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Play music together live on the web with this simple tool for remote teaching and collaboration.

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Joint Statement on Prompting - Supplemental Materials

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Podcast Episode · The Autism Little Learners Podcast · 05/14/2024 · 43m

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www.rachelmadel.com Rachel Madel is a Los Angeles based speech-language pathologist, parent coach and autism expert who is dedicated to helping autism parents learn how to connect and communicate with their children. Do you have a child with autism who is struggling with communication? This channel is full of tips/tricks and strategies on using technology to help your child start communicating more effectively. Not sure where to get started? Download my free communication board to help make language visual. https://www.rachelmadel.com/coreboard Let’s be friends on social media! That way you’ll be the first to know when I release new content. IG: https://www.instagram.com/rachelmadelslp/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/rachelmadelslp

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20 weeks on how to increase modeling language 

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20 weeks on how to increase modeling language 

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Welcome to Stepping into AAC ! Stepping into AAC is a collaborative project created by PrAACtical AAC and the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) that focuses on supporting families who …

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Everyone has something to say. Working closely with the AAC community, we build apps and share best practice to help you communicate with the world.

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What is it like to be autistic and non-speaking in a world that has already made up its mind about you? This Is Not About Me tells the story of Jordyn Zimmerman. Jordyn dreamt of becoming a teacher. She started out eager to learn at school, but she was soon separated from the other children. Unable to communicate, teachers thought she was also unable to understand or learn. Year after year, her behavior worsened. She was restrained and placed in seclusion. Jordyn found herself caught in a system that unintentionally turned her life into a living nightmare. Finally, at the age of 18, with the help of educators who see her differently, she manages to turn her fate and flourish.

Watch the story of one autistic woman that fought hard to be recognized and trusted. Share the trailer to bring awareness and change the lives of countless others fighting that same system today.

Beautifully reveals the wonderful results of a school presuming competence.

Susan Keisler, Executive Director, Partnership for Extraordinary Minds

This groundbreaking film shatters the myth that autistic people who can't speak have nothing to say.

Steve Silberman, author, NeuroTribes

I want every person working in schools to watch this powerful reminder of why we need to presume competence as educators.

Jane Farrall, SLP and Special Educator

An extraordinarily poignant film. Your beliefs will be transformed.

Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, author, Uniquely Human

This makes me so emotional and the story is so very similar to what my daughter is going through.

Angelique, Mom of Addison, AAC user and 11 years old

Meet Jordyn

Jordyn Zimmerman - the subject of the documentary, does not speak but has a lot to say. She communicates with her iPad using an AAC app. Challenging at times, as is her autism, this doesn't stop her from aspiring to change the education system for the better.

Meet Jordyn

Jordyn Zimmerman - the subject of the documentary, does not speak but has a lot to say. She communicates with her iPad using an AAC app. Challenging at times, as is her autism, this doesn't stop her from aspiring to change the education system for the better.

Learn

Interested in learning more about Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) or non-speaking autism?

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What is it like to be autistic and non-speaking in a world that has already made up its mind about you? This Is Not About Me tells the story of Jordyn Zimmerman. Jordyn dreamt of becoming a teacher. She started out eager to learn at school, but she was soon separated from the other children.

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Proloquo Coach is Proloquo's companion app made for parents. It is designed to guide and support parents starting with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). With easy to read articles and fun activities, Proloquo Coach will help you become a better AAC partner.

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Proloquo Coach is Proloquo's companion app made for parents. It is designed to guide and support parents starting with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). With easy to read articles and fun activities, Proloquo Coach will help you become a better AAC partner.

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Parent Resources | QuickTalker Freestyle

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Find a range of Parent Resources to support your journey with AAC systems, ensuring effective communication development for your child.

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The PASS free software download from PRC allows teachers, speech-language pathologists and caregivers the opportunity to learn our language systems, all on a PC!

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Job aids for modeling language across activities 

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Job aids for modeling language across activities 

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Modeling AAC, also called Aided Language Stimulation, is the process of using augmented communication systems with spoken language when communicating with persons who have complex communication needs and/or preferences.

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Evaluating childrens books disability rubric

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A Guide to Implementing Paraprofessional Facilitation

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A Guide to Implementing Paraprofessional Facilitation

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Paraprofessionals-also known as paraeducators or teacher assistants-can play a critical role in supporting elementary and middle school students with significant cognitive disabilities. Under the supervision of special or general educators, paraprofessionals provide support, deliver instruction, and collect data on academic, social, communication, behavioral, and daily living outcomes across school environments. Paraprofessionals often provide support in inclusive settings which offer numerous opportunities for students to learn alongside and interact with their peers without disabilities. This places paraprofessionals in a unique and impactful position to facilitate inclusion, advance learning, foster relationships, and promote a sense of belonging for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Paraprofessional facilitation involves arranging environments and activities or delivering strategies and prompts in ways that improve outcomes for students with disabilities (Brock & Anderson, 2021). For example, paraprofessionals may use a gestural prompt to remind a student to respond to a question, verbally encourage a peer to ask a question, or supervise a collaborative learning group that includes students and peers in a general education classroom. A list of paraprofessional facilitation strategies is shown in Figure 1. Research has shown that paraprofessional support that involves unnecessary proximity and excessive assistance can actually interfere with the peer interaction and class participation of students with disabilities (Giangreco, 2021). In contrast, high-quality paraprofessional facilitation intentionally finds a balance of appropriate support that increases students' engagement with peers by reducing too much reliance on adults.

When used correctly, paraprofessional facilitation has been shown to improve student outcomes across school environments related to behavior, peer interaction, social communication, and academic engagement. For example, paraprofessionals can help students with significant cognitive disabilities learn new skills or create opportunities for developing friendships. Although paraprofessional facilitation can happen anywhere in the school, this guide focuses on promoting peer engagement through increasing academic and social participation within inclusive classrooms. When a student increases their academic and social participation, they will have more opportunities to develop shared knowledge, skills, and experiences with their peers. This can serve a strong foundation for cultivating peer relationships and a sense of belonging in and outside the classroom.

Collaborating

The student's educational team members should be involved in planning paraprofessional facilitation. The special educator can lead collaborations between the paraprofessional and other team members. For example, a general educator can share lesson objectives and materials in advance so the special educator can modify materials and prepare the paraprofessional to support the teaching of key concepts and vocabulary. The speech-language pathologist can provide the paraprofessional with training on the student's communication systems and ways to support communication with peers. Physical and occupational therapists can work with the paraprofessional to enhance the student's participation in class activities (e.g., optimizing seating or standing support, using assistive technology tools for writing or typing). Families can share their priorities for peer engagement and determine what information about their child would be appropriate for the paraprofessional to share with the classmates. The family may also provide ideas for conversational topics the student would enjoy (e.g., jokes, hobbies, or family's upcoming trips). Depending on the desired outcomes and student's needs, additional school staff, such as school counselors and district behavior or assistive technology specialists, may be consulted for resources and support.

Planning

When planning paraprofessional facilitation, the team should consider the classes students attend, their learning goals in each class, the peers they are learning alongside, and the skills of the paraprofessional. Below are specific steps with questions for considerations. An example planning sheet is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Paraprofessional Facilitation Planning Sheet

Identify Settings and Student Goals

The team should first review all of the classes the student is taking to determine the settings in which paraprofessional facilitation might be most beneficial. Paraprofessional facilitation can be most useful for increasing engagement with peers within inclusive classes that: (a) incorporate numerous hands-on activities, (b) use cooperative learning groups, (c) have abundant opportunities for social engagement, (d) rely less on whole-class instruction, and (e) are of high interest to the student with significant cognitive disabilities. However, paraprofessional facilitation can still be beneficial for students in almost every school setting, even when some of these features are not present.

Next, the team should identify prioritized learning goals aligned with the student's individualized education program (IEP), the general education curriculum, and the family's priorities. For example, it might be important for students to increase their initiations or responses with classmates, expand their social networks, increase their class participation, or experience a greater sense of belonging. Likewise, students might have goals focused on learning key course content, developing new skills, or increasing their academic engagement. It is important to keep each student's individualized social and academic goals in mind when planning paraprofessional facilitation. Doing this can make sure that your approach is always student-centered.

Consider the Setting

An ecological assessment can be a helpful approach for identifying times during each class when paraprofessional facilitation may be especially needed (Kurth et al., 2020). This involves working with general educators and the paraprofessional to examine the typical routines that make up each inclusive class. This might involve focusing on what happens at the beginning and the end of the class, during large-group work (such as lectures or whole-class discussions), during small-group work, during individual work, and during transitions or free time. For each routine, consider the following questions (Chung & Carter, 2013):

How do classmates without disabilities interact and participate?

How does the student with significant cognitive disabilities currently interact and participate?

How can the student with significant cognitive disabilities interact and participate in similar ways as the classmates do?

What can the paraprofessional do to facilitate the student's interaction and participation?

The answers to these questions can help identify opportunities for greater social and academic participation, as well as ways in which paraprofessional facilitation might be provided to promote greater engagement with peers.

Consider the Student and Peers

Gathering information about the student with significant cognitive disabilities will provide background knowledge that helps the paraprofessional connect the student with peers. It also helps with determining the type of support each student may need for peer engagement. While collaborating with the paraprofessional and general educator, special educators should consider the following questions: Which of the student's strengths and interests can be highlighted? What are the student's existing peer relationships and social network? Does the student have access to appropriate modes of communication to meaningfully participate? Does the student need additional prompts or training on social interaction? For a student who uses augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), does the communication device have the vocabulary needed to interact with peers during different activities?

Likewise, knowing about the student can help special and general educators recruit peers who will work and interact effectively with the student. It can also help the team determine what assistance peers may need from the paraprofessional to engage well with the student with a disability. Questions to consider include: What will the peers be expected to do when interacting or working with the student (e.g., participating in a cooperative learning group alongside the student, providing assistance within a peer support arrangement, providing communication support to a student who uses AAC)? What are the characteristics of peers that would make them suitable for these roles and responsibilities? What training, prompting, and other support will peers need to fulfill these roles and responsibilities?

Consider the Paraprofessional

In a collaborative spirit, special educators should also assess the current skills, mindsets, and support needs of the paraprofessional. These considerations will inform the paraprofessional training and coaching and determine the extent of support that the paraprofessional will need to effectively deliver facilitative strategies. Questions to consider include: How does the paraprofessional currently support the student in the inclusive class? What are the paraprofessional's views, motivation, and concerns on promoting inclusion and engaging peers? What training or support will the paraprofessional need to effectively facilitate and promote peer engagement? How will the paraprofessional evaluate and monitor their progress with implementing the strategies? What feedback will the paraprofessional receive and benefit from?

Implementing

The main steps for implementing paraprofessional facilitation to promote greater peer engagement include preparing the environment, preparing the paraprofessional, and having the paraprofessional use facilitative strategies with students.

Preparing the Environment

Based on the plan, special educators should work with general educators and paraprofessionals to create an optimal environment for engagement among students with and without disabilities. This includes considering instructional grouping, seating arrangement, and accessibility. Although facilitative strategies can be used during almost any instructional grouping, times of small-group work and individual work usually have more peer engagement opportunities than large-group lectures. Special educators can work with general educators to incorporate more group-based activities. The seating arrangements should allow the student and peers to easily work and interact together. The paraprofessional could sit behind the student rather than in between the student and peers. Likewise, the paraprofessional can float around the room or sit at a distance away from the student, approaching the student only when assistance or prompts are needed. If there is more than one student with significant cognitive disabilities who attends the same inclusive class, they should be seated separately to avoid potential stigmatization and to promote more opportunities for peer engagement. When considering the accessibility of content, activities, and materials, special educators can follow the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles (see also Posey & Hartmann, 2020). This involves optimizing the participation and learning of all students (with and without disabilities) by incorporating multiple means of representation (e.g., pictures or videos), engagement (e.g., hands-on activities), and action and expression (e.g., options for how students respond to materials and their learning). In addition, assignments can be modified to reduce task demands. It is easier for the paraprofessional to engage the student and peers in shared activities and conversations when the student has accessible materials with appropriate task demands, and when both closely align with what fellow classmates are doing and learning.

Preparing the Paraprofessional

Most paraprofessionals will need guidance and support from a special educator on using facilitative strategies effectively. The best way to prepare paraprofessionals to successfully implement evidence-based strategies is by combining initial training with coaching (Brock & Carter, 2016). Before the training, the special educator should observe the paraprofessional and the student with a disability in the inclusive classroom. This will provide information about class routines and social opportunities, paraprofessional's style and strengths, and potential issues or recommendations to be shared at the training. If feasible, the observation can be videotaped to allow the paraprofessional to watch their performance and self-reflect. Doing this might also facilitate collaboration and problem-solving among the special educator, general educator, and paraprofessional. After this observation, the initial training for the paraprofessional typically takes 60 to 90 minutes. An example of an initial training handout is shown in Figure 3. At the training, the special educator should:

Explain the purpose of paraprofessional facilitation by addressing the student's goals (e.g., promoting academic learning, social connections, and/or skill development)

Provide an overview of the facilitative strategies with specific examples

Model and role-play the strategies

Finalize a plan to implement the facilitative strategies

Figure 3. Initial Training Checklist for Paraprofessional Facilitation

Because paraprofessionals often feel underappreciated as members of the educational team, special educators should praise them for their past work, highlight the facilitative strategies they already use, and seek their input when developing a plan. Based on the student's support needs, some paraprofessionals may benefit from a reminder of their roles as a facilitator (not as a primary communication partner for the student). Others may need additional training on support strategies (e.g., learning about using a communication device and using different prompts). At the end of the training, special educators should also address any questions or concerns the paraprofessional may have.

Training for paraprofessionals does not have to happen all at once. Depending on the paraprofessional's current skills and roles, special educators might choose to focus on certain facilitative strategies initially. After the initial training, the special educator can follow up with coaching sessions, during which the special educator can praise the paraprofessional's use of the strategies, explain and model additional facilitative strategies, and discuss the paraprofessional's performance.

Paraprofessional Delivering Facilitation

After the training, the paraprofessional is ready to use the facilitative strategies to promote peer engagement through greater social and academic participation. The paraprofessional should ensure the student arrives at the class on time and stays for the entire period when possible. The paraprofessional and general educator may decide to change the seating arrangement so that the student can sit by particular peers. If this is the case, the paraprofessional can briefly introduce the peers and the student when they sit together for the first time (e.g., highlighting strengths and shared interests). Throughout the class, the paraprofessional begins using facilitative strategies based on the plan to encourage full participation and engagement with peers (Brock & Carter, 2016; Chung & Douglas, 2015). Facilitative strategies can include:

ensuring proximity to peers and appropriate access to materials;

ensuring the student sits next to peers;

ensuring the student has access to their communication device (and peers can hear/see the messages, even learning how to model use of the communication device when interacting);

ensuring the student uses the same or similar materials and tools as peers;

encouraging the student and peers to share materials and work together;

encouraging the student to move around the classroom with peers when applicable (e.g., getting materials or distributing materials for the teacher);

reducing paraprofessional proximity to allow the student and peers to interact and work on their own;

encouraging academic- and social-related peer interactions;

encouraging peers to interact with the student

encourage the student to interact with peers

providing information and support when needed

highlighting similarities between the student and peers

redirecting interactions to the student

monitoring and praising the student and peers;

praising the student and peers for interacting and working with each other

providing feedback or suggestions for future interactions

providing information to peers when needed

The paraprofessional can use a range of prompts, including verbal prompts (e.g., saying "You can ask..." "Why don't you..." "How about..." "Would you like to...") and nonverbal prompts (e.g., pointing to a peer, the student, or the device, or giving the student a thumbs up with a smile). When a peer initiates toward the student, the paraprofessional should allow time for the student to respond on their own, then provide prompts or models as needed.

Evaluating Outcomes

Good paraprofessional facilitation can help students with significant cognitive disabilities meet their learning goals and experience fuller social participation within inclusive classrooms. It can also have a positive impact on participating peers and paraprofessionals. Special educators should consider how to evaluate these and other impacts, both formatively and summatively.

For Students with Disabilities

Depending on the goals of the student with a disability, direct observation may be one of the best ways that special educators can collect data. For example, special educators may want to work with paraprofessionals to document a student's initiations and responses toward peers (either on their own or prompted by paraprofessionals), on-task behaviors, work completion, communication with peers for different purposes (e.g., commenting, requesting, joking), number of conversational turns with peers, different words produced using speech or AAC, and/or numbers of peers who interacted with the student. Initially, such data should be collected more frequently to ensure paraprofessional facilitation has resulted in intended changes. This might also help teachers determine if additional training or coaching is needed. Beyond using direct observation, special educators or paraprofessionals can also ask the students to share their experiences in interviews or through questionnaires. Visual communication support can be provided for students with complex communication needs so that they can answer questions about their experiences. Parents of the students can also share if they notice any changes at home or in the community, as peer interactions and class participation may lead to relationship and skill development outside the classroom.

For Peers

Peers who have the opportunity to work with their classmates with disabilities may also benefit from the ongoing interactions and shared work. Special educators can collect data on how peers interact or communicate with the student with a disability (either spontaneously or prompted by paraprofessionals), their on-task behaviors, and potential spillover interactions outside of class. The paraprofessional can monitor peers' engagement with the student with a disability more formatively through periodic check-ins, and can also ask peers to share about their experiences more summatively at the end of the semester.

For Others

The ways in which paraprofessionals support students with disabilities in the classroom are likely to change as a result of using these facilitative strategies. Special educators should document the different facilitative strategies used by paraprofessionals during observations. Paraprofessionals can also record their own use of facilitative strategies using a self-monitoring sheet. Special educators can work with paraprofessionals to prioritize facilitative behaviors that are the most critical to the students' social and learning goals, as well as those that are feasible for paraprofessionals to self-monitor. Special educators should also seek out the perspectives and experiences of paraprofessionals and general educators using interviews or brief questionnaires. Hopefully, paraprofessionals will begin using the same effective facilitative strategies with other students they support or in different classrooms with the same student. Likewise, the ways in which general educators interact with students with disabilities may increase as a result of observing paraprofessional facilitation, promoting even greater peer engagement and academic and social participation.

Sustaining and Expanding

Paraprofessionals should begin using these facilitation strategies with one student in a single class. As the student and their peers become more comfortable and independent in their interactions and collaboration, the paraprofessional can fade their proximity, prompts, and praise. Peers can be an ongoing source of natural support and encouragement, which can also encourage other classmates to get to know the student with a disability. As the student with significant cognitive disabilities becomes less reliant on adult support, the paraprofessional can reduce their support, supervise groups of students, or assist the general educator by supporting all students (Giangreco, 2021).

After seeing some initial success, special educators can arrange paraprofessional facilitation for the same student in additional classes, or for other students and other paraprofessionals. In addition, paraprofessionals who have received training and are confident in their ability to facilitate peer engagement and student participation can begin using those strategies with other students, and even modeling their use for other paraprofessionals. As more paraprofessionals learn this approach, a larger number of students with disabilities can benefit from their application. To create a professional learning community, special educators, general educators, and paraprofessionals can share their accomplishments during team meetings and professional development workshops.

Specific Considerations

Across Ages and Grades

The nature of paraprofessional facilitation and the ways in which students interact with each other in the classroom will be influenced by many factors, including the ages of the students, the classroom context, and peer culture. Peers of different ages will need different types and levels of prompts and feedback from the paraprofessional. Early elementary peers may prefer to work as a group with the student with disabilities and will readily seek direction and approval from the paraprofessional. Middle school peers may seek more independence and want to keep some distance from a paraprofessional. Different grade-level content and activities have varied task and social demands for the student and their peers, which also means there are different opportunities for paraprofessional facilitation within these activities. For example, early elementary school classrooms often have rotating centers embedded with play activities, whereas upper elementary classrooms have increased demands for following directions and task completion. When developing the implementation plan, special educators and paraprofessionals should discuss ways for the students to interact in ways that are appropriate to the classroom, as well as typical of norms and expectations of peer culture (e.g., saying hello vs. giving a fist bump).

Individualized Supports

Students with significant cognitive disabilities often have a range of extensive support needs, including social, communication, behavior, physical, and medical support. When planning and implementing paraprofessional facilitation, special educators need to ensure paraprofessionals are familiar with the students' supports and accommodations, know how to facilitate peer engagement, and can provide other supports and accommodations. All support should be provided in the least intrusive and most age-appropriate manner that dignifies the student. For example, if a student uses a wheelchair, the paraprofessional can work with the general educator to create safe and spacious seating while maintaining proximity with peers. If a student uses a visual schedule of class activities, paraprofessionals may encourage the student to show peers how to use the visual supports. For students who use AAC, paraprofessionals may need to remind peers to allow additional time for the student to communicate, and may want to help the student and peers know how to work together to program new messages. For students with specialized health care needs, paraprofessionals may need to recognize signs to indicate that the student is fatigued and needs a break from working with peers. For students with behavioral support plans, paraprofessionals should monitor students' peer interactions and intervene if the student is demonstrating challenging behavior.

Depending on the ages of peers, they may have different questions about a student's different supports and accommodations. Special educators and paraprofessionals can work with the family and the student to determine what information that they feel is appropriate to be shared with peers. Paraprofessionals may work with the student to explain their own support needs when appropriate. At a class-wide level, special educators and paraprofessionals might work with general educators to consider having an opportunity for each class member to share their strengths and support needs.

Cultural Responsiveness

Considerations of culture should be embedded in all instruction, including planning and implementing paraprofessional facilitation. It is important for special educators and paraprofessionals to get to know the student and involve their family throughout the process of planning and implementing paraprofessional facilitation-from identifying goals to evaluating outcomes. When the cultures of families and students are different from the cultures of paraprofessionals and educators, the team should brainstorm ways to value and integrate the cultural differences in supporting students' peer interaction and class participation. For example, special educators can work with general educators to include culturally responsive materials that honor the students' experience and interests. When identifying peers, special and general educators should take into account the student's preferences, needs, and cultures. Some students may want to work with peer partners of a different gender, while others may prefer same-gender peer partners or those with similar cultural backgrounds. Also, paraprofessionals should incorporate and value the students' primary language whenever possible-including spoken language or the use of AAC.

Case Application

Shawn is a tall fifth-grader with autism who loves to wear bright-colored t-shirts with funny phrases. He is a hard-working student who always wants to please his teachers and other adults on his educational team. Shawn communicates using mostly single words and gestures. One of his IEP goals is to respond to Wh-questions and share information. His speech-language pathologist has been working with him to use an aided AAC device, specifically Proloquo2Go on an iPod touch. Shawn carries the iPod touch on his wrist and has started to use it to initiate and respond when prompted. His parents value inclusion and want him to have more opportunities to interact with his classmates in fifth grade. One of Shawn's favorite activities is library class twice a week, when all students have free time to choose and read books in the library.

Prior to learning about how paraprofessional facilitation could promote peer engagement, Mr. Thomas, a paraprofessional who provides support to fifth graders, would help Shawn choose a book and direct him to sit by a long table with another student who also had a disability. As Shawn would read the book, Mr. Thomas would sometimes ask Shawn to identify objects using his AAC device. Sometimes Mrs. Brown, the classroom teacher, stopped to say hello. However, Ms. Lewis, the special educator on Shawn's team, recently attended a professional learning session and gained some new ideas on how to better promote inclusion outcomes for students. One of the strategies presented was paraprofessional facilitation, and she thought it could be an effective, feasible way to increase peer interactions for Shawn.

Ms. Lewis decides to talk to Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Brown, who are both on board. She also calls Shawn's parents, who are excited about supporting increased interaction with Shawn's classmates. Ms. Lewis works with the team to identify a goal for the library class, "initiate and respond to Wh-questions with peers" which is aligned with Shawn's existing IEP goals and the family's priorities. The team also develops a plan to recruit two male classmates, a request from Shawn's parents, given that he has two big sisters and they want him to have more male models. Mrs. Brown also provides a list of grade-level books that she thinks Shawn and his peers may enjoy. The team decides that the speech-language pathologist will provide Mr. Thomas with training on Shawn's AAC device and the use of aided language modeling. This will also be a strategy that can eventually be taught to Shawn's peers as well. Finally, Ms. Lewis meets with Mr. Thomas to brainstorm specific opportunities and strategies to prompt peer interactions for Shawn.

After obtaining parent permission, Ms. Lewis and Mr. Thomas meet with the peers to provide a brief orientation. Mr. Thomas takes photos of the peers and programs their names in Shawn's AAC device. On the first day of implementing paraprofessional facilitation, Mr. Thomas makes sure Shawn and the two classmates are at the same table. He prompts Shawn to use his AAC device to say hello using the names of peers. He encourages Shawn and his peers to look for books together. As Shawn and the peers read together, Mr. Thomas models ways they could ask each other questions about the book, and how Shawn can use his AAC device to respond. When a book is finished, the peers walk with Shawn to return the book. There are a few minutes left for Shawn to tell knock-knock jokes.

Mr. Thomas continues to use different strategies to facilitate interaction and engagement during library time, as well as during other activities in fifth grade, following the plan he developed collaboratively with Ms. Lewis and Mrs. Brown. After three weeks of this more intentional paraprofessional facilitation, Shawn has developed a new routine, and he and his peers need few reminders from Mr. Thomas. Shawn is even more eager to go to the library class, read different books with his peers, and share the newest knock-knock jokes that his sisters update weekly. Their laughs draw attention from other peers (and occasionally a side-eye from Mrs. Brown). When Ms. Lewis hears about this from Mr. Thomas, she is happy that Shawn has become more a part of the fifth-grade class community.

Acknowledgment

All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced without prior permission, provided the source is cited as:

TIES Center is supported through a cooperative agreement between the University of Minnesota (# H326Y170004) and the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is affiliated with the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) which is affiliated with the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. The contents of this report were developed under the Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, but do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Readers should not assume endorsement by the federal government. Project Officer: Susan Weigert

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) leads the TIES Center partnership. There are six additional collaborating partners: Arizona Department of Education, CAST, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of North-Carolina-Charlotte, and University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

TIES Center, University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration, 2025 East River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55414Phone: 612-626-1530
www.tiescenter.org
This document is available in alternate formats upon request.

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TIES Peer Engagement Practice Guides | A Guide to Implementing Paraprofessional Facilitation

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Paraprofessionals-also known as paraeducators or teacher assistants-can play a critical role in supporting elementary and middle school students with significant cognitive disabilities. Under the supervision of special or general educators, paraprofessionals provide support, deliver instruction, and collect data on academic, social, communication, behavioral, and daily living outcomes across school environments.

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After waiting 10-15 seconds (yes, that long!) you can try to tempt again by presenting an item or activity. You then use some type of gestural cue (e.g. shrugging your shoulders or giving a quizzical facial expression) to indicate to a child that a response is expected. Still no response? Keep movin' on down!
STEP 5: Open-Ended Question
If there's still no response, tempt the child again with the super fun and exciting activity or item and pair it with a vague question like "now what?" or "what should we do?". You can even make a general comment like "Hmm". Still nothing? Move (with caution) to the yellow zone of the hierarchy.
STEP 6: Ask for a Response
This area of the hierarchy is where many communication partners accidentally spend most of their time. They jump directly to giving directives (e.g. "Tell me what you want") or asking a specific question (e.g "What do you want?"). These types of demands for communication should only be used as an absolute last resort. Still not getting a response? We can provide some visual supports in the next level of the hierarchy.
STEP 7: Point to Device or Symbol
You can start by simply looking at the device or gesturing to the device to encourage a child to communicate with you. If that's not working, you can try pointing to a general area of the child's device or even to a specific symbol to get a child to communicate. This level of prompting should be used with extreme caution. The more children are spoon-fed what to say, the more likely they will be to rely too heavily on these types of supports. We want children formulating novel thoughts and communicating them with us, not going on auto-pilot while we point to the words we think they might want to say. Are you STILL not getting any communication?! You might want to reassess the child's motivation. If you feel confident that the child is highly motivated you can jump down to the next level of the hierarchy.

We know the importance of modeling a variety of words for children so they are able to learn how to use them on their own. This portion of the hierarchy is in the red zone because there is a difference between modeling generally to expose children to language vs. modeling a specific word or target with the expectation that a child says the word after us. If a child continuously requires direct models, it's possible they haven't received enough modeling exposure to that specific word in a way that is motivating and solidifies meaning for them.
STEP 9: Physical Touch
We're officially in the red zone, and this zone is red for a reason. We don't have the capacity to force a verbal child to talk, so why would it be acceptable to take a child's hand and force them to activate words on their device? I like to use the phrase "Inspire, don't Require" when thinking about working with children who have complex communication needs. As the adults who are responsible for teaching children how to communicate, it's our responsibility to create language opportunities that are so exciting and fun that children can't wait to communicate with us. Spoiler Alert: physical prompting rarely translates into communication that is independent. Be patient, and try finding something that is so motivating to the child that they are inspired to communicate!

Need a more in-depth training on least-to-most prompting? One of my favorite AAC experts Rachael Langley has a presentation on this topic that's completely free! You can also find amazing AAC resources on her website.

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Giving Children Optimal Support - Rachel Madel Speech Therapy Inc.

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Learn how to give children the optimal amount of support with Rachel Madel's blog. Discover the least-to-most prompting hierarchy and how to use body language to encourage independent communication.

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Revisiting the AAC Prompt Hierarchy (2023) printable.pdf

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"He's prompt-dependent. How can I get him to use AAC on his own?"

"I love his strong-willed nature, but it works against him sometimes. He doesn't initiate."

If any of these remarks sound familiar, it may be time to think about alternative approaches to build independent communication. Here are a few things to try with AAC users who've learned to wait for support before communicating.

1. Exaggerate the pause time: Many of our AAC learners need at least 5 seconds of pause time after a communication opportunity presents itself. This helps them process the experience, organize their thoughts, decide on a response, and then begin to execute that response. Sometimes, though, we work with people who've learned that if they just wait, the communication partner will start to help (whether or not they need it). We can sometimes nudge the learner toward more independent communication by exaggerating the pause. That means using overt body language - a curious, expectant, posture and facial expression - and extending the pause. Nothing more happens until the learner responds. No repeating. No rephrasing. No fiddling with materials. No physical support. This creates a space that makes it more obvious to the learner, "It's your turn to do something; Nothing fun will happen until you respond." Harness the power of the perfect pause.

2. Use visual supports instead of verbal or physical prompts: Both visual and auditory prompts (such as spoken cues) can help AAC learners know what to do/say next. It can be more difficult, though, to reduce reliance on our spoken prompts. Visual supports can be a better option for many individuals who are developing their communication skills with AAC. Consider substituting a visual cue for the auditory (verbal) cues to move the learner to increased independence.

3. Fade gradually: We can also help learners become more independent by paying closer attention to the prompts we provide, and systematically reducing the amount of support we give. Elliott, for example, learned to create 2-symbol utterances with models, instructions, and a visual support (basically, a template with colored boxes for two symbols). Later, we faded the direct model (although aided language input continued for other things) and reduced the verbiage in the instructions. Eventually, he no longer needed those, but continued to glance at the visual support as a reminder to put two words together when using his communication board. We made that visual smaller and less distinct by copying on the photocopy machine and lightening the contrast to give us a faded facsimile of the original visual support. Over time, we faded it more and more until it was no longer visible. Slowly, Elliott took more responsibility for responding without the kinds of supports he started out with. It takes a little thought, brainstorming, and planning, but fading prompts systematically is a time-tested strategy that works in many situations.

4. Use video modeling: Consider making video recording of the desired behavior and providing that to the client so that they can watch others demonstrate the target AAC skill. Even better: Record your client and edit out the prompts so that they can seem themselves doing it without any prompts or supports (i.e., video self-modeling). We've been pleasantly surprised by the impact this research-based strategy has had on our learners with significant cognitive challenges. If you haven't yet used this powerful strategy, consider giving it a try. You can see it in action here.

5. Involve the learner in tracking independent behaviors: In some situations, we can mobilize the power of competition by making the data collection explicit. Create a culture where noticing the target behavior and calling it out is part of the normal routine. In Jenna's case, we have a vocabulary board with all her new words. Whenever anyone says one of those words, we make a mark next to that word. We even got a little fancy and used different colors for each of us. Jenna got really excited to make a mark whenever she heard us use the word and when she herself used it. Paying attention to how often we each used these words inspired her to find ways to integrate them into her sentences. For Thomas, who was learning to use a communication board rich in core vocabulary, we made a separate version of the board for data tracking. Each time someone used one of the target words on the boards, we gave it a star sticker. Everyone got inspired to try to beat the previous day's score and we even had a leaderboard for awhile. When we track things in explicit ways, it tends to influence performance.

Do you have strategies that have helped AAC learners become more independent with their language and AAC skills? We'd love to hear about them.

This post was written by Carole Zangari

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Reducing Prompt Dependence in AAC Learners: 5 Things to Try

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"He's prompt-dependent. How can I get him to use AAC on his own?" "I love his strong-willed nature, but it works against him sometimes. He doesn't initiate." If any of these remarks sound familiar, it may be time to think about alternative approaches to build independent communication.

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Home > Resources > Use PP: Least-to-Most Prompting To view closed captioning, please click CC on the video play bar. To view video full screen, please click the opposite arrows icon on the video play bar. Evidence-based Practice Modules: Prompting

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Using Prompts to Promote Skill Acquisition

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by Katherine J. Inge, Dawn Hendricks, and Susan Palko

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Procedures for Prompt Fading - The Autism Helper

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Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism

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Understanding Assent and Assent Withdrawal in ABA

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Assent occurs when a learner verbally or nonverbally agrees to participate in treatment. Vocal communication, and even functional communication, is not needed.

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Cortical Visual Impairment

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Why early implementation is so important 

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Why early implementation is so important 

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If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to reset your password.

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Books that can be used for all readers/ customized 

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Books that can be used for all readers/ customized 

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Digital books for beginning readers of all ages

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Neurodiversity affirming books and lesson plans to model core. 

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Neurodiversity affirming books and lesson plans to model core. 

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Vooks: read-aloud animated books for kids

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Vooks is an ad-free, kid-safe streaming platform that puts an entire digital library of animated storybooks right at your fingertips. Through subtle animation, read-aloud narration, highlighted read-along text, and engaging music and sound effects, we bring your favorite children's books to life to turn screen time into storytime.

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Unite for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages. Literacy is at the core of a healthy community, so we unite with partners to enable all families to read with their young children.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Home :: Literacy Instruction for Individuals with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and Other Disabilities

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Research-based guidelines for early intervention designed to maximize the language and communication development of young children with complex communication needs including those with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities.

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Beyond the Basics

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Reading & Writing 4 All - Interactive/Matching Books

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This section can be used to support students who are working on matching, or who would benefit from work task options after you've taught the original concept. You are welcome to download these books and make any changes to support your students' interests and learning preferences. "Make a copy"

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 Pre-made lessons and slides that focus on sound production and pre-writing skills (tracing) 

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 Pre-made lessons and slides that focus on sound production and pre-writing skills (tracing) 

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Lesson Resources

The UFLI Foundations Toolbox contains all the lesson resources to accompany the lesson plans provided in the UFLI Foundations manual. (Don't have a manual yet? Click here to order one) Every lesson has companion resources that will help you implement the lessons efficiently, effectively, and consistently.

Some of the companion lesson resources you will find below include:

Lesson slide decks (in PowerPoint and Google Slide formats)

Decodable passages

Homework sheets

Games and activities for additional practice

We have grouped the lessons into smaller units so you can access these resources more easily. Scroll down to use the buttons below to find the resources for each lesson or groups of lessons.

Please note that we are still building out these free resources, and we will be editing this page over the next few weeks. We wanted you to be able to access some materials as soon as possible, but be sure to come back later to see the rest!
New to UFLI Foundations? Learn about its development, check out a sample lesson plan, view the scope and sequence, and more.

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The UFLI Foundations Toolbox contains all the lesson resources to accompany the lesson plans provided in the UFLI Foundations manual. (Don't have a manual yet? Click here to order one) Every lesson has companion resources that will help you implement the lessons efficiently, effectively, and consistently.

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assessment of phonological awareness and reading 

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assessment of phonological awareness and reading 

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Version 1.16

Background

The APAR was designed to assess the Phonological Awareness (PA) and reading skills of adult participants in the project Web Access for Literacy Development in Individuals with Disability, funded through AccessAbility, Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts.

The participants in this project had physical and/or intellectual disability. Our aim was to create an assessment tool that was based on information in the literature assessing PA and text reading at the word, sentence and paragraph levels. The test was created to avoid spoken responses, since many of our participants were nonspeaking. In addition, we wanted a tool that could be administered to individuals despite their methods of communication or computer/communication system access methods.

The APAR has been administered to 40 participants using a system in which stimuli were presented on a clear Perspex sheet, with the examiner on one side and the participant on the other. The examiner presented stimuli on the Perspex and the participant indicated his/her response by looking at the chosen item.

Authors

The APAR was devised and designed by Teresa Iacono from the Centre for Developmental Disability Health Victoria, and Linda Cupples, Dept of Linguistics, Macquarie University. [An abstract and downloadable PDF copy of the published paper is at www.elr.com.au/links/CXHSR]

Iacono, T. and Cupples, L. (2004) Assessment of Phonemic Awareness and Word Reading Skills of People With Complex Communication Needs. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 47, 2 p 437-449.

The APAR Website was prepared by Rob Seiler ( support@elr.com.au), graphics by Anna Breakell, and is hosted and supported by ELR Software, authors of eLr - Extra Language Resources.

Free Downloads

Print ready materials in PDF format

Computerised version

Recommended for accurate production of printed APAR Instructions, Scoresheets and Stimulus Cards.

No longer available!

PDF file
apar.pdf
(approx 15.4 MB)

Compressed PDF file
apar.zip
(approx 15.0 MB)

Instructions and Test materials

Instructions are presented here as though participants will use eye-gaze. Examiners may find that other response options are more suitable (eg pointing). In addition, for people with speech, spoken responses will provide added information and should be noted by examiners.

1. Reading Tests

1. Reading Real Words

2. Reading Non-Words

3. Comprehension of Written Words

4. Comprehension of Written Sentences

5. Comprehension of Written Texts

2. Phonological Awareness Tests

1. Blending Real Words

2. Blending Non-Words

3. Phoneme Counting - Adults

4. Phoneme Counting - Children

5. Phoneme Analysis

3. Listening Comprehension Tests
Vocabulary, sentence and text listening comprehension tests are administered because of the close relationship between these skills and the ability to read. Comparison of these tests with the tests of Reading and Phonological Awareness will help to determine specific problems in reading and those that may be associated with a language or general cognitive problem.

1. Vocabulary
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition (PPVT-III). By L.M Dunn, & L.M. Dunn.

2. Sentence Plausibility

3. Grammaticality Judgements

4. Comprehension of Text

www.elr.com.au/apar

www.fsf.org/home.html

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adults with disability web access literacy development

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Assessment of Phonological Awareness and Reading

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The APAR was designed to assess the Phonological Awareness (PA) and reading skills of adult participants in the project Web Access for Literacy Development in Individuals with Disability, funded through AccessAbility, Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts. The participants in this project had physical and/or intellectual disability.

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Explicit Vs. Embedded literacy instruction 

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Explicit Vs. Embedded literacy instruction 

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Home :: Literacy Instruction for Individuals with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and Other Disabilities

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Research-based guidelines for early intervention designed to maximize the language and communication development of young children with complex communication needs including those with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and multiple disabilities.

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy-nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

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Reading & Writing 4 All - Predictable Chart Writing

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Predictabe Chart Writing is an entry point to introduce writing for meaning with emerging writers. There are NO prerequisites to being an emerging writer. Students don't have to show interest in print or the ability to engage in print.

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Comprehensive Literacy for ALL focusing on students with complex communication needs

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Rethinking Non-Compliance as a Skill and Promoting Self-Advocacy

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Rethinking Non-Compliance as a Skill and Promoting Self-Advocacy

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Nearly all behavior analysts have come across "non-compliance" within the behavior repertoire of our consumers. Many of us have operationally defined it and targeted it for deceleration. However, how often do we stop to consider the significance of non-compliance? Can non-compliance be adaptive? Can non-compliance have multiple adaptive functions? Can we teach our consumers to discriminate when and how to adaptively communicate "no"?

Applied behavior analysis, or ABA, has received considerable negative press lately, with some of that criticism being an overemphasis on compliance of autistic clients (Veneziano & Shea, 2022; Wilkenfeld & McCarthy, 2020). However uncomfortable as it may be to receive criticism as someone who is committed to work in a helping profession and adheres to the value of applied behavior analysis and evidence-based practices, the field can benefit from listening to these concerns and care can be improved. There is value in assessing the criticism to understand it and clinically reflect on the extent that it applies to our work. This is the only way we can improve our practices as behavior analysts with the people we serve. We need to acknowledge our own biases and learning history. Only then can we move forward and continue to learn and grow as we remain curious and open to learning more as to how our science can improve the quality of life of those we serve.

Rethinking Non-Compliance as Withdrawing Assent

Due to ongoing challenges with appropriate funding and the staffing crisis, time is of the essence more than ever when it comes to the importance of skill-building. This can lead well-intentioned behavior analysts, teachers, and caregivers in wanting every moment to be a teaching opportunity, with little time for "non-compliance." Non-compliance, however, might be conceptualized as a withdrawal of assent, or a lack of consent, with instruction or another component of the treatment process. Assent has been promoted within the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (Behavior Analyst Certification Board [BACB]®, 2020) and is now an obligation for both practitioners and for researchers. It is imperative to monitor and gain assent, and to respond compassionately and humanely to any withdrawals of assent. There is room for improvement in the integration of assent into clinical and research work in ABA (Morris et al., 2021). More needs to be done to train practitioners to understand assent, to ensure that assent is integrated into care, and to developing assent procedures for individuals who are non-vocal. A related consideration is to rethink our service delivery to alter our instructional approach. Rather than treat escape-maintained behavior, we should think about how our instruction can be reworked into something individuals opt into (e.g., Rajaraman et al., 2022).

Not only is non-compliance a signal that something needs to be modified with our clinical approach; non-compliance is an essential skill. Teaching "no" and respecting it as a means of promoting a healthy, safe, and well-rounded life is critical. Non-compliance is especially valuable in the context of personal sexual safety, in addition to sexuality education, across individuals, diagnoses, and communication skills (Schulman & Gerhardt, 2017). Simply put, an individual cannot be sexually safe if they cannot be non-compliant. As professionals, we need to reflect on how this relates to the work we do. When non-compliance is targeted for decrease, it can send the message that we do not respect an individual's "no." This may further reduce self-advocacy in the form of asking questions, expressing feelings, or engaging in dialogue with us. Unfortunately, we must be mindful of the potential ramifications for harm in this paradigm; it can leave our consumers vulnerable to harm, exploitation, or abuse. For all of these reasons, we need to be thoughtful and re-assess how we can discriminately teach our consumers the value of communicating "no."

Promoting Self-Advocacy

Time is of the essence when it comes to building skills and independence with autistic children and adolescents; helping our clients develop a repertoire that includes self-advocacy is key. Non-compliance with the command of a functional "no" response that others respect is the foundation of self-advocacy, allowing individuals to advocate for themselves and their needs. A popular disability advocacy site, Covey.org, breaks down self-advocacy simply into the following: Knowing oneself, knowing one's needs, and knowing how to get those needs met. Non-compliance is endemic in all three parts; self-advocacy cannot occur without the ability to be non-compliant.

In addition to listening to autistic voices and ensuring we are appreciating the nuance of this topic, we need to write better, more nuanced, and collaborative goals with respect with self-advocacy skills at the forefront. Here are some practical starting points:

Replace references to "non-compliance" with skills to promote instead.

Alternatively, frame the goal as cooperation instead of compliance, and ensure that it is targeted only when cooperation is important. Drop references to compliance, as it leads to an over-focus on following commands without consideration of choice, assent, or other contextual factors.

Get curious about why we are observing "non-compliance." Consider this through a behavior analytic lens and use problem solving to identify elements of intervention that are objectionable to the learner.

Reflect and reconsider why we value compliance in a particular situation and whether it is even appropriate or necessary to do so in a given context.

A simple first step is to adjust the language we use - both spoken and in written goals. This can be accomplished by replacing "non-compliance" with either cooperation or by focusing on skills to promote and teach while ensuring they align with the individual's personal goals and desires. For instance, rather than targeting decreasing non-compliance, look to increase pragmatic skills such as negotiation, compromise, safe "no" responses, and problem-solving, all which will promote self-advocacy.

Another objective to consider is to assess the function of non-compliance. This can prompt caregivers, teachers, and clinicians to ask several questions. For instance, is the person having difficulty with the task? Are they experiencing a strong emotion that is preventing them from communicating effectively? Could they be feeling unwell? There are countless possibilities, with some being best responded to with individualized accommodations or assistance. By stepping back and considering why we are observing non-compliance, we can more compassionately let the needs of the person guide us in a collaborative approach.

Also, it is crucial to give careful consideration of our own experiences, perspectives, and biases and how they affect our own behavior. As teachers and clinicians, we must self-reflect on why we value compliance in a particular situation or with a specific skill. Rethinking if it is necessary, considering if it can be done differently, or rescheduling it for later might better respect a consumer's personal needs or desires. Everyone has life experiences that shape our interactions and expectations; self-reflection and adjustment of our own behavior can help us do better for those we serve.

Working with autistic individuals, we want the best outcomes for those we teach and serve. Listening to criticisms, understanding them, and looking to always do better are essential steps for achieving best outcomes and becoming better behavioral clinicians. Small changes in the language we use can have a large impact; it may be time for the field to de-emphasize compliance and to focus instead on cooperation and collaboration. Finally, the integration of assent, and the assessment of monitoring assent, are now ethical mandates and elements of best practice. It is important to explicitly identify how assent will be gained and how it will be ensured throughout the instruction.
Alex Kishbaugh, MS, BCBA, LABA, is Director of Adult Services and Haley M. K. Steinhauser, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, is Director of Clinical Services at For more information, contact Alex Kishbaugh at References akishbaugh@melmarkne.org, Dr. Haley Steinhauser at hsteinhauser@melmarkne.org, or Frank Bird at fbird@melmarkne.org. Melmark New England. Frank L. Bird, MEd, BCBA, LABA, is Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at .
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2020). Ethics code for behavior analysts. https://bacb.com/wp-content/ethics-code-for-behavior-analysts/

Covey. (n. d.). The three parts of self-advocacy for people with disabilities. https://covey.org/self-advocacy/

Morris, C., Detrick, J. L., & Peterson, S. M. (2021). Participant assent in behavior analytic research: Considerations for participants with autism and developmental disabilities, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54, 1300-1316. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.859

Rajaraman, A., Hanley G. P., Gover, H. C., Staubitz, J. L., Staubitz, J. E., Simcoe, K. M. & Metras, R. (2022). Minimizing escalation by treating dangerous problem behavior within an enhanced choice model. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 219-242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00548-2

Schulman, R., & Gerhardt, P. (2017, January 1). Healthy sexuality education for individuals with autism. Autism Spectrum News. https://www.autismspectrumnews.org/healthy-sexuality-education-for-individuals-with-autism/

Veneziano, J., & Shea, S. (2022). They have a voice; are we listening? Behavior Analysis in Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00690-z

Wilkenfeld, D. A., & McCarthy, A. M. (2020). Ethical concerns with applied behavior analysis for autism spectrum "disorder". Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 30(1), 31-69. https://doi.org/10.1353/ken.2020.0000

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Rethinking Non-Compliance as a Skill and Promoting Self-Advocacy

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This article suggests that non-compliance should be interpreted as an essential skill and an indication that an individual is withdrawing assent.

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use for lanyard, have on their desk, if their device dies.

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Download and print PDF books of the core word pages from our TD Snap app. These communication books are a great introduction to language for symbol-supported communicators before they get their device. Or keep them on hand as a simple solution to be used in the car, at the playground, near the pool, or anywhere else it might be inconvenient to use a device.

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Download and print PDF books of the core word pages from our TD Snap app. These communication books are a great introduction to language for symbol-supported communicators before they get their device. Or keep them on hand as a simple solution to be used in the car, at the playground, near the pool, or anywhere else it might be inconvenient to use a device.

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A low-tech option is a great tool as a back-up to the dedicated solution, use for modeling or during water activities. These low-tech printable options are available to support some of the WordPower ™ files. Pre-made downloadable options are offered for the WordPower42 Basic, 60 Basic, 60 and the 108 location files. Note the 108 location option will include a full page flip to verbs. WordPower48 Español Básico recently joined the WordPower low-tech family. The flipbook downloads include instructions to make the flipbooks for these great low-tech options. These options are designed with flips to the access more vocabulary within various categories, similar to the way you would navigate the vocabulary on a NovaChat® or ChatFusion™.

*Please note that printers may have variations that cause downloaded pages do not line up perfectly. It is recommended to print, laminate, cut and check the alignment of the flips before you punch holes. Adjust by cutting or aligning flips before punching holes.

You will find personal manual communication board options and poster size options. The manual communication boards can be printed on standard or legal size paper. The poster size options allow you to customize the size. We have tried printing at 34.5 by 53 inches with success. In addition to the 88 location Core Words Poster, you will find an option to download the individual core words (grouped 4 on a page) to create pull-offs to the poster or build the poster through individual buttons.

If you want to create your own customized low -tech option, check out the video tutorial providing you with a how-to demonstration. The ChatEditor software is used to customize the low tech options. Create a low-tech option using the customized NovaChat or ChatFusion file.

Virtual Background

Flip Options

Personal Manual Communication Boards

Cantonese Translation
Russian Translation
Japanese Translation
Traditional Chinese Translation
Poster

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Communication universal supports self- assessment 

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Communication universal supports self- assessment 

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Copy of Communication Portion of the Waverly Universal Supports Self Assessment

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All pages available for TD motor 30

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Erin Sheldon AAC in the Cloud 2020 Transition Planning

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Erin Sheldon AAC in the Cloud 2020 Transition Planning

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Erin Sheldon AAC in the Cloud 2020 Transition Planning