Implementation of Simple Technology in the Classroom Setting

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Implementation of Simple Technology in the
Classroom Setting
Krista Davidson Belleville Area Special Services
Co-op, Illinois Angie Sutton Greater Lafayette
Area Special Services, Indiana Saturday,
November 17 ASHA 2007 - Boston
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Our Purpose

• Explain how to implement simple speech generating
  devices (SGDs) into your classroom routine
• Provide information on numerous simple SGDs
• Provide examples of student objectives

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Room 1 Background

• Low-incidence, self-contained, functional
  academics, and daily life skills classroom
• Classroom make-up
• Ages 5-11 (Grades K-6)
• Disabilities - Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral
  Palsy, Mental Retardation, Dandy Walker Syndrome
• Levels - Moderate to Severe Disabilities

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A Day In Room 1

• Circle Time
• Seat Work
• Bathroom
• Snack
• Lunch
• Community

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Circle Time - Attendance

• MiKaela and Dylan
• Dandy Walker and
• Down Syndrome
• Cheap Talk 4 In-line with 12 levels by Enabling
  Devices (210)
• Sample objective When presented with four
  choices, MiKaela will identify (e.g., touch,
  point to) her name for 8 out of 10 trials.
• Video

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Circle Time - Attendance

• Dylan S.
• Cerebral Palsy
• Talk 8 with Levels by Enabling Devices (350)
• Sample objective During circle time, Dylan will
  say that he is present by activating his SGD with
  his knee switch to speak
• either hi, good morning,
• or Im here for 7 out of
• 10 trials.
• Video

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Circle Time - Calendar

• Group
• Various disabilities
• Tech/Talk by AMDi
• (400) and Cheap Talk 4 In-line by Enabling
  Devices
• Sample objective During calendar instruction,
  student will identify (e.g., touch, point to,
  say) the month from a choice of four for 6 out of
  10 trials.
• Video

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Circle Time - Exercise

• Argenis
• Down Syndrome
• Tech/Four by AMDi (200)
• Sample objective When presented with an SGD,
  Argenis will independently choose a preferred
  activity from a choice of eight or less for 9 out
  of 10 trials.
• Video

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Circle Time - Story

• Group
• Various disabilities
• Step-by-Step with levels by AbleNet, Inc. (167)
• Student objective When presented with a one-hit
  SGD, student will activate the device
  independently to participate in a group activity
  for 9 out of 10 trials.
• Video

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Seat work

• Emma
• Cerebral Palsy and Severe MR
• Communication Module by Flaghouse (180)
• Sample objective When presented with an SGD,
  Emma will respond to the teachers request to
  find (e.g., touch, point to) a specific item for
  8 out of 10 trials.
• Video

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Seat work

• Dylan
• Down Syndrome and Severe MR
• BIGmack (104) and LITTLE Step-by-Step by
  AbleNet, Inc. (146)
• Sample objective When presented with an SGD,
  Dylan will activate the device to participate in
  a structured activity with no more than 2 verbal
  prompts for 8 out of 10 trials.
• Video

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Seat work

• Jacob
• Autism
• Tech/Talk by AMDi
• Sample objective When presented with a specific
  number of objects, Jacob will count with
  one-to-one correspondence for 8 out of 10 trials.
• Video

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Bathroom

• Kaylee
• Down Syndrome and Moderate MR
• LITTLEmack by AbleNet, Inc. (104)
• Sample objective When using the restroom, Kaylee
  will request help at the appropriate time (i.e.,
  for buttons, zippers, wiping) using an SGD for 7
  out of 10 trials.
• Video

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Snack Highly motivating time for communication!

• Kaylee
• Tech Talk by AMDi
• Sample Objective During snack or lunch, Kaylee
  will request an item by completing 3 or more hits
  in the appropriate sequence (i.e., I want,
  cookie, please) on an SGD for 3 out of 4
  trials.
• Video

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Lunch

• Kaylee
• Personal Talker by Attainment Company, Inc. (12)
• Sample objective At lunch, Kaylee will use a
  speech generating device to say her name with one
  verbal prompt or less for 9 out of 10 trials.
• Video

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Community

• Kaylee
• iTalk2 by Ablenet (125)
• Sample objective When presented with an SGD,
  Kaylee will independently activate the device to
  communicate with others for 6 out of 10 trials.
• Video

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Results in the Classroom

• Students increased communication and
  participation
• Students with little to no functional speech were
  able to share their wants and needs
• Students' negative behaviors decreased due to
  better outlet for communication
• Improved ability of classroom staff to determine
  students' level of functioning

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Intervention Addressing AAC Goals and Objectives

• Interventions should include features offering
• Action
• Novelty
• Control
• Comfort
• (Sweeney, 2005)

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Intervention Addressing AAC Goals and Objectives

• Getting started, one example
• Find strong motivator/preferred item
• Pair with one gesture, sign, symbol, single
  message SGD and make connection
• Later, introduce blank, non-preferred item, and
  other foils for discrimination
• Shape the behavior build upon successes
• Could also pair symbol with stopping unfavorable
  activity
• This method must work better than their previous
  method
• (Beukelman Mirenda, 2005)

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Intervention Addressing AAC Goals and Objectives

• Down the road
• Follow developmental milestones
• Increase length of utterance and word
  combinations
• Increase number of communicative functions and
  environments
• (Zangari Kangas, 1997 Sigafoos, Drasgow,
  Schlosser, 2003)

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Intervention Addressing AAC Goals and Objectives

• Model use of device yourself
• Have consistent expectations across communication
  partners
• Remember wait time
• Support, but do not take over
• (Sweeney, 2005)

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Intervention Addressing AAC Goals and Objectives

• Involve the individual as much as possible in
  construction, maintenance, and programming
• AAC must be the responsibility of more than the
  SLP
• (Sweeney, 2005)

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Were Not Perfect!

• Use a childs voice for recordings
• Use directives instead of Can you?
• Engage more students by using multiple devices
• Follow least to most prompt hierarchy
• Praise specific behavior or result

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Questions/Comments
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References

• Beukelman, D. R. Mirenda, P. (2005). AAC for
  beginning communicators Symbolic approaches.
  In Beukelman, D.R. Mirenda, P. (Eds.).
  Augmentative and alternative communication
  Supporting children and adults with complex
  communication needs (pp. 287-326) (3rd ed.).
  Baltimore Brookes
• Kangas, K. A., Lloyd, L. L. (1988). Early
  cognitive skills as prerequisites to augmentative
  and alternative communication use What are we
  waiting for? Augmentative and Alternative
  Communication, 211-221.

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References cont.

• Schepis, M. M., Reid, D. H., Behrmann, M. M.,
  Sutton, K. A. (1998). Increasing communicative
  interactions of young children with autism using
  a voice output communication aid and naturalistic
  teaching. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
  31, 561-578.
• Sigafoos, J., Drasgow, E., Schlosser, R.
  (2003). Strategies for beginning communicators.
  In R. Schlosser (Ed.), The efficacy of
  augmentative and alternative communication
  Toward evidence-based practice (pp. 323-346).
  Boston Academic Press.

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References cont.

• Sweeney, L. (2005, September). Addressing
  complex communication challenges of the child
  with limited or no verbal skills. Workshop
  presentation, Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Zangari, C. Kangas, K. (1997). Intervention
  principles and procedures. In Lloyd, L. L.,
  Fuller, D. R., Arvidson, H. H. (Eds.),
  Augmentative and alternative communication A
  handbook of principles and practices (pp.
  235-253). Boston Allyn and Bacon.