[ Post a Response | AAC, Special Education, and Inclusion ]
Posted by Cheryl -- pressing a one switch device (Big Mac) for a repetitive line in a story or a line in a song to work on timing
on 12/9/2003, 6:11 pm, in reply to "Y/N strategies for CP???"
67.25.184.206
I am going to give you what may be an unexpected answer. Yes/no is probably not the best option for communication at this point if the child is not high cogntively and has no consistent access to expressive communication. Yes is in fact a fairly high level concept although no is not. If he has some way of indicated no at the moment (most kids do even ones with almost no movement) build that into voice output access in a natural setting. Have say a Big Mac available and when you sense a no, cue from behind (easier to fade) to push it to say no. If this is a goal you want to keep. I find it is not the best place to start even then. I know the team wants this student to say yes and no but it may be very discouraging to cotinue to work on a skill he is not ready for. When you work on alternative communication you want to build success as quickly as possible in activities typical peers engage in. IF he can access a Big Mac great, if not look into trials using adaptive switches that can recognixe very small motor movements. When a task is natural and socially rewarding strudents increase their expressive communication via varying means faster than when simply responding to our communication attempts. Some alternatives with kids that appear this level include alternatives include:
-- working on requesting concrete items. You can use PECs or a voice output device. If using a Big Mac you would want to again cue from behind per PECs strategy but use only a preferred item. Another good voice output device to move up to would be a rocker switch (2 choices) by Enabling devices.
-- have student introduce an activity such as a crafct to the class
-- put a greeting on device such as "How are you?"
-- work on hello and goodbye with a 2 switch device
-- look into borrowing a sequencing device (that does sequential messaging) for social purposes such as telling a joke
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