Tag Archives: core vocabulary

Learning Where The Words Are Located on AAC Through Practice

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Supporting someone learning language using augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) means modeling the use of vocabulary by use the AAC yourself. No matter the AAC being used, finding where the words are to model them takes effort, time, and practice. The following are some ideas for how to learn where the words are:

  1. While watching television together, listen for the use of core words (the most frequently used words) and practice finding them as you hear them in the show or during commercials. Try finding a few fun, high-impact, fringe words (less commonly used words) too!
  2. Get peers or siblings involved by inviting them to randomly call out words for you to find and then switch roles where they search for words. Peers and siblings make excellent communication partners!
  3. Most robust AAC applications have a search feature that helps users locate words. Use the search feature whenever stuck on where to find the sequence of buttons to press to say that particular word.
  4. Going slow is a good thing! Taking time to find the word while modeling can provide the time necessary for the AAC user to process the language.
    Word Finder on LAMP:WFL

    Use the Word Finder function on the Language Acquisition Through Motor Planning: Words For Life application to search for the location of words.

    Keyboard icon circled on LAMP:WFL

    Use the Keyboard button on the home screen of the Language Acquisition Through Motor Planning: Words For Life application to access the Word Finder function

    The Search Feature of Proloquo2go

    How to Locate the Search Feature of Proloquo2go

Modeling Language Using Augmentative/Alternative Communication While Playing With Toys (like Race Cars!)

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Playing with toys, like race cars, can be a great opportunity to model language using augmentative/alternative communication (AAC). When playing together, communication partners (you!) can help a student learn vocabulary by using the AAC yourself to comment on the action, ask open-ended questions about what’s happening with the toy, and respond to whatever the student expresses using the AAC.

Playing with toys can be a fun way to model language using AAC.

The following is an example created by Speech-Language Pathologist, Jessica Cerovich, who models language using an AAC application while playing with race cars.

  • Comment on actions using words and phrases such as “Go” and “It is fun.”
  • Ask an open ended question like “Where does it go?”
  • Respond when the child communicates anything.

 

Which words do we focus on when teaching language using augmentative/alternative communication?

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The most frequently used words are known as Core Vocabulary words. Approximately 80% of the words spoken are from a small set of 350 words which are mostly pronouns, verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, adjectives, and adverbs. They are usually not nouns.

Focus instruction on teaching core vocabulary words by modeling their use.

It may take some time for a child to learn how to use these words. The child will likely need to experience these words being modeled many, many times before using it on the AAC independently. This video provides an explanation with examples: