and discussed what it meant to be a supportive communication partner to their peers who are using the application to help them learn language. If you’re interested in leading a similar event, reach out to the Specialized Instructional Facilitator – Assistive Technology who works at your school! 
Category Archives: Learning Language With Augmentative/Alternative Communication
Learning Language With Augmentative/Alternative Communication
Modeling Language Using Augmentative/Alternative Communication Emulation Software
The PASS software download from PRC-Saltillo allows users to run the various augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) language configurations (i.e. Unity, UNIDAD, CoreScanner, LAMP Words for Life, WordPower, Essence) on a Windows computer. The software works the same way as the AAC tool except it does not speak aloud. The software is useful for educators to model language on a laptop or interactive whiteboard using the same AAC configuration as a learner.
The software is approved to be installed on Windows computers supported by Loudoun County Public Schools.
October is AAC Awareness Month
October is Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Awareness Month! The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication created a PDF titled AAC Etiquette that features a list of strategies to help improve communication exchanges when interacting with a person who uses AAC.
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Open in new tab Indicating Which Words To Model During Shared Reading Experiences
A strategy to help individuals learn language using augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) is to provide Partner Augmented Input (also known as Aided Language Stimulation). This means the communication partners model language by using the same form of AAC as the student with whom they are communicating. This short video explains the idea.
When participating in literacy experiences, like reading a book together, it can be difficult to model every word in the story. Focusing the modeling on words which are used most frequently is a way to target meaningful vocabulary. However, for a communication partner who is just learning about AAC, it can still be difficult to know which words to model.
The free webtool UpGoer6 invites users to input text which is then colorized based on how frequently the word is used. Bright green text indicates the word is used frequently. Dark red indicates the word is rarely used. Clicking on a word provides a numerical ranking of how frequently the word is used. Educators can copy and paste the colorized text into adapted books to provide communication partners reading with the student a visual cue of which words are the priority to model. Strategies like these make it easier for someone who is new to modeling on AAC know which words to prioritize when modeling.
Screenshot of the Up-Goer Six Text Editor
Symbolized Text Does Not Support Literacy
Symbols for frequently used words such as like, of, some, and know do not help someone produce a picture in their mind. Look at the examples below. If you covered up the text, could you guess the text below?
When a picture representation of a word is added to a text representation of a word, it tends to add to the complexity of visual information presented in a way that does NOT help an individual learn how to decode, recognize, or comprehend the text. The added image doesn’t actually help students make an association between the printed word and the symbol. A strategy to use instead is to present the text without an added picture. The text itself is the symbol.
Senior at Loudoun Valley High School Creates Videos and Books to Support the Learning of Language Using Augmentative/Alternative Communication
Ceci Fetterolf was a senior at Loudoun Valley High School during the 2021-2022 school year. For her capstone project she created a series of videos illustrating the multiple meanings of 15 different frequently used words. These videos can be used to help those learning language using augmentative/alternative communication understand how these words are used in everyday interactions. The videos are organized on a virtual poster each linked via a QR code.
Ceci also authored three online books explaining mathematical concepts using frequently used words. These books can also be used to help any learner explore math concepts using commonly used language. Learn more about her motivation, approach, and what she learned by listening to this audio interview with Ceci and/or reading the transcript of her interview.
Ceci Fetterolf, a senior at Loudoun Valley High School during the 2021-2022 school year, displays a poster featuring QR codes to each of her created videos.
Create Your Own Mandalorian for May the Fourth
May the Fourth is known as Star Wars day. A fun experience for learners of all ages might be to create their own Mandalorian from the Star Wars universe. Go to https://www.mandocreator.com/ to begin.
Implementation ideas include…
- Collaboratively working with peers to design and color the character by giving directions such as, “Put that on”, “Let’s use green”, and “I choose that one.”
- Practicing the pragmatic function of commenting on the character such as, “It is big”, “I like it”, and “It has many colors.”
- Exporting the picture and adding text to describe the character.
- Exporting the picture, importing it into a slide deck using Google Slides or PowerPoint, and adding additional images around it to create a scene.
- Telling a story about the character.
The universe is the only limit to how it can be used! Whatever the students’ create will be out of this world! This is the way!
A Mandalorian created using https://www.mandocreator.com/
Presuming Potential By Unmasking Vocabulary Using Augmentative/Alternative Communication
When first implementing an augmentative/alternative communication device to help a student learn language, the team working with that individual has many choices to make regarding initial implementation. One of those choices is whether or not to hide (mask) some of the words, choosing to reveal them in time, or to lead with all of the words revealed (unhidden). Each team making this decision does so considering the individual needs of the student. The following video shares a story of how some educators supporting one student thought through the decision by presuming potential and the resulting outcome.
Assuming Intention When Learning Language With Augmentative/Alternative Communication
When a person is learning language with augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) that individual might use that tool in unique ways to express a message or emotion. When an individual communicates using AAC in a way that is unexpected to the communication partner(s), an initial assumption to make is that the person did so intentionally. Watch this video which shares a story of educators presuming intentionality which supported, rather than limited, an individual’s learning of a particular language concept.
Examples of Spontaneous Novel Utterance Generation
Learning how to combine words to spontaneously generate utterances that no one has ever heard before is an ability that comes naturally to some people. Others need consistent support to develop this ability. This ability is called Spontaneous Novel Utterance Generation (SNUG), a term crafted by Katya Hill, PhD, CCC-SLP, and Barry Romich.
“Success in life can be directly related to the ability to communicate. Full interpersonal communication substantially enhances an individual’s potential for education, employment, and independence. Therefore, it is imperative that the goal of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) use be the most effective interactive communication possible. Anything less represents a compromise of the individual’s human potential.” – Katya Hill, PhD, CCC-SLP
When one develops this ability, it becomes impossible to accurately predict what another person might say in any given situation or environment. The autonomy to say whatever you want to say, however you want to say it, is the ultimate goal when it comes to expressive language development. In the video below, learners show off examples of how they say sentences that no one could have predicted given the situation demonstrating their ability to spontaneously generate novel utterances.