6. Communication is more than mands.
AAC Field View of Communicative Functions
Wants and needs
Information transfer
Social closeness
Social etiquette
List is not hierarchical !
Verbal Operants
Receptive
Imitation
Echoic
Mands
Tact
Intraverbal
How can we bring these together?
7. Social Closeness: A missed communicative function
“Most of our AAC interventions
to date have tended to focus
on providing individuals with the
means to express needs and
wants, to the neglect of other
communication goals,
especially the goal of social
closeness.”
(Light, 1988, as cited in
Light, 1997 p. 63)
8. Core Vocabulary
Core words make up 80% of everything we say
(somewhere between 250 – 300 words)
This is true regardless of age – preschool to
seniors
Core words come from all parts of speech –
pronouns, verbs, prepositions and adjectives top
the list
Core words can be used regardless of topic,
environment or communication partner
Fringe words are specific words relating to
certain topics, place or people
Core words can be combined with other core
words or with fringe words and make sense
Two fringe words rarely make sense for
communication
9. Suggested Core Words
Many lists but they are usually very similar,
varying slightly in the order presented
First words include I/me, you, my/mine,
what, help, like, am/is/are, go, want, stop,
on, in, out, it, some, here, more, that, all
done, not
Expanded to add he, she, this, there,
when, who, up, down, yes/no
More pronouns, verbs, adjectives,
adverbs, prepositions, nouns are added
after this
11. We don’t use AAC for “work”… we use it
to communicate!
Do
Respect activations of the device and
provide natural responses
Use the system to model how to
communicate
Use the system to communicate ABOUT
work (you ask the student to point to a
picture card of a horse then you use the
device to comment, “Good job you
found the horse” or you ask the student to
comment about his work)
Do NOT
Use the system as a “find it” activity
Use the system to assess the student on
tacts (use other materials)
Use the same device for communication
and “work” (this might mean two iPads
are needed)
Refer to the system as “work”
Use the system as a reinforce
Use ABA principles to encourage and
reward functional communication and
discourage other from using the system
inappropriately
12. Communication Bill of Rights
•Make real choices
•Refuse, reject, say
no
•Ask for what I want
•Share feelings
•Be heard and
responded to even if
the answer is no
•Ask for and get
attention and
interaction
•Have and use AAC
all the time
•Know and ask
about my schedule
•Be taught how
to communicate
•Be a full
member of my
community
•Be treated with
respect and
dignity
•To spoken to
and not about
•Be
communicated
with in a sensitive
manner
13. Aided Language Stimulation
Aided language stimulation (ALS) is a
communication strategy, where a
communication partner teaches symbol
meaning and models language by
combining his or her own verbal input
with selection of vocabulary on the
Augmentative and Alternative
Communication (AAC) system.
15. “From the moment a baby is born, they
hear and respond to the spoken word.
We bombard that infant with language
for the first 12-18 months of their lives.
During that time, we do not expect that
they will utter a single understandable
word.”
http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/ATBasics/Populations/aac/consider.
Why ALS?
19. ALS: Not a New Concept
Called by different names:
Partner-Augmented Input (PAI)
Natural Aided Language (NAL)
Aided Language Input (ALI)
Aided Language Stimulation
(ALgS or ALS)
Promoted by different people:
Goossens’, Crain, & Elder (1992)
Romski & Sevcik (1996)
Cafiero (1998)
Bruno and Trembath (2006)
Mirenda (2009)
20. ALS is Best Practice
ALS is best practice for all individuals learning to
use all types of augmentative communication
ALS is research based with studies dating back
to 1988
ALS teaches communication on a speech
device in the way that verbal children learn
language.
ALS also teaches children how to think about
language.
ALS can be easily combined with other
methodologies
21. ALS Procedure
Gain student’s attention
Use AAC to model core language as you
speak
Your speech and your modeling should
match the student’s receptive
communication skills
If you get stuck verbally work through
your reasoning as you look for language
on the device (model metalinguistics)
22. ALS Skills to Know
Use Non-Verbal Junctures
Non-verbal cue (facial expression,
body language) by the adult that
happens before language modeling
Serves to gain attention
Decreases verbal distraction
Sets the stage for what will happen
next
23. ALS Skills to Know
Use light cues or a pointer
Use a flashlight or laser pointer to point to symbols
on paper (can be hard to see on devices)
Use a pointer or longer stylus on devices if a light
doesn’t work
Children with visual issues or developmentally
below 8 months may have trouble with looking at
what you are pointing to instead of your finger
Allows more physical space between you and
the learner which is good for developing
boundaries and projecting and image of
competence to typical peers
24. ALS Skills to Know
Recasting
Recasts serve to add or correct information without
obstructing the natural flow of communication.
Recasting is another form of modeling.
The adult modifies a learners utterance by adding new or
different grammar (syntactic) or word meaning information
(semantic) information.
Child says “more”, adult models one step ahead, “want
more” or “I want more”
25. ALS Skills to Know
Visual Supports
Cheat Sheet
Road maps that show how to get to words
on the device
“Smart Sticks”
Category symbols glued to sticks to be
shown to cue where to find certain words
Reminder Bracelets
Category/word combinations to find
vocabulary mounted to a bracelet
Be Creative with Visual Supports!
They aren’t just for the AAC user!
26.
27. Where do I get the slideshow?
http://kateahernesma.
wikispaces.com/home
28. Banajee, M., DiCarlo, C., & Buras-Stricklin, S. (2003). Core Vocabulary Determination for Toddlers.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 2, 67-73.
Binger, C., & Light, J. (2007). The Effect of Aided AAC Modeling on the Expression of Multi-Symbol Messages
by Preschoolers who use AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 23 (1), 30-43.
Bruno, J., & Trembath, D. (2006). Use of Aided Language Stimulation to Improve Syntactic Performance
During a Weeklong Intervention Program. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 22 (4), 300-
313.
Dada, S., & Alant, E. (2009). The Effect of Aided Language Stimulation on Vocabulary Acquisition in Children
With Little or No Functional Speech. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 18, 50–64.
Goosens,C., Crain,S.S., & Elder, P.S. (1992). Engineering the Preschool Environment for Interactive, Symbolic
Communication, 18 months to 5 years developmentally. North Burmingham: Southeast Augmentative
Communication Conference Publications.
Harris, M., & Reichle, J. (2004). The Impact of Aided Language Stimulation on Symbol Comprehension and
Production in Children With Moderate Cognitive Disabilities. American Journal of Speech-Language
Pathology, 13, 155–167.
Kraat, A. (1985). Communication Interaction Between Aided and Natural Speakers: A State of the Art Report.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Canadian Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled.
Light J. (1989). Toward a Definition of Communicative Competence for Individuals Using Augmentative and
Alternative Communication Systems. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 5 (2).
Romski, M., Sevcik, R., Adamson, L., Smith, A., Cheslock, M., & Bakerman, R. (2011). Parent Perceptions of the
Language Development of Toddlers With Developmental Delays Before and After Participation in
Parent-Coached Language Interventions. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20, 111-
118.
Senner, J., & Baud, M. (2013). The Impact of School Staff Instruction in Partner Augmented Input. Orlando, FL:
Assistive Technology Industry Association 2013 Conference Publications.
Editor's Notes
ALgS is not a new concept.
It was studied and promoted by different people in the 1990s, and by even more people since the turn of the century.
You may have heard it called by different names.