Sometimes I find it takes a long time to explain Joey’s successes because there is so much background needed to set the stage for each story. Sometimes it involves explaining where words are on his AAC device, or how he uses his AAC device and words to communicate, or even what an AAC device is. These stories get complicated. That being said, read on because I think you’ll be as proud of Joey as I am. [Read more…]
Funny and Silly
“How many dogs are there now?” I read aloud to Joey, as we worked our way through one of our current favorite books, Groovy Joe by Eric Litwin. (There were 8 dogs on the page.) “9… Funny” Joey replied on his AAC eye gaze device and then turned to show me his huge grin. I had to pause for a moment because I did not even realize that the word funny had been added to Joey’s AAC device. He took the opportunity of my pause to add “silly” just in case I hadn’t understood his meaning behind funny. Yes, 9 is silly because there are 8 dogs, not 9, and he KNOWS he’s clicking on the wrong answer. Maybe he’s tired of me asking him to count dogs on the page, or maybe he’s not exactly sure where number 8 is, but he knows it’s not 9 and he’s making a joke out of it. [Read more…]
The Power of Being Able to Choose Your Words
When I returned from my month away, Joey had all sorts of new words added to his device. At first I was surprised to see so many new words had been added in such a short period of time, but as I watched him maneuver around his screen I was excited by his growth. He seemed to quickly understand that these new words gave him a greater capacity to communicate with us. [Read more…]
Fire Engines A Lot
I held up two books and ask Joey which one he wanted to read. He said “fire engine” with his eye gaze device, and then looked at Curious George and the Fire Fighters that was hiding behind my chair and NOT one of the choices I offered. OK. Here’s the thing. When Joey and I read Curious George and the Fire Fighters we never actually get through the whole book. Sometimes I have a compulsion to finish a book, and so this pattern drives me a bit crazy. So I don’t always offer Curious George and the Fire Fighters as an option. “Fire engine” Joey said again. [Read more…]
Prompting Hierarchy for Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Before I became a special education teacher I hadn’t put much thought into prompting, different types of prompts, or how important it is to be aware of the prompts we give our students. Yet now, I think of a strong understanding of prompts with wait time to be one of the most important gifts we can give our students. So of course, I was thrilled when I came across this prompting hierarchy chart made specifically for students using Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices, by Kate Ahmed and Shelane Nielson.*
Using this prompting hierarchy communicates respect and high expectation to the student, encouraging him to do his best. We start at the top, creating motivation and opportunities for the child to express himself. Only after the child is unresponsive do we move down the chart. [Read more…]
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