1. ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION TEACHING . . .
Day 2
The Adventure Continues

2. Goals for Day 2
1. To analyze the combined use of activity-based objectives, environmental communication teaching cues and prompts, and AAC techniques and strategies through presentation and discussion of selected examples.
2. To continue to develop an understanding of communicative requirements of educational, vocational, and community activities.
3. To identify appropriate incidental environmental arrangements to increase communicative problem-solving within the context of the activity-based objectives for a selected activity.

3. Day 2 Goals (continued)
4. To identify appropriate cues and prompts for facilitating a student's communicative responses within a set of activity-based objectives.
5. To develop a set of activity-based objectives that will guide application efforts with the two target students in the two - four selected educational, vocational, or community activities.

4. Student and Activity Selection
Complete the forms to provide the information about:
2 target students/children
2 activities for each student, or 1 for each student, and 1 common to both students
Make sure there is team consensus!
Teams were asked to finalize their decisions about target students and target activities at the conclusion of Day One.
Teams should now be prepared to complete the Activity Selection Information Forms for Child #1 and Child #2.
They should also be able to formalize the ABO’s for Child #1, Activity A, and start NOW to finalize the ABO’s for Child #2, Activity A.
All ABO exercises will now be done on the ABO’s the teams are writing. Group time will be given at this time to get ABO’s on paper. Teams that are farther ahead, may go ahead and work on Activity B for either child.
HAVE EXTRA ABO FORMS AVAILABLE FOR TEAMS TO USE.

5. Communication Interaction Chart
Wants/Needs
Social Closeness
Partner
Environment P
U R P O S E
We have dealt with the Activity, now we will deal with the Partner Behaviors.
At the first North Carolina Literacy Symposium (Marach 1991), Janice Light presented the concept of communication interaction eing divided into 4 categories according to purpose:
Information transfer
Wants/Needs
Social Closeness
Social Etiquette
The purpose of the communication act will be directed and defined by the activity in which it occurs, the environment in which the activity occurs, and by the interaction of the communication partner.
Hence the diagram of the 3 major components that ECT will impact:
Activity, Partner, and Environment (new acronym? APE)
Activity
Information Transfer
Social Etiquette

6. The Prompt Hierarchy 1. Pause 2. Open Question 3a. Partial Prompt
3b. Request for Communication (Mand)
4. Full Model
* Descriptive Feedback
After the communication objectives have been established for activities and the environments have been arranged, there is still the job of getting the student or young child to produce the desired communication.
SHOW THE “SOMETIMES COMMUNICATION IS DIFFICULT” CARTOON (Doggie Faces)
Within the ECT approach, this is done by applying a series of graduated cues, prompts and feedback.
Prompts for communication are used in a sequence from least to most directive cues or prompts. By using this sequence, the student or young child is always presented with opportunities to select and initiate an appropriate response. In addition, partners avoid the situation in which their behavior has eliminated a true opportunity to communicate, e.g., telling the answer, then asking the question for the student or young child to answer.
Additionally, the communication partner is never faced with a situation of not being able to move forward to complete a routine, since the final step in the Hierarchy is always a Full Model.

7. 1. The Pause
If an environmental cue or a transitional cue has just occurred
Focus your attention on the student and PAUSE
If the student or young child initiates an interaction by touch, smiling, or vocalization:
FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE STUDENT OR YOUNG CHILD, AND PAUSE
If you have just asked a question or made a statement about an activity:
FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE STUDENT OR YOUNG CHILD AND PAUSE
If you have just arranged the environment so that the student or young child must request an item in order to go on:
If you are about to perform the next step in a familiar routine:

8. Environmental Cues

9. 1. The Pause
If an environmental cue or a transitional cue has just occurred
Focus your attention on the student and PAUSE
If the student or young child initiates an interaction by touch, smiling, or vocalization:
FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE STUDENT OR YOUNG CHILD, AND PAUSE
If you have just asked a question or made a statement about an activity:
FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE STUDENT OR YOUNG CHILD AND PAUSE
If you have just arranged the environment so that the student or young child must request an item in order to go on:
If you are about to perform the next step in a familiar routine:

10. 2. Open Question
If the student or young child does not respond to the pause by making or attempting a response...
Ask a what, why, who, when, where, or how question, and then
PAUSE
If the student or young child does not respond to the pause by making a response:
ASK A WHAT, WHY, WHO, WHEN, WHERE, OR HOW QUESTION
What do you want? What should we do next:
What do you need for that?
Where do you want it?
How should that go?
AND THEN PAUSE!!
SHOW THE YES/NO CARTOON TO ELICIT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE USE OF YES/NO QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

11. 3a. Partial Prompt
If the student or young child does not respond to the open question or produces a minimal response...
Provide part of the response by:
asking a question that contains a choice,
giving a hint or a clue, modeling the first few words (or sounds) of the answer, and then PAUSE
If the student or young child does not respond to the open question or produces a minimal response:
PROVIDE PART OF THE ANSWER BY:
ASKING A QUESTION THAT CONTAINS A CHOICE:
Do you want a red one or a blue one?
I have a tape and a game, which one do you want?
GIVING A HINT OR A CLUE:
It's the same color as your shirt.
Do you need something to cut with or something to draw with?
MODELING THE FIRST FEW WORDS (OR SOUNDS) OF THE ANSWER:
Say, I want ...
Give me ...

12. 3b. Request for Communication
If the student or young child responds to the pause or the open question with behavior that is:
inappropriate, or
at a lower level than desired for that student
Request that the student or young child use another form or elaborate on the response, and then
PAUSE
If the student or young child responds to the pause or the open question with behavior that:
is inappropriate to the situation, or
is at a lower level than desired for that student or young child
Then:
REQUEST THAT THE STUDENT OR YOUNG CHILD USE A PROPER FORM OR ELABORATE THE RESPONSE:
Tell me what you want
You need to ask me
Use a whole sentence
Note: You can also use a mand to request a proper use of an augmentative response:
Tell me another way
Use your pointing finger
Tell me "yes" when I get to your answer

13. 4. Full Model Provide a full model for the response, and then PAUSE.
If the student or young child has never produced the response you are seeking...
If the student or young child does not respond to the partial prompt or mand or does so incorrectly...
Provide a full model for the response, and then PAUSE.
Do use the student’s AAC system when possible to provide the model for him to imitate.
If the student or young child has never produced the response you are seeking, or
If the student or young child does not respond to the partial prompt or mand or responds incorrectly:
PROVIDE A FULL MODEL FOR THE RESPONSE...AND PAUSE
Do use the student's or young child's augmentative display when providing the model for him to imitate.
SHOW THE FAMILY CIRCLE CARTOON THAT HAS THE MOM AND KIDS MODELING THE MOTHER DUCK AND DUCKLINGS BEHAVIOR

14. Video - Auriel

15. * Descriptive Feedback
Use after the student or young child has produced a communicative response, or
Use after the last step of the prompt hierarchy that you need to use
Descriptive Feedback is specific to the communication behavior:
“Great, you asked for more juice and here it is.”
“Wow, you asked for the tape player, so here it is.”
“You asked for some scissors, what do you need them for?”
Descriptive Feedback is used immediately after the student or young child has produced a communicative response.
MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAPPENS AFTER WHATEVER LEVEL OF THE PROMPT HIERARCHY ELICITS THE RESPONSE!
YOU MAY WANT TO INITIATE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DESCRIPTIVE FEEDBACK AND POSITIVE REIMFORCEMENT. IT WILL PROBABLY BE AN ISSUE IN WORKSHOP II (Day Three).

16. Descriptive Feedback Serves three functions:
Immediately acknowledges that the listener “heard” the student or young child
Confirms that the message sent by the student or young child is the one understood by the listener
Can be used to model an expansion of the message expressed by the student or young child
Show video of Tricia and Make-up for good example of prompts and descritive feedback and modeling and expansion.

17. VIDEO/Make-Up

18. Exercise #2
Using an activity for which you have developed activity-based objectives:
Review the activity and make sure there are at least five communication opportunities--IF statements don’t count !
Review the ABO’s and formulate a possible response for each step of the prompt hierarchy. (Role Play is helpful!)
Revise the ABO’s as needed.
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES:
-Suggest that teams break into pairs and actually practice responses at one level of a set of ABO’s -- there is a form for this if trainer desires to make this a formalized activity. (ECT Prompt Hierarchy Practice Activity)
-Pick an ABO and have the group develop responses
AT THIS TIME, DIRECT TEAMS TO START TO DEVELOP THE ABO’s FOR THE SECOND STUDENT’S ACTIVITY “A” IF THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST STUDENT’S ACTIVITY “A”.

19. ABO’s for Cody’s Snacktime
1. When told it is snack time, Cody will go to the snack area.
2. If it is not within reach, Cody will ask for the WOLF.
3. If the overlay needs to be changed to SNACK, Cody will ask for that to happen.
4. If he needs help, Cody will ask for it.
5. When told what the snack choices are, Cody will tell the teacher what he wants to eat.
6. Cody will tell the teacher what he needs for snack (napkin, cup, spoon, knife, etc.)
7. Cody will ask for more when he wants more.
8. Cody will tell the teacher when he is done.
9. Cody will ask the teacher for help with getting his walker and return to the other classroom.
These ABO’s will be in their appendix to refer to later.
This could be left out, to have the teams create this together.
If it is included, then have the teams identify the environmental cues, and the communication verbs. Practice makes perfect!
***You could give a blank overhead and pen to a team doing a snack activity and ask them to write it up on the transparency to compare to the Cody ABO.
(Cody’s ABO’s are in the appencix of y our packet)
OH: Cartoon- Hi & Lois Differentiates babies cry

20. Communicative Behaviors
Modality
Spoken
Gestural
Manual sign (unaided symbols)
Visual-graphic (aided symbols)
Multiple modality usage

21. Communicative Behaviors
Level of Code
Reflex behaviors
Action sequence
Signal
Symbol used when referent present
Symbol used when referent is not present
• The communicative behaviors used by students and young children with severe disabilities can be represented along a continuum of "symbolic representation."
Reflex patterns of movement and other primitive emotional responses constitute the lowest end of the continuum; these behaviors are read directlyby the partner and responded to as though they were means to communicate something.
Some children begin to show representation by acting out nearly all of an Action Sequence as means of communicating a specific message, e.g., a child walks to the sink and holds a glass below the faucet while looking to the adult as a means of requesting a drink.
A Signal is an abbreviated form of an action or an idiosyncratic action associated with a specific activity that is used to represent that activity. The signal is most often used as a means of restarting an activity that has been halted, but can also be used to initiate an activity.
Use of conventional Symbols, including spoken words, manual signs and graphic symbols, is form of representation that is typically desired for students or young children with severe disabilities.
a. The first use of conventional symbols usually occurs in the presence of the object, action or person to which the symbol refers.
b. The highest (and most difficult) form of representation occurs when a student or young child uses a symbol to refer to something that is not immediately present.
•Intervention efforts must include (separate OH for this at end of series)
Identifying the various form of representation that children with disabilities do use, and
Providing them with more conventional forms for those "messages" that they are already expressing.

22. Group Activity Communication Message Worksheet Brainstorm steps
List communication messages needed
Check for variety of communicative functions
Using the UNO game as the activity, have the groups work in teams, or have them just call out vocabulary to create a message board for the game.
Use the Overhead form that breaks the vocabulary into the areas of:
Initiate
Maintain
Redirect
Terminate
OTHER VOCABULARY EXAMPLES FROM SEVERAL MAYER-JOHNSON BOOKS CAN BE SHOWN AT THIS TIME.
Now, return to the Janice Light diagram, and review that we have focused on Activities, Partners, and now we’re going to look at the Environment.

23. Communication Interaction Chart
Wants/Needs
Social Closeness
Environment
Partner P
U R P O S E
Activity
Information Transfer
Social Etiquette

24. VIDEOTAPE/Holly

25. Environmental Arrangement Strategies
Common strategies:
interesting materials and activities
materials in view, but out of reach
materials used with which the child will need assistance
small or inadequate amounts/portions provided
sabotage
something the child doesn’t like is provided
novel element
Common strategies for incidentally modifying the environment include:
1. Use materials and activities that are of high interest to the student;
2. Placing interesting materials in view but out of reach;
3. Use materials with which the child will need assistance;
4. Provide small or inadequate portions of amounts of materials;
5. Use "sabotage" to disturb a familiar activity;
6. Provide something the child doesn't like.
7. Use novel elements or items to capture the child’s attention.
Be sure to remember that the same incidental or temporary environmental modification should not be used every time the student encounters the activity, for example, the same object cannot be "accidentally" left out everyday. This no longer represents natural "problem solving."
Be careful not to choose activities that depend on sabotage for the communication opportunities to occur. You want to look at sabotage as an added way to provide communication opportunities, and as a way to allow the student to use communication as a problem-solving tool.
Overhead: Wormsleys

26. Videotape/Kim

27. Special Considerations in making environmental arrangements for AAC users
Position of Device/Display
in relationship to task
need for special furniture, mounting equipment
One important environmental consideration is the position of the communication board, display or device.
a. Positioning must take into account the task requirements. The position of the communication display should not interfere with the child's ability to complete the task or to observe important events.
b. Specific tasks may require special "furniture" for positioning the communication board, display, or device that are used only within that activity.
Show Kim the Exercise Tape (music stand)

28. Special Considerations in making environmental arrangements for AAC users
Teaching Displays as a
mnemonic device for what to communicate
picture sequence chart for task performance
classroom or individual schedules
The possibility of a communication display serving as a memory aid for children with severe cognitive disabilities should also be considered.
a. A well-planned visual display can also serve to remind the child what to communicate -- the display promotes recognition memory (rather than recall memory which is more difficult).
b. Picture Sequence Charts (which are different from the communication display) might also be considered as a permanent means of augmenting the child's recall of the steps in a complex sequence. An airplane Emergency Card is an example of a picture sequence card that is for instructional, not communicative use.
Other examples: picture recipe cards
classroom or student schedules
If you have a video example showing a picture sequence chart, class schedule or picture recipe card, you may want to show it at this time.
***(See ex. Of sequence chart in appendix)

29. ECT Prompt Hierarchy DON’T FORGET DESCRIPTIVE FEEDBACK STEP 1: STEP 2:
Pause
Focus your attention on the child
STEP 2:
Ask an open question
Pause
STEP 3a:
Provide a partial prompt
Pause
STEP 3b:
Request for verbaliza-tion
Pause
STEP 4:
Provide a full model
Pause
DON’T FORGET DESCRIPTIVE FEEDBACK

30. Videotape/Laura

31. Group Activity Identify at least three environmental arrangements
Identify appropriate prompts
Select appropriate points for inserting pauses

32. ABO Data Record Form
Documentation is important to assessment and implementation
The level of the prompt hierarchy at which the student is responding is valuable information
This type of documentation will assist the team in learning prompts and cues
It’s important to introduce the concept of documentation, but this is not an assignment at this time. The SLP will receive an observation and documentation assignment at the next workshop, but the team members should be thinking about how they will document the effectiveness of the ABO’s they practice, and the strategies they use.
SHOW THE ABO DATA RECORD FORM AT THIS TIME.
THERE SHOULD BE ONE IN THE PARTICIPANT’S PACKET.
Use Bill Z’s Data Record Form- Golf analogy

33. Assignment #1 Information about videotaping
Importance of labels on tapes and cue cards before taping
Importance of deadlines
Photo Release Forms
The dates will need to be determined ahead of time, so that the teams can fill in the blanks.
VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS
Make sure the teams understand the importance of:
-using an identifying card in front of each segment
-labeling the student/team/school information
-having tapes available by the due date
-the pre-intervention taping that will occur right away
REMINDER ABOUT PHOTO RELEASE FORMS--ANYONE IN THE VIDEO NEEDS ONE!
Find out if any team will not have access to a camcorder, and see if there is a fix available at this time.
Make sure each team knows to whom and to where they send their tapes.

34. Famous Quotes “Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.”
1996 Boston Marathon Winner
A quote from the winner of the 1996 Boston Marathon.