1. Presented by Vicky Roy, Ph.D. CCC-SLP and Amy Cameron, MA.CCC-SLP
Strategies for facilitating spontaneous communication with students diagnosed with autism.
Presented by
Vicky Roy, Ph.D. CCC-SLP and
Amy Cameron, MA.CCC-SLP
16th International Conference on Autism, Intellectual Disability & Developmental Disabilities
January 23, 2015

2. Objectives Participants will:
Better understand the process that leads to prompt dependency in nonverbal, low verbal, and “response only” verbal students.
Recognize the importance of their own communication use and the impact that it has on the communication of their students.
Learn three specific strategies to facilitate spontaneous, independent contributions during reciprocal communication with their students.

3. Traditional Communication Therapy Goals Focus on:
Requesting
Labeling
Following Directions
Responding

4. Clinical Practice: Areas of concern
Prompt Dependency
Limited Spontaneous Communication
Limited Reciprocity

5. How did we get here? Language and Cognition are inter-related
The majority of what is SAID to many children with the label of autism is in an attempt to GET the child to respond, not to allow the child to generate their own input.
Focus on isolated, measurable goals
Imperative (Directive) Communication vs. Declarative (Experience Sharing) Communication

6. Static VS Dynamic Measurable Reliable Logical Predictable Rule based
Facts
Rules
Contextually dependent
Unclear
Grey areas
Integrated
Evolving
Emotional
Collaborative

7. Abilities included in reciprocal communication
Engagement
Competency
Attention/focus
Experience matching
Curiosity
Tolerance for breakdowns/repairing
Social referencing
Reading context
Understanding
Inhibition
Ideation
Formulation
Auditory processing
Articulation
Co-regulation
Co-ordination
Collaboration
Self Regulation

8. TRUE Reciprocal Conversation
Joint attention
Mutual topic with central coherence (ability to derive overall meaning from a mass of details)
An unspoken “agreement” on the topic with flexibility around novel ideas
Individual contributions that are unique and related and integrated with partner’s ideas
Back and forth participation, timing, monitoring, adjusting and repairing
Shifting attention based on the movement of the conversation
Ability to integrate all of the above

9. Communicative Intent
The purpose or meaning behind why people are communicating with others
The “why” behind communication, language functions
What kind of communicative environment are we creating?
People with Special Needs, especially individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders often have limited communicative intent
More importantly, these same students are exposed to limited communicative intent
(Primary purpose for communicating with a student with autism is to GET…)

10. Why?
As a Speaker, we expect and rely on feedback from our Listener. So much so that when we do not receive it, we will “make it easier” for the child by using Questions, Commands and Prompts. We create an “imperative environment”. We facilitate a dependency on prompting.

11. Recognize Your Intent Keep the goal in mind,
Be aware that what you say is influencing the BRAIN
Expect your job to be challenging because you might receive little feedback initially
Declarative vs Imperative
Getting something vs creating opportunity
Directing vs Communicating/Collaborating

12. Directive/Imperative Communication
Questions with definite answers
Commands with actions that can be deemed “right or wrong”
Prompts or fill in the blank statements
All require minimal thought and input from the Listener
All have the intent of GETTING the child to respond

13. Experience Sharing/Declarative Communication
Early communication functions that are non-directive are things like:
Making actual choices
Expressing opinions
Calling for attention
Noticing things
Commenting

14. Take an assessment of YOUR communication
What is the child doing?
What are YOU doing?
How is your language impacting the child’s opportunity to grow as a reciprocal communicator
How are you feeling about this interaction – check your own regulation

15. Systematic Opportunities
Must have systematic opportunities for STUDENTS to make progress as thinkers
How to think vs How to know

16. Strategy #1
Identify a time frame or a specific activity where you will practice creating thinking and sharing opportunities for your students
What percentage of the child’s day can be devoted to thinking opportunities?

17. Strategy #2
Decrease the amount of talking, specifically the amount of questions and commands you use.
By asking a questions and giving commands, you ONLY provide an opportunity for your students to RESPOND.
Comment, think out loud, invite, notice, share, expand, make real decisions

18. Strategy #3
SLOW DOWN
Give your child time to think, organize themselves and make a contribution.
Pause for a minimum of 5 seconds before scaffolding, repeating, or rephrasing.
Use the “anticipatory gaze” and “pregnant pausing”

19. Implications for Future Research

20. Thank You!
Amy Cameron, MS, CCC-SLP Pathways Treatment Center Apex, NC
Vicky Poston Roy, PhD, CCC-SLP Interactive Communication, LLC Baton Rouge LA,