1. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems: Procedural Description Emily Gallant Caldwell College June 23, 2008

2. Overview Resources Rationale Terms Types Conceptual analysis WITH VIDEO!

3. Search (Academic) PsycINFO –sign language + autism –pecs + autism –aac + autism Colleagues

4. Search (Public) Google [search “AAC”, “AAC + autism”] YouTube PECS (www.pecs.com) Dynavox (www.dynavoxtech.com)

5. AAC: Rationale Evidence-based? Communication: presence > form –Medical-type diagnoses (e.g., “apraxia”) –ABA marketing However, for most: GOAL = vocal speech –Shaping?/Fading? 

6. Terminology “Unaided”  Signing “Aided”  Low-tech (e.g., PECS)  High-tech (e.g., vocal output systems) Wilkinson & Hennig (2007) Hourcade, Pilotte, West, & Parette (2004) ASHA (2004)

7. Terminology Symbols –Manipulated to achieve communication goal –Formal similarity to target varies (e.g. line drawings vs. photographs) ASHA (2002)

8. Signing May use just a few signs Imitation training? (e.g., Tincani (2004)) Communication partners limited

9. What does it look like? Signing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlFwLxqAUkk

10. PECS

11. Manualized/packaged; Certificates Materials: –Preferred items –Pictures –Book to store pictures People involved: –Communicative partner –Physical prompter Bondy & Frost (1994) Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc. (2008)

12. PECS Phase I: Physical Exchange Phase II: Expanding Spontaneity Phase III: Picture Discrimination Phase IV: Sentence Structure Phase V: Responding to “What do you Want?” Phase VI: Responsive & Spontaneous Commenting Bondy & Frost (1994)

13. What does it look like? PECS Phase I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP48lxnNdHM

14. What does it look like? PECS Phase II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3lQXNEcps

15. Higher-tech Options Picture  audio Text  audio Text composition  audio

16. What does it look like? Variety of materials and equipment

17. What does it look like? “Supertalker”; “Bookworm”

18. What does it look like? DynaVox

19. Summary What’s available? –Products –Testimonials What’s less available? –How to teach a child to use AAC Up to implementer? PECS: manual guidance + appropriate fading –Reference to empirical support For typically developing children For children with autism

20. How does it work? Higher-order antecedent stimuli Response SR+ Basic contingencies of verbal behavior SD(s) MO(s) Availability of listener Verbal behavior SR+ Listener Something to say Initially, AAC response; Later, vocal speech

21. Where do we go from here? Claim: AAC enhances vocal speech True?  Evaluate using EBP standards Transition from AAC to vocal speech? –Public resources do not specify –How could we facilitate this? We could… Would you (do you) teach it?

22. References American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2002). Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Knowledge and Skills for Service Delivery [Knowledge and Skills]. Available from www.asha.org/policywww.asha.org/policy American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2004). Roles and Responsibilities of Speech- Language Pathologists With Respect to Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Technical Report [Technical Report]. Available from www.asha.org/policywww.asha.org/policy Bondy, A. S., & Frost, L. A. (1994). The picture exchange communication system. Focus on Autistic Behavior, 9, 1-19. Hourcade, J., Pilotte, T. E., West, E., & Parette, P. (2004). A history of augmentative and alternative communication for individuals with severe and profound disabilities. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19, 235-244. Millar, D. C., Light, J. C., & Schlosser, R. W. (2006). The impact of augmentative and alternative communication intervention on the speech production of individuals with developmental disabilites: A research review. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49, 248-264. Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc. (n.d.) Retrieved June 23, 2008, from http://www.pecs.com http://www.pecs.com Romski, M. A., & Sevcik, R. A. (1997). Augmentative and alternative communication for children with developmental disabilities. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities: Research Reviews, 3, 363-368. Tincani, M. (2004). Comparing the picture exchange communication system and sign language training for children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19, 152-163. Wilkinson, K. M., & Hennig, S. (2007). The state of research and practice in augmentative and alternative communication for children with developmental/intellectual disabilities. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities: Research Reviews, 13, 58-69.