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Elizabeth Biggs
10/7/2016 6:36 PM
Intervention efforts to support social interaction andcommunication among children with complex communication needs and their peers can involve a lot of different things. But, there are several elements thatseem especially important to intervention efforts. Here are a few:
Reliable and relevant communication system: Descriptive studies show that even when children have and use reliable AAC devices, these devices may not be around them during a lot of the time they are around their peers (Chung, Carter, & Sisco, 2012). Having meaningful, positive interactions with peers may be really challenging if children have never been provided a reliable communication system, or if their aided AAC is not even within their reach. Even more, though, the vocabulary on aided communication devices needs to be selected and organized with social communication in mind. In other words, are the symbols and messages on a child’s AAC device relevant for social communication and interaction with peers? How easy are they for the child with a disability and their peers to access?
Sufficient but not stifling support: The presence and support of adults like paraprofessionals, parents, educators, and other professionals can really be a tremendous help to
supporting positive, meaningful interactions among children with and without disabilities. However, these same people can also inadvertently hinder the type of interaction they want to occur! Finding the right balance between providing adult support to promote communication and participation—but not too much to get in the way—can be tricky but really important.
Shared activities and experiences with peers: Peer interactions are unlikely to occur unless children with and without disabilities are engaged with one another in shared activities within their schools and communities. Personal contact has a huge role in helping communication and increase over time—this means that sustained shared experiences, rather than brief or episodic experiences, are going to have the best impact on support social communication, interaction, and relationships. Shared experiences and activities that are age-appropriate can also help make sure that interactions support mutual-relationships among the child with the disability and their peers, rather than creating or reinforcing relationships that look more like teacher or tutor relationships.
Motivation: The motivation of both a child with disabilities themselves, as well as their peers, is really important to the quality of their interactions with one another. Children
may be more motivated to communicate when they have input into who they talk with, or what they talk about.
Regular reflection: No particular intervention approach is likely to work for all students. Because of this, it is truly essential that educators and service providers are collecting good data on communication goals, as they related to peer interaction. This regular reflection can also include getting information from students, peers, and others about the social validity of any intervention efforts. Interventions need to be acceptable to students and peers, sustainable, and effective in order to make an important impact on supporting social communication.
These elements are really important for any effort aimed at supporting meaningful, positive interaction among children and youth with complex communication needs and their peers. Each of them is addressing one or more of the different potential barriers I addressed in the last post (i.e., intrinsic, child-focused barriers, environmental/support barriers, peer-focused barriers). In the attached PDF, I include an example of a tool that can be used to reflect on how well these elements (and the potential barriers) are being addressed by educational teams in a school setting.
References:
Carter, E. W., Huber, H. H., & Biggs, E. E. (2015). The importance of peers as communication partners. In J. E. Downing, A. Hanreddy, & K. Peckham-Hardin (Eds.), Teaching communication skills to students with severe disabilities (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Chung, Y., Carter, E. W., & Sisco, L. G. (2012). Social interaction of students with severe disabilities who use augmentative and alternative communication in inclusive classrooms. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 117, 349-367. doi:10.1352/1944-7558-117.5.349
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Thank you for sharing this information. It's a good reminder to support social communication for students with complex communication needs with peers. I will be sharing the "key element reflection tool" with my teachers/paras to discuss our strengths and challenges when supporting our students during social interactions.
nfwaller - 10/14/2016
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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.
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He knows how to get me to do something for him. He uses some of the kinds of behaviors below to communicate:
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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
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– 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.
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
