Communication: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) refers to any method of communication that a person with reduced ability or no ability to speak verbally uses to express his/her thoughts, needs, desires, and creative ideas. These methods include
body language/gestures--also called
body-based modes--(no tech),
communication boards/books (low tech), and a variety of
speech generating devices (SGDs) from the simple to the highly complex. This was a brand new area of inquiry for me because I have had only rare opportunities to work with students who've had complex communication needs (CCN). More frequently I deal with excess oral communication rather than the lack thereof! I spent a long time learning about AAC online just to gain a basic understanding of the issue; truly, I had no idea of all the information and equipment that is available to people with complex communication needs, though it didn't take much imagination--once I actually took time to think about it--to understand the importance of helping everyone be able to express themselves.
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| Communication Board by Mayer-Johnson |
Communication board (low tech): a collection of pictures and/or symbols along with the word or phrase they represent, usually arranged in a grid and printed on heavy-weight laminated paper. The individual using this AAC selects--for example, by pointing or eye-scanning-- the square with the picture/symbol that conveys the desired message. Alphabet letters may also be included in the grid to allow for spelling out messages not represented by pictures/symbols. This could easily be used in classrooms to handle regularly occurring situations such as indicating upon arrival each morning the student's lunch selections; or a student could take a smaller board on a wristband out to the playground to show caregivers what activity he/she wished to engage in (Downey, Daugherty, Helt & Daugherty, 2004).
Mayer-Johnson is a popular manufacturer of communication boards.
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| The PapooTouch |
PapooTouch handheld communication device (high tech): this AAC tool resembles an iPhone, with a touchscreen that can display a qwerty or abc keyboard for typing out text that is then converted to speech. Alternately, the
PapooTouch can display screens that are basically digital communication boards which allow individuals who may not keyboard quickly to build sentences using symbols or pictures instead of spelling out individual words. There is also an "emotions" feature that allows an individual to play sounds like laughter, thus enabling non-verbal audible communication. Like an iPhone, the PapooTouch can keep track of events and appointments and send alerts so that the individual doesn't forget anything important. In order to use this in the classroom, a teacher should probably learn the basic operations of the device and even some basic troubleshooting tips in case the device is not working properly (Frailey, 2005). Teachers should also be sure to send prompts or questions home ahead of time to give the student the chance to formulate and save responses. I think that with a little planning and practice a device this sophisticated would certainly allow a CCN student to participate fully in a regular classroom--in group discussions, short presentations, or any other area where audible verbal response is needed.
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References
Augmentative and alternative communication. (n.d.). Retrieved August 4, 2012, from
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/AAC/
Blackstone, S. (2006). False beliefs & misconceptions about aac. Augmentative Communication News, 18(2). Retrieved August 4, 2012, from
http://www.augcominc.com/newsletters/index.cfm/newsletter_45.pdf
Blackstone, S. (2008). AAC in today’s classrooms. Augmentative Communication News, 20(4). Retrieved August 4, 2012, from
http://www.augcominc.com/newsletters/index.cfm/newsletter_50.pdf
Blackstone, S. (2009). AAC technologies. Augmentative Communication News, 21(3). Retrieved August 4, 2012, from
http://www.augcominc.com/newsletters/index.cfm/newsletter_130.pdf
Downey, D. , Daugherty, P. , Helt, S. & Daugherty, D. (2004, September 21). Integrating AAC Into the Classroom : Low-Tech Strategies. The ASHA Leader. Retrieved August 4, 2012, from
http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2004/040921/f040921b.htm
Frailey, Cheris. (2005) Role of the classroom teacher. Super-Duper Handy Handouts (89). Retrieved August 4, 2012, from
www.superduperinc.com/.../pdf/89_AugmentativeComm.pdf
Worah, S., Douglas, S., McNaughton, D., & Kennedy, P. (2010). Aac: Resource guide for teachers. Retrieved August 4, 2012, from State Education Resource Center (SERC) website: aac-rerc.psu.edu/documents/aac_serc.pdf
Accessibility: An input device is a piece of equipment designed to deliver
data to a computer, making it interactive instead of display-only. Familiar input devices include keyboards,
mice, laser bar-code readers, joysticks and Wii remotes. For education the most frequently
used input devices are the mouse and qwerty keyboard. Special needs students who have, for example, reduced use of hands and
fingers face obstacles using computers at school, so other input devices—both hardware
and software--have been developed.
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| HeadMouse on a laptop |
Head Mouse (hardware): This mouse involves two main parts. A camera-like device fastens to the top of the computer screen, facing the user. It is a wireless optical sensor which tracks a small target temporarily placed, for example, on the user's forehead. The person using the computer can then move the cursor on screen hands-free, by using head movements. Although rather expensive, this tool would make it easier for a paraplegic and/or wheel-chair bound student to participate in a regular class. Of course, being able to control the cursor on screen is not the only requirement for computer use. In addition to the head mouse, a student with no use of his hands would also need a way to add text. This could be accomplished in low tech fashion by using a stick held in the mouth; however, virtual keyboard software produces an on-screen keyboard so that the student can select keys using the head mouse.
Dragon by Nuance (software): bringing us one step closer to a "Star Trek" world, this speech recognition software is a great tool for people with learning disabilities that make spelling difficult as well as anyone with a physical disability, from carpal tunnel to non-functioning hands. Using this software, the computer operator speaks commands like "Open new document," or "New line," as well as dictating the actual text of Word documents and e-mails. Because it can also be used by non-disabled people who just don't like to type or aren't very skilled on the keyboard, it seems like it could be a way of building common-ground between special needs and regular students. While this software might be difficult to use at school with a larger class (too noisy and distracting!), it would be great for word-processing papers or homework assignments. In a flipped classroom model, students could use the Dragon software to more easily take notes at home as they watch lecture videos or other content images. It's relatively low price (due to special student/teacher offer) makes it accessible to students in most all economic situations. After doing the research for this journal post, I am seriously considering purchasing this software myself to use for grading AP essays--no more writing in comments on student papers!! I can speak the comments, then print out the document and staple it to the student's paper.
Click here to see my diigo-tagged pages on this subject.
See research by some of my classmates:
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