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In this guide, you will find common strategies and assistive/augmentative technologies that can be used to support students with ASD. The importance of communication is unmatched by any educational category. Without communication, skills can not be taught or learned and positive experiences will fail to exist.

This guide is broken into 2 major categories; Communication strategies and systems, and AAC devices. You will find a brief description of each category under the descriptive tab along with strategies and resources that support communication for our students with ASD.

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This category will identify and discuss 5 strategies for building communication for students with ASD. These strategies are peer mediated intervention, least to most prompting, embedded explicit instruction, use of visual supports, and functional communication training. These strategies can be implemented in a wide range of settings and aid in the promotion of engagement through student interest while promoting an environment that meets all the physical and emotional needs of the students.

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Peer-mediated strategies

Peer mediated strategies are implemented in classroom settings. The intervention is where peers are used as instructional agents to help other children learn targeted skills. This can be easily implemented alongside other evidence-based practices such as PECS, or Sign language. Studies show that students learn best through social learning opportunities when engaged in learning with peers. Students can practice communication skills related to requests, self-advocacy, and leisure conversation. (Wright et al., 2018) For students with ASD, it is imperative to integrate strategies that are hands on and interesting to student to boost engagement and retention. Students invest interest when participating with peers and engage in better active communication.

Peer mediated strategies could be partner work, games with peers, small group activities or peer discussions such as turn and talk. This could also look like teaching another peer how to understand the system being used by the student such as understanding requests made by the student by use of communication board or device, choice board, or PECs system. The peer would ask the student questions that correlate to responses possible by the communication abilities such as simplified questions such as who, what, when, where, questions as well as prompting statement like “your turn” after a move in a game. The student can also be prompted through use of the peer using task demands such as writing a letter or number.

The evaluation process would be through observations and note taking during peer intervention activities. This would most likely look like a summary of communications and attempts between the students and data recorded for which requests and simple communications were executed accurately. This can be a process that takes some time to perfect for the learning of the student and the peers learning to adapt to the communication strategy being implemented such as peers learning simple signs or process of strategy. Then the practice can be adjusted based on data and abilities of all students involved to create a more effective experience every time.

For more information: https://evidencebased.education/peer-collaboration-in-the-classroom/

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Least to most prompting is a form or coaching where the teacher provides the least amount of support to start and increases verbal or physical support as needed for the student to be successful. It Is considered an error-less system of teaching that provides the encouragement for the student to continue to engage (Walker et al., 2020). This strategy is low-tech and easily modified to fit the needs and communication abilities of any students. Least to most prompting is great when teaching a student to ask questions or make requests when you guide them through the statement. This looks like “Can I” and allowing appropriate time for the student to process the request and respond. This is where the staff need to really identify the body language of the student and be able to visually identify the non-verbal cues that the student needs help. If they can’t finish the assigned statement or request, you would slowly insert the prompts until the statement is complete. This can take time and is commonly used when teaching functional communication. Role playing and practicing making requests or communicating answers or needs can also be accomplished through leveled prompting. This could look like the child is trying to open a jar with stickers in it. The teacher says, “What do you need?” The child continues to struggle. The teacher increases the intrusiveness of her prompt and says, “Say, ‘Help me.’” The teacher says, “Thanks for asking” and opens the jar.

This method is very effective for students with communication deficits as they may not remember sentence starters, appropriate responses, or how to communicate the need for assistance. When used properly, this method supports students who have deficits in working memory or slow recall abilities who may just need light prompting to begin a task or response before the recall happens.

When completing a hands-on task, this method may look like giving the direction through task analysis then giving the student time to begin task and only prompting or assisting as much as necessary. Stepping back on the level of assistance at the beginning of each additional step. To assess the effectiveness of this method, staff would record summary on session and amount of prompting or assistance given such as “prompted student to use task pictures for hand washing, verbal prompt to turn on water. Student did not complete task after multiple prompts which led to hand over hand assistance to begin task, then student remembered process for the remainder of steps to wash hands.” This type of note taking along with frequency of prompts needed in the form of tally marks shows a pattern of support that changes or stays the same and is easily analyzed.

For more information tap on the picture or visit https://vcuautismcenter.org/resources/factsheets/printView.cfm/1007 .

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Embedded explicit instruction

Explicit instruction is embedded into ongoing classroom activities and routines. For students with autism, social and communication deficits can make learning new concepts difficult. One way that retention can become boosted is by integrating learning into everyday activity such as creating learning routines and communication practice during leisure activities. This creates learning that is more relevant and natural to them. (Snyder et al., 2015a). This is a low-tech option that can easily integrate technology into it by utilizing the technology for student requests. For example, if a student is coloring a picture, the teacher can hold the markers and require a request for the next color using their communication system. The teacher can prompt as needed until the student yields the correct response. In essence, when a student is learning to use communication, every activity in the classroom setting utilizes embedded instruction when peers are communicating or working together.

Evaluation of the progress made through embedded instruction would be through data tracking on specific actions or responses that are being targeted. This could be tracked by number of correct responses, or level of accuracy related to task requirements. The explicit part of the strategy refers to targeting a specific goal or skill while utilizing the routine. This could be a student’s ability to identify and communicate the next step of their morning routine.

For more information : https://education.ufl.edu/capitalcampaign/initiatives/early-learning/embedded-instruction-california/#:~:text=Embedded%20instruction%20means%20rather%20than,and%20transitions%20in%20the%20classroom.

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Visual Supports

Visual supports are designed to aid in comprehension, reduce anxiety and support expressive and receptive communication skills. This can be either a low-tech or no tech option for support in the form of digitally presented visuals or handmade anchor charts or printed pictures. Visual supports are considered an established practice by the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAEP) and have shown positive outcomes in reducing behavior problems and enhancing communication. Students with ASD show a deficit in working memory and receptive language skills. When you see a visual related to criteria being learned, your brain better stores the information and relates it to a visual helping to increase recall ability later.

When working with students with autism, you can utilize visuals by providing anchor charts or pictures that relate to the criteria. This reduces anxiety and helps students with receptive language deficits to understand the topic more clearly. This is also true with visual choice boards or schedules. Students learn to remember tasks or information attached to a specific picture then when they see the picture, they know the expectation; such as seeing a picture of a toilet and knowing it is time for a restroom break, or a picture of a favorite snack can mean that the student needs to eat like when PECs system is used.

Visuals close the gap in communication when students cannot express their wants or needs and can be a simple addition to an activity to assist the student in communicating with peers. Often, I see pictures being useful in task analysis, visual schedules, PECs systems and emergency signs. This has many ways to assess learning such as using pictures to check retell ability after reading the student a book. By having the student organize pictures in order of events from the story, it gives the student a voice to show comprehension of the story. In a math lesson, the teacher could offer a math equation and the student could show a picture of the right answer or show pictures to explain the problem by showing the numerical equation next to a visual representation of the same problem.

Examples:

Visual schedules

First/Then boards

Choice boards

Social stories (personalized narratives explaining social situations)

For more information: https://card.ufl.edu/resources/visual-supports/

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Functional communication Training

Functional Communication training is an evidence-based strategy that is utilized is both school and therapy settings as a solution to communication deficits. Students with ASD struggle with the communication and executive function skills required for self-advocacy. This leads to problem behaviors present from a lack of ability to communicate a need for such wants like a break, help. or dislike for a transition or activity. Functional communication training involves teaching a student an alternate response to what they need without the interruptive or unsafe behavior. Students are taught to offer a verbal request or statement, or visual sign or gesture to request an alternative option (Tiger et al., 2008).

Proper implementation of this strategy consists of identifying a problem behavior that is a result of communication deficits and teaching the student a response such as going on a break, requesting alternative option, or responding with a taught response to a stressful situation. When a student is getting escalated, they would stand up and walk outside to take a break instead of escalating in the classroom. This could also be taught with raising a break card up for the teacher to see and taking themselves to a designated location. This teaches a student to be self-aware of their emotions and needs and advocate when they do not have the skills to communicate that they are feeling frustrated or don’t understand. This strategy can also be implemented by teaching a student to show a physical sign such as the sign for help instead of not doing assignment.

Assessing the effectiveness of functional communication training is accomplished by assessing the behavior that is being targeted for replacement. This can be assessed by summary of observation session or by collecting frequency data on the targeted behavior. Students should be observed over a minimum of 6 weeks to allow for teaching of the behavior or routine before making too many adjustments to the replacement behavior. Any adjustments to intervention need to be recorded for progress monitoring.

For more information: https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/functional-communication-training/

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AAC is broken down into 3 categories; unaided AAC, low-tech AAC, and high-tech AAC. Unaided AAC includes such methods as gestures and body language, sign language, or vocal responses. Low-tech AAC is choice boards, communication boards, first/then charts, task analysis, and PECs. High-tech AAC is speech generating devices, tablets or computers with special programs, and adaptive tools.

This section will discuss each category and examples of implementation methods and benefits for each.

AAC devices make communication for students with ASD possible in all settings for the best chance at success.

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Unaided AAC:

Unaided AAC is any form of communication that does not require external devices or technology. This includes gestures, facial expressions and body language, vocalizations and sign language. Unaided communication is the most optimal methods of communication as it is easier to integrate peer mediated intervention when the student can communicate without technology(Sigafoos & Drasgow, 2001). Gestures and body language are a student’s natural instincts to requests. When students have ASD, gestures need to be taught such as pointing at a picture for a request or acting out a need or want like charades. Sign language can also be taught to peers to help communication and can be even be taught as a whole group lesson such as teaching the peers how to communicate help me, play, sit, eat and asking simple questions such as who, where, what, and other simple classroom signs. This is a great way to create inclusion for students with communication deficits that really helps students to understand how to empathize with others.

To implement unaided AAC, you would give a direction or ask a question, then you would wait for the student to respond with either gestures, signs, or body language. After allowing time for delayed responses, you would coach the student by modeling an acceptable response based on the type of communication. This could be asking the student if they need help, then when the student gestures or gives indication through body language that help is needed, the teacher would verbally coach and physically model the sign for help me. Then if needed, hand over hand guided the students’ body through the sign. This is the same way that simple signs such as bathroom and more are taught as well as simple signs for human needs such as food, water and break. Sign is a great way to teach students with ASD to communicate with others and helps teach self-advocacy quickly. Then low tech or high-tech devices can be worked in to teach more complex responses.

For more information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/unaided-communication

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Low-tech AAC devices are methods for communication that are portable and hand held but do not require technologies to use. This can be picture exchange communication system (PECS), communication boards or books, choice boards, first/then charts, or task analysis. All of these methods as hand held, and portable that utilize a set symbol or picture card to represent a phrase or request. These methods are relatively inexpensive but require manual updating and adjustment (Murray & Hopf, 2022).

PECS is the most common system used to boost communication for students with ASD. This system can easily be aligned with a communication or choice board as well as task analysis since they all use single picture cards to represent a task or request. The teacher would implement this system but withholding an item that the student wants. When the student reaches for it, they would coach, model, or hand over hand guide the student to find a related picture and hand it to the teacher in trade for the item. Then the teacher would give the student the item. This works well with food incentive where students can answer questions related to story retell, or answering questions with single answers. Commonly the correct response is rewarded with a tangible item or timed access to preferred item. This process is repeated until the request is independent. Once responses are fluid, the chart or communication book gets farther away, causing the student to have to seek out the system to retrieve the needed picture. This teaches students how to use the system within their classroom if they are not carrying it.

This system is assessed with every training session and amount of prompt or difficulty of request can be adjusted as needed. This makes this system easily modified and progress easily analyzed.

For more information: https://www.communicationcommunity.com/aacfileslowtech/

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High-tech AAC is described as devices that require outside power source and are run through technology such as tablets with communication programs, static display devices such as touch technology, and speech generating devices. Static devices can be leveled and vocalize a programed response to a touch on the device; such as leap frog that uses an insert and chip to communicate which board is on the device then when a picture is chosen, it gives a vocal of the phrase referenced. This can be effective when teaching leveled instruction based on academic criteria such as reading or math. This style or communication is seen in many v-tech flip books designed for word exploration. Tablet based programs are the most common for student with ASD as they can be programmed to supply related criteria in an electronic catalog that can vary in complexity of responses.

Tablet devices are taught by requesting a response from a student, then they answer by choosing the appropriate picture that represents the response much like PECS. Then the device will vocally speak back what is chose. This is great for more advanced communication skills such as building multi word response such as “I want cookies” where “want has a button and cookie has a button and when pushed in order, the student can build multi-word responses. The teacher will also use be using the device to communicate back both verbally and modeling with the device. This takes practice and like learning a video game, can become easy for the student to learn. This method like low tech needs to be updated regularly and student interest items need to be manually inputted. This does make vocal communications with peers more understandable as it vocally speaks for the student.

Assessment of the effectiveness of such devices is conducted daily through data and observation of the student’s ability to respond with appropriate responses. Like all AAC styles, this can be adjusted based on amount of prompting and increase in response complexity as mastery is seen. This can also be measured through the complexity of the question being asked even if the student responses are still 2-3 words responses. This is seen in retell and can be used along with phonics by having the student go to a phonetic page and essentially use the device to sound out words to teach blending. This is the best method for teaching student that are non-verbal to understand blending.

For more information: https://www.communicationcommunity.com/what-is-high-tech-aac/

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Arthur-Kelly, M., Sigafoos, J., Green, V., Mathisen, B., & Arthur-Kelly, R. (2009, January 1). Issues in the use of visual supports to promote communication in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION -LONDON AND WASHINGTON- TAYLOR AND FRANCIS-, 31(18), 1474–1486.

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Tiger, J. H., Hanley, G. P., & Bruzek, J. (2008). Functional communication training: a review and practical guide. Behavior analysis in practice, 1(1), 16–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391716

Wright, C., Diener, M., Wright, S., Rafferty, D., & Taylor, C. (2019). Peer Teachers with Autism Teaching 3D Modeling. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 66(4), 438–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2018.1540770

Walker, V. L., Douglas, S. N., Douglas, K. H., & D’Agostino, S. R. (2020). Paraprofessional-Implemented Systematic Instruction for Students with Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review. Education & Training in Autism & Developmental Disabilities, 55(3), 303–317.