ITS TechTalk - Fall 2004

• Assistive Technology and the IEP | ITS Staff News

• 5th Annual RATE Conference

• What is AAC and Who Needs It? by Janis Speck

• AAC in the Classroom by Melissa Ainsworth

• The Parent Corner by Mrs. Robyn Feuerberg

• ITS Staff Members, Alicia Fyfe and Jenn Sandeen

Assistive Technology and the IEP

by Bill Reeder

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Staff News

ITS welcomes two new staff members as it begins this new school year. Alicia Fyfe, joins us from Fairhill and Jenn Sandeen, from Island Creek. Alicia will be based at Dunn Loring Center and Jenn is at our ITS West Potomac High School site.

This summer Kathy and Brett Spar welcomed a daughter, Madelene Louise, who joins their son Isaac. Ashley and Tom Evans also welcomed daughter, Jenna Renee, who joins their two sons, Hayden and Garret. Congratulations and best wishes to all!

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What is AAC and Who Needs It?

by Janis Speck

What is AAC?

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is any communication that supplements or augments speech. It includes the provision of compensatory strategies and devices to improve communication abilities of individuals with severe speech impairments. It is considered an alternative mode if an individual does not possess even limited vocalization abilities. Most individuals, however, do possess at least some limited sound producing capabilities. An AAC system, therefore, is any combination of communication modes and strategies used by an individual to communicate a message.

Who Needs AAC?

AAC is for anyone who lacks functional communication abilities in one or more situations. The degree of unintelligibility experienced by an individual will often vary depending on the situation and familiarity of the listener. Speech, even with extremely poor articulation, may serve as a functional mode with familiar communication partners. Conversely, there are individuals who are very articulate but whose speech is not relevant to the situation or whose syntactic skills are so limited that meaning is not conveyed.

If you have a student who is not communicating adequately, it may help to ask yourself the following questions:

• Does the student have a mode for communication?
• Is the mode intelligible to listeners (peers as well as adults)?
• Does the student receive reinforcement for communication attempts?
• Are there frequent opportunities for communication?
• Are there enough opportunities for communication practice?
• Has AAC training been complete, i.e., does the student know what s/he supposed to do (or why)?
  • Limited or no prompts
  • Limited or no explanation at learner’s cognitive level
  • Limited or no modeling
• Is the student’s access to the communication system efficient?

There are many modes that can make up a communication system. These may include facial expressions, commonly understood gestures, pointing and leading behaviors, sign language, eye gaze, picture symbols, and speech output devices. Although any of these modes may be useful in certain situations, the value of a speech output device cannot be overlooked or considered insignificant.

Consider the value of a speech output device as an instructional tool. The speech output of a communication device -

• provides a verbal model
• promotes verbal imitation
• clarifies pragmatic intent for speaker and listener
• ensures listener attention

In addition to being an asset to communication improvement, using a speech output device to support instructional activities -

• reinforces vocabulary
• integrates visual, auditory, and tactile modalities
• stimulates communication within a group
• promotes language development

The ultimate goal of incorporating a communication system into the classroom is to allow the student to become a functional communicator with peers and adults throughout the day and in all situations in such a way that the system, itself, becomes transparent to the instructional environment. Communication intervention should include opportunities to practice a variety of pragmatic intents and conversational devices. Every student who is “non-verbal” should be encouraged to communicate for the purposes below:

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AAC in the Classroom

by Melissa Ainsworth

September in the classroom brings new books, new crayons, eager students, and in the low incidence classroom, it often brings augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) issues. It is always a challenge for the low incidence teacher to map out non-verbal students’ AAC. When and where will they use it? Do overlays need to be made or pages programmed? What will the student want or need to say? The following are some things to consider when mapping out a students’ AAC for the year.

Remember that AAC is for all day, all the time. Students need to communicate throughout the day and in all educational settings. Keep in mind, however, that students who use AAC devices are not “locked in” to only communicating with that device. Instead of creating an entire overlay or programming an entire page for a one time or infrequent lesson, use “stand alone” communication pictures. These can be two or three picture symbols printed out from Boardmaker, from the Internet or these could be commercially made pictures from a game or other activity already available in the classroom. These will give students a way to answer questions or make comments for that particular activity.

Consider a core vocabulary page that can be present on a student’s device for the majority of the day. This page/overlay should contain:

• a greeting
• personal pronouns
• high frequency verbs such as "want, like, feel"
• question words such as "what, who, when, where"
• feeling words such as "happy, mad, sad"
• negations such as "don’t want" and "don’t like"
• common words such as "finished, more, restroom, stop"
• comments such as "good job" and "great!"

Words or phrases that students can communicate effectively by other means should not be programmed into a device. For example, if a student has a reliable and recognizable way to communicate “yes” and “no” or “bathroom” or “drink” etc. these should not be programmed into a device. Having a core vocabulary page can cut down on the need for changing overlays and finding pages with the change of every activity. It makes it easier for both student and teacher to enjoy using the AAC device.

Remember also to model use of the AAC device for the students by using it yourself when you are talking with them. It can also be effective to have verbal classmates model use of the device as well. Most importantly, just get the students using AAC all day and in every educational setting!

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The Parent Corner

"Amy and her Unlimited Possibilities"

by Mrs. Robyn Feuerberg

When I dream, my daughter, Amy, can speak. Communicating with her is easy in those blissful hours of R.E.M. sleep. But in reality, Amy's verbal abilities are severely limited. She has never been able to form the sounds that would articulate her thoughts. This in no way implies that she does not have thoughts and ideas. On the contrary, she is a very intelligent, observant, and opinionated teenage girl.

Amy is 14 ½ years old. In those 14 ½ years, she has never had a voice in the most traditional sense. Because of poor dexterity, sign language is not an effective means for her to communicate. Still, from a very early age, it was apparent that Amy was much brighter and more complicated than she was able to convey to the outside world. We searched for a method which would enable her to prove to others what we already knew.

We have been very fortunate. Since Amy was 11 months old, diligent therapists and teachers have made great efforts to discover a way for Amy to make known her needs and desires. These people all recognize that underneath a silent exterior lives a bright and anxious child who yearns to interact with her peers and society.

When Amy entered FCPS special education preschool, her teachers went through the typical progression of communication aides used with nonverbal children. The devices given to Amy became increasingly advanced as she grew and matured. From picture boards, she moved on to "Cheap Talks" and eventually to the technologically impressive DynaMyte.

Numerous educators have told us that Amy is extremely sharp and clever. The response is always the same. Her knowledge will forever be negligible if it cannot be expressed. Therapy and technology has allowed Amy to demonstrate and share her intelligence. Amy, like all people, has the thought process that allows her to make decisions. But these decisions need to be articulated if they are to ever come to fruition. It is through communication that Amy will have independence as an adult and function as a valuable member of society.

Amy’s communication device has given her unprecedented opportunities. She recounts her school day when she returns home. She asks to go to her favorite restaurant when we make plans to go out for dinner. Most importantly, she now asks the “why” questions that all ponder throughout their childhood and adolescence. Amy also has some additional “whys”. This year, Amy asked with her DynaMyte, “Why Amy no talk?” She always recognized her differences, but had never before inquired as to a reason. We explained to her that the muscles in her mouth don’t work properly. Although she knows exactly what she wants to say, it is impossible for her to produce the precise wording.

Last October, Amy celebrated her Bat Mitzvah, the Jewish coming of age ceremony marked by the recitation of ancient prayers. It seemed only a dream that Amy could complete this ritual in a meaningful and recognizable manner. We never imagined that Amy could and would recite all the Hebrew prayers, just like any other Jewish 13 year old, using the DynaMyte as her voice. Amy spent hours typing Hebrew text using a word processing system and playing melodies on a midi keyboard. Then, through technology, the text and music were transformed into phonemes recognized by her communication device. Amy’s voice not only spoke, but sang.

Because of her successes, Amy was asked to become the spokesperson for Easter Seals of Virginia. “Spokes” person may seem like an odd title for someone who doesn't speak, but, with the help of her DynaMyte, Amy is an effective and productive public speaker and advocate. In June, Amy met with Governor Warner as the Easter Seals representative. The Governor proclaimed the day to be Easter Seals Virginia Day. She thanked the Governor and proceeded to ask him to support her cause by making a financial contribution. She explained that such a donation would facilitate her quest to raise monies to send children with disabilities to specialized camps. She was rewarded with a personal check from Governor Warner.

All of us have our limitations. Kids with disabilities struggle not only with their own limitations, but with the judgments bestowed on them by others. The DynaMyte has virtually erased Amy’s natural limits. She can tell jokes, give reports, and ask questions. No longer confined to her own personal thoughts, she is an active participant in her own life and the lives of everyone she encounters.

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A Texas transplant, Alicia was lured to the DC area for an internship at Georgetown University Medical Center and has yet to leave. She began her career as a speech-language pathologist in DC area hospitals working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Pediatric Intensive Care Units, as well as Inpatient and Outpatient Pediatrics before transitioning to the Fairfax County Public Schools system. She spent six years at Fairhill Elementary School where she especially enjoyed working with non-verbal, physically challenged, and language impaired children. During her time at Fairhill, she began expanding her technology interest/knowledge under the direction of ITS staff member Nancy Icke and fellow Fairhill staff member, Kathy Hall. Alicia was asked to be a TOPS teacher for the 2004-2005 school year, but instead joined the ITS “family” in August 2004.

Outside of work, Alicia can be found in local community theater productions dancing, singing, and occasionally writing lyrics for Hexagon’s Political,Satirical, Musical, Revue. When not working, rehearsing or sleeping, she also squeezes in traveling, reading, cooking, gardening, sailing, biking, and running a marathon here and there.

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This is Jenn’s first year with ITS. Previously in FCPS, she was a special education teacher at Island Creek ES and Lane ES as well as Centennial School in Pennsylvania. Jenn graduated from Ithaca College and has a M. Ed. in Special Education from Lehigh University. She is originally from western New York.