Where Do I Start?

To follow-up on my last post, I want to talk a little bit more about beginning with young students who are very impaired.  There are a couple of things I wanted to add, especially if you’re backing up from a system that seems too complex.

So, where do I start?  With just 1 core word.  If I’m working with a student who cannot learn the Word of the Week in 1 week, or for whom 4 symbols per page is too much right now, I go back to my basic core and find the word that will give this student some communicating power.

Often that first word is NOT 'want,' but is 'Go!'  “Go” gives us a lot to work with, because it can be used in so many ways.

• I can teach the child to use “Go” when (s)he wants to go somewhere.
• I can teach “Go” when the student wants you to go away and leave him/her alone.
• I can teach “Go” in order to give the student a direction to give others to ‘turn it on and make it go.’

Think about how powerful that one core word can be.

When I’m working in an evaluation I always have my portable dvd player and some wind up or other battery operated toys.  

I’ve lost track of the number of hours I have spent teaching, “Go,” with dvd’s. (This also works if you have 2 iPads, using one for YouTube or music and the other for communicating. I also use my phone for music.)

When I am doing evaluations I like to see just how far I can “push the envelope.”  Can I establish “go,” and then move to “go more?”  And then can I get to “want go more?”  

I have literally spent an hour just with videos and a basic device page and gotten that far, and more!  All it takes is consistent modeling, motivating activities, and structured, direct instruction.

Now not all students can do that even with the best instruction in the world in a single session.  And I have also seen many students who take much longer to learn “Go.”  But I am here to tell you that I pretty much have not found a young student who cannot learn basic cause-effect with communicating.

What I do find are teams who give up.  It is difficult to maintain the consistency and level of instruction when progress is very slow.  More often than not, I see staff who get discouraged by the lack of feedback from the student and, when discouraged, eventually give up the level of modeling consistency that is needed.

So, to those staff who have become disillusioned with AAC, I say:

“Don’t give up. Don’t stop modeling consistently, Don't lose confidence in yourself or the student. Don’t conclude that he can’t learn to communicate.

Do keep on modeling as much as possible.  Do find the most motivating activities that engage your student (and yes, these are sometimes difficult to figure out).  Do find as many different ways and contexts to model that core word in genuine communication interactions.”

More next week. Until then, keep on talking! 

Need help getting started? Or where to go from here? This bundle of resources in my AAC kit for getting started will take you through the year, and even beyond. Try it here.

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