LANGUAGE and AAC Finding a communication system that is. right for today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow (David Beukelman et al, 1985, 1998, 2008) Overview developmental perspective Deconstructing symbol communication & its impact on language development Defining the context Typical and atypical language development Symbolized language Deconstructing symbol communication & its impact on language development WHO are we talking about? Defining the context Expressive Supportive Alternative Supportive language group Expressive language group 1
Alternative language group Who? Why is it important to consider WHO? Predictions of what is needed today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow Aspirations in terms of language access, knowledge, use and scaffold through to literacy Activity: think about own children and identify if they fit these theoretical groups; do they shift group? If so, why? Where are we thinking AAC communication takes place? The road not taken by Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveller, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth.....i shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less travelled by, And that made all the difference. Where? Where? our language learning environments Think of a child List daily scheduled routines List regular/unscheduled communication opportunities List Down times STOP before you venture into discussing WHAT is communicated 2
where WHAT What we communicate How we communicate it What Language knowledge Meaning Organisation Accessing Understanding Expressing Modalities: Non/vocal visual speech Style: content form use What What Atypical language experiences language acquisition: aided comprehension or expression Articulation Phonology Grammar Semantics Pragmatics word order word structure concepts relationships purposes NVC Grammar: 2-5 years Noun sequences predominate 2-3 years Word adjacency vs word order 2-3 years Organisation of icons into semantic groupings (pairs), rather than word order 3-10 years Dynamic vs Static (taxonomic, schematic + iconic) Word structure Raghavendra & Fristoe (1990) Sutton et al (2002) Sutton et al (2004) Trudeau et al, (2014) Fallon et al (2003) Schuit et al (2010) Reichle & Drager (2010) Light et al (2004) Schlosser et al (2011) Harmon et al (2014) Binger & Light (2008) Semantics: 3-6 years Early AAC interventions: nouns predominate 3 - onwards Referential or Expressive communication strategies persist in system organization and use 3-5 years Static and dynamic coding systems and their impact on vocabulary recognition Schlosser & Sigafoos, (2002) Smith (2006) Bedrosian, (1997), Iacono, (1992) Light, (2007) Schlosser & Sigafoos, (2002) Hochstein et al (2004) Harmon et al (2014) Grammar comments? Language skill development Word to symbol matching Semantic comments? Communication opportunity Communication experience Language to symbol matching 3
What How will we represent it? Challenges, challenges Options, options Decisions, decisions Finnish Vanha vesirotta Norwegian: Kaislaranta kahisee, suviheinä suhisee, rapakossa rahisee: Kuka tulla tuhisee? Mikä tuolla pilkistää? Vesirotan pieni pää, viikset vallan mutaisina, rämpii jalat rutaisina vanha Jaakko Vaakko Vesirotta. Silmät vettä siristen, nenä nuhaa tiristen, tuhisten ja puhisten. Ja sitten voi voi Vaivastus! Ja atsii atsii aivastus! (Vaivastus on vesirotan omaa kieltä ja tarkoittaa aivastuksen vaivaa ja sitä että täytyy esiin kaivaa nenäliina niistääksensä nenän pieltä. Totisesti piina!) Ja taasen - voi Vaivastus, ja atsii atsii aivastus! Vanha Jaakko Vaakko Vesirotta on - aivan totta - vanha hieno herkkä rotta, joka kärsii ammattinsa vuoksi kuhanuhaa, vesiköhää, ryskäyskää. Ja nyt - katsos, nyt se juoksi suoraan kaislavuoteeseen ja makaa jalat luoteeseen ja kuono kohti kaakkoa. Se auttaa Jaakko Vaakkoa. - Kirsi Kunnas, Tiitiäisen satupuu How do we represent language through graphic communication? The Iconicity continuum 4
Aided Symbol Hierarchy (Mirenda & Locke, 1989) Symbol type Objects Colour photographs Black & White photographs Miniature objects Black &White line drawings Stylised symbol system, e.g. Blissymbolics Traditional orthography Degree of iconicity Most iconic Least iconic Schlosser et al, 2013, Harmon et al 2014: static and animated symbols. Findings: animation does not always offer greater learning and sense-making opportunity Apple OR Apple BLOOM & LAHEY, 1978 CONTENT The HOW: A formula for deconstructing symbolic elements: Content Form Use Ideas Concepts Construction Flexibility USE FORM Visual representation Iconicity Complexity Purpose Meaning relationships Word classes Organization Retrieval Content: Form: Use: Requesting. Choose the best sentence Multi-modal communication LANGUAGE representation: Who: How: What: AAC practice: What & Who: What: How: Where: NIHR: HS&DR: 14/70/153: Identifying appropriate symbol communication aids for children who are non-speaking: enhancing clinical decision making Murray, Goldbart et al, 2016-2018 5