Research Supporting Conceptual Vocabulary
There is one recent study that specifically targeted conceptual vocabulary in an AAC intervention for a child with multiple disabilities including deafblindness. You can find more about it here: htt...
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Collection Conceptual versus Concrete Vocabulary
Date Created: 5/2/2016
Posts: 2
At the Center for Literacy & Disability Studies, we have just finished the first year of a communication intervention study focused on building early symbolic communication skills among students with complex needs including sensory loss. Our year 1 results are exciting. A group of 72 children (ages 3-21) made statistically significant improvements in both complexity and range of communication. One of the biggest challenges we encountered was the commonly held (mis)belief that we have to start with concrete referents. This collection will focus on conceptual versus concrete vocabulary for students with complex needs.
I am the Director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies and a Professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am also lucky enough to be the David E and Dolores J. Yoder Distinguished Professor of Literacy and Disabilities. Those of you who have been in the AAC field since the beginning will certainly recognize the name, David Yoder. I am a former teacher of children with significant disabilities, and since 2001, I have been teaching speech-language pathologists at the masters and PhD levels. My research focuses on literacy assessment and instruction for struggling readers of all ages including those with significant cognitive disabilities. I am an associate director of the Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment Consortia. I co-developed the Tar Heel Reader online library of accessible books for beginning readers, and I am currently P.I. on Project Core, which is an OSEP-funded Stepping Up Technology Implementation project focused on building symbolic communication among students with significant cognitive disabilities.
This post was meant to start the conversation about conceptual versus concrete vocabulary.
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Conceptually referenced vocabulary can be used in a variety of ways across contexts
Increasing Opportunities to Teach and Learn
As we are teaching conceptually-referenced vocabulary, we constantly look for ways to link the new concept with some experience or routine students know. For example, we are teaching a symbol (graphi...
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Many teachers require their college students in communication disorders or child development classes to complete a Communication Matrix online. Please have your students use the Test Drive site for this purpose. You may ask them to print out the Profile and Communication Skills List as proof of their work.
Statement A
My child doesn't seem to have real control over his body yet.
The only way I know that he wants something is because he fusses or whines when he's unhappy or uncomfortable, and he smiles, makes noises or calms down when he's happy and comfortable. Does this statement describe your child?
Statement B
My child has control over her own behaviors, but she doesn't use them to try to communicate to me.
She doesn't come to me to let me know what she wants, but it's easy for me to figure out, because she tries to do things for herself. She knows what she wants, and her behavior shows me what she wants. If she runs out of something to eat, she will just try to get more, rather than trying to get me to give her more.
Does this statement describe your child?
Statement C
My child clearly tries to communicate his needs to me through gestures, sounds or language.
He knows how to get me to do something for him. He uses some of the kinds of behaviors below to communicate:
- Gestures such as pointing, shaking his head, tugging at my arm or looking back and forth between me and what he wants
- Sounds such as squealing to show you he wants something or fussing when he doesn't want something
- Language or symbolic forms of communication such as speech, written words, Braille, picture symbols, 3-dimensional symbols or sign language
Does this statement describe your child?
How to score your child
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging
Mastered
– Does this independently most of the time when the opportunity arises
– Does this in a number of di erent contexts, and with di erent people
Emerging
– Does this inconsistently
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Only does this when prompted or encouraged to do so. Only does this in one or two contexts or with one person.
Tips on Communication Devices
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging
