Communication Strategies and Technology Solutions for Students with ASD

1
Communication Strategies and Technology Solutions
for Students with ASD

• Lyn Phoenix
• Assistive Technology Coordinator
• S.T.A.R.S. Program
• Amy Percassi, Director

2
Definition of Autism

• DSM-IV
• IDEA section 300

3
Communication Strategies

• Build Rapport
• Motivators/ Reinforcement
• Schedules/ Routines
• Provide means of Communication
• Focus on Functional Communication

4
Communication Strategies Continued

• Commenting versus Questioning
• Decrease Directiveness/ Increase choice making
• Reduce Complexity/wait
• Teach Social Skills and Feelings in a concrete
  manner.

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What are the Advantages of Technology?

• Technology provides common receptive/expressive
  language. Gives the child power over the
  environment.
• Repetitive and consistent
• Non-threatening
• Improves comprehension
• Helps with organization, sequential memory and
  time concepts
• Teaches through multiple sensory channels to
  enhance learning
• Helps children transition from nonverbal to
  verbal systems

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Low Tech to High Tech Solutions

• Integrated Technologies

• Designated speech Devices
• with Synthesized Speech

• Designated Speech Devices with
• Digitized Speech

• Digitized Speech Output Devices
• (smaller scale)

• Classroom Aides

• Picture symbols

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Vocabulary Selection

• Things the child likes
• Easily accessible
• Independent access
• Commenting
• Questioning
• Carrier phrase/content
• Shared use

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Vocabulary Selection

• Determine the level of communicative function
  (cause/effect or better)
• Get input from parents for likes and dislikes,
  toys, games, places to visit, people they know,
  what they do in free time.
• Begin with powerful use of speech output (things
  desired)
• Expand to more words as soon as they experience
  success.

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What is Speech Output?

• Digitized or synthesized voice output device that
  can speak for the child
• Vocabulary organized by picture symbols and/or
  words
• Static overlay
• Dynamic Screen
• Branching system or MinSpeak

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What are the communication needs of students with
ASD?

• According to the DSM-IV definition
• Qualitative impairment in social interaction
• Qualitative impairment in communication (delay or
  total lack of spoken language)
• Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of
  behavior, interests and activities
• Delays or abnormal functioning in social
  interaction, language in social communication and
  symbolic or imaginative play

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Picture Exchange Versus Speech Output

• Picture Exchange Communication Systems provide a
  low tech means for students to make wants and
  needs known.
• Speech Output devices can be set up in a similar
  fashion to PECS but the speech model is there
  when the child pushes the button.
• Speech Output devices are more portable when
  vocabulary becomes larger

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But My Child Can Speak?

• Research supports the use of speech output with
  children who have echolalia or limited verbal
  ability to improve their own speech. Speech
  output has NEVER kept a child from speaking!
• Children with Autism who are capable of speech
  still require help to know what to say, when and
  how.
• Speech output is an independent means of teaching
  appropriate language structure and responses to
  students with ASD.

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Social and Play Characteristics of children with
ASD

• Social Initiation
• Social Responsiveness
• Play Characteristics

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Social Concepts- What to Teach

• Social Amenities
• Waiting
• How to get attention
• Turn-Taking
• Interrupting-when and how
• Changes-Transitions
• Understanding emotions

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What to Teach (continued)

• Initiating Social Contact
• Asking for Help
• Where and When to Touch (Self and Others)
• Appropriate Language
• Social Space
• Topics of Conversations
• Mistakes are OK
• Negotiating

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Developing Social Supports

• Proactive Strategies
• Reactive Strategies
• Collecting Data

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Where do we go from here?

• Social Skills Training Techniques
• Samples of Objectives
• Things to remember
• Resources
• Question/Answer

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About the S.T.A.R.S. Program in Geauga County

• How and Why the program developed.
• Who is involved.
• Our philosophy.
• Key components academic, social, community,
  parent involvement
• View video

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Putting It All Together At S.T.A.R.S.

• The students use speech output devices
  immediately.
• The students use speech output devices throughout
  the day.
• Speech output is incorporated into Discrete Trial
  Training tasks, group activities, therapy
  activities, play and snack/lunch times.
• Parents are encouraged to use speech output at
  home.
• Speech output is used by staff as well in an
  aided language stimulation format.
• View video
• Questions?

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A Quick Word About Geauga ATEC and OATDLP

• Geauga ATEC (Assistive Technology Evaluation
  Clinic)
• OATDLP (Ohio Assistive Technology Distance
  Learning Project
• Thank you!!