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Post #2
eric_sanders@pacificu.edu
5/26/2016 10:29 PM
In my previous post I spoke about using interactive shared reading to address different skills related to emergent literacy. In this post, I am curious about how some of these emergent literacy abilities are being addressed for children with communication needs outside of this context. For the purposes of this discussion, I would like to focus more on some of the written language abilities as opposed to oral language abilities. However, I am curious about what the community is doing to address metalinguistic abilities that are tied to emergent literacy such as phonological/phonemic awareness.
I’ll begin the discussion by speaking about something that I have seen used with younger children who use AAC to address alphabetic knowledge. One of the tried-and-true activities has been to go on a letter hunt around the child’s classroom or school to look for different objects or words that begin with a particular letter. For example, if you were working on the letter “b” you might search around the school for things that begin with that letter or words that are posted around the school that begin with that letter. Another common way to address this skill in children with complex communication needs is to construct alphabet books that are centered around a particular letter.
What sorts of activities are you engaging in to address skills such as alphabet knowledge, phonological/phonemic awareness, and concepts about print?
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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
–
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