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No tech communication strategy

"Sign language serves as a powerful tool for individuals with autism, helping them build connections and establish meaningful relationships. By bridging the communication gap, sign language fosters inclusion, understanding, and social interaction" (Moller, 2024).

Sign language allows students to communicate with others who use spoken language, which helps students become included and make relationships with peers and adults in the school.

To implement sign language, it is crucial to start with the basics (signs for bathroom, water, drink, help, letters) and work towards more in depth signs. A speech and language therapist, who is trained is sign language, can help both students and parents to work toward this goal.

Evaluating the effectiveness and progress of this strategy can be done through communication with the student. If the student is able to sign the words that have been taught then you know the strategy is effective.

Further information about the use of sign language for individuals with autism can be found by visiting: https://www.abtaba.com/blog/sign-language-for-autism#:~:text=Sign%20language%20serves%20as%20a%20powerful%20tool%20for%20emotional%20expression,and%20develop%20self%2Dregulation%20skills.

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Low-tech strategy

"Visuals can involve communication books or boards that use images and/or words on cards to help the individual learn the word and its meaning. The individual can point to the image when they want to communicate" (The Spectrum, 2024).

Example: If a student is thirsty, the student can point to the picture of a cup.

The video above teaches you how to get students to use a communication board to communicate.

Evaluation is done through observations of the student using the visuals to communicate with peers and adults.

More information about communication boards can be found by clicking: https://thespectrum.org.au/autism-strategy/autism-strategy-communication/

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how to get students to use a communication boards

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How to Use a Communication Board to Get your Child Talking

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Communication Strategy: Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

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Communication Strategy: Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

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Low-tech communication strategy

"PECS consists of six phases and begins by teaching an individual to give a single picture of a desired item or action to a 'communicative partner' who immediately honors the exchange as a request. The system goes on to teach discrimination of pictures and how to put them together in sentences" (Pyramid Educational Consultants of Australia, n.d.).

The system will eventually allow for individuals to answer questions.

Individuals are taught in the following order of phases:

Phase 1: How to Communicate

Phase 2: Distance and Persistence

Phase 3: Picture Discrimination

Phase 4: Sentence Structure

Phase 5: Attributes and Language Expansion

Phase 6: Responsive Requesting

The phases can be detailed further by visiting this website: https://pecsaustralia.com/pecs/

Evaluation of the system is based on observation of the student performing the expectations of each phase.

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No tech communication strategy to support social relationships with peers and adults.

This is when you teach a student to nod their head to indicate yes or no, pointing to indicate that they would like you to look at something, clapping to show that they are happy, reaching arms out to indicate that they need a hug, and so many more (Autism Speaks, 2024).

It is very important to make sure that you as the teacher or specialist is modeling how to make the different gestures multiple times in order for the individual to understand the meaning of each gesture.

To evaluate the effectiveness, the teacher or specialist can ask questions and determine if the student is using the appropriate gestures to indicate what they are trying to communicate. If you find they are struggling, reinforce the gestures by continued modeling. For example, if child is shaking his head no but means yes, its important to model shaking your head no when you mean to say no.

For more information visit: https://www.autismspeaks.org/expert-opinion/seven-ways-help-your-child-nonverbal-autism-speak#:~:text=Focus%20on%20nonverbal%20communication.&text=Use%20both%20your%20body%20and,%2C%20reaching%20out%20arms%2C%20etc.

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PODD stands for Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display.

Low-tech system.

"Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display (PODD) is a means of selecting and organizing symbols so that people with complex communication needs and their communication partners can communicate more easily" (Right FIT Speech and Feeding Therapy, 2018).

Above is a video on how to implement a PODD book.

Effectiveness of the system is through observation of how children are structuring their sentences and providing answers to others.

For more information, visit https://www.rightfitspeech.com/podd#podd

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High-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system

"Key word sign is the use of signs and natural gestures to support communication and the language development of children and/or adults with communication difficulties" (Kid Sense Child Development Corporation Pty Ltd, 2023).

Steps to using the app:

"Always use speech together with the sign,

Speak in normal, grammatical sentences,

Sign only the keywords in the sentence,

Use facial expressions and body language,

Use natural gestures" (Ivanos, 2023).

Signs to look for if the student is struggling with the system:

frustration

reverting to old communication modes (grunting, pointing, grabbing)

struggling to make signs with fingers

inability to focus to sign

inability to retain learned signs (Kid Sense Child Development Corporation Pty Ltd, 2023).

For more information visit: https://childdevelopment.com.au/areas-of-concern/using-speech/key-word-sign/

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High-tech AAC device.

GoTalks , "simply record messages - any messages the user will likely need, in any language, dialect or accent, and the user can use them to communicate with the press of a button" (Spectronics, n.d.)!

This device is great for students to express their wants and needs by pressing a button. Recorded messages can include, "I need to use the bathroom, can I go for a walk, or I need a drink."

Teachers or Speech and Language Pathologists can record their voices and then model to students how to and when to use each recorded message to communicate.

Evaluating the effectiveness can be done through observations by determining if the students are using the recorded messages at the appropriate times. For example, if a student chooses the recorded message about asking for a drink, but running to the bathroom, you know they are not using the device appropriately.

For more information, visit https://www.spectronics.com.au/catalogue/gotalk-communication-device-series

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High-Tech AAC Device App- Can only be used with FAAST iPads.

"Proloquo2Go is a symbol-supported communication app providing a voice to individuals around the world who are unable to speak" (FAAST, 2023).

Students with autism can use this app by clicking on a picture or phrase and allowing the app to speak for them. They also can learn grammar and vocabulary.

Above is a video on how to implement and use the app.

Determining the effectiveness of the app can be determined by how students are using the words and phrases in context and by how they are interacting with it. If students are showing frustration, it would be beneficial to keep working with them to use the app.

For more information or to download the app, visit https://faast.org/product/proloquo2go-symbol-based-aac-app/

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Beginners Guide to the Proloquo2Go Communication App

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High-Tech AAC app for iPads, iPad Mini, iPhone, and iPad Touch.

This app allows students to communicate by clicking on pictures, it allows head tracking for individuals who can't use their hands, and it also allows for a split screen to answer on one side and see an assignment or picture on the other side (TouchChat by Saltillo, 2024).

Students with autism can use this app by just using the pictures to communicate or they can have the app speak for them.

Above is a video of how to implement and use TouchChat.

TouchChat provides a data logging capability to monitor and measure how a student is using the device. With data logging, a summary of a students performance can also be tracked (TouchChat by Saltillo, 2024).

For more information or to download the app visit: https://touchchatapp.com/

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Attainment Company. (2021). A Voice for Everyone: Go Talk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5wmk4zk7hU

Autism Speaks. (2024). Teaching Nonverbal Autistic Children to Talk. https://www.autismspeaks.org/expert-opinion/seven-ways-help-your-child-nonverbal-autism-speak#:~:text=Focus%20on%20nonverbal%20communication.&text=Use%20both%20your%20body%20and,%2C%20reaching%20out%20arms%2C%20etc.

Ivanos, A. (2023). Introduction to Key Word Sign (KWS). https://opt.net.au/optimum-life/introduction-to-key-word-sign-kws/

Kid Sense Child Development Corporation Pty Ltd. (2023). Key Word Sense. https://childdevelopment.com.au/areas-of-concern/using-speech/key-word-sign/

Lingraphica. (2024). The Lingraphica TouchTalk Plus AAC Device. https://lingraphica.com/aac-devices/touchtalk-plus/

Lingraphica. (n.d.). User Guide Version 2.15.2. https://devices.aphasia.com/hubfs/Downloadable_Content/User-Guide-J0920.pdf

Madel, R. (2018). How to Use a Communiction Board to Get your Child Talking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-aam4LI3kc

Missouri AT. (2018). Touch Chat Basics Training Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tK2bT8Wou4

Moller, R. (2024). Benefits of Sign Language for Autism. https://www.abtaba.com/blog/sign-language-for-autism#:~:text=Sign%20language%20serves%20as%20a%20powerful%20tool%20for%20emotional%20expression,and%20develop%20self%2Dregulation%20skills

Pyramid Educational Consultants of Australia. (n.d.). Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). https://pecsaustralia.com/pecs/

Right FIT Speech and Feeding Therapy. (2018). Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display (PODD). https://www.rightfitspeech.com/podd#podd

Special Education Sessions. (2020). Beginners Guide to the Proloquo2Go Communication App. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD787kRJSyA

Special Education Sessions. (2020). Beginners Guide to Using a PODD Book. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ozlJPAAec

Spectronics. (n.d.). GoTalk Series. https://www.spectronics.com.au/catalogue/gotalk-communication-device-series

The Spectrum. (2024). Autism Communication Strategies. https://thespectrum.org.au/autism-strategy/autism-strategy-communication/

TouchChat by Saltillo. (2024). Discover the Joy of Communication for iPad/iPod/iPhone. https://touchchatapp.com/

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High-Tech AAC device.

"The Lingraphica TouchTalk Plus is a large tablet with a brilliant display that helps individuals with a variety of speech and language challenges to improve their communication, speech, and quality of life" (Lingraphica, 2024).

You can evaluate the effectiveness of TouchTalkPlus by determining if they are gaining progress with speech or using the appropriate words and phrases used in context with the discussion or to answer a question. Speech and language therapists can also use the therapy mode to track speech progress.

The Speech and Language therapist will work with students to tap the icons, type, draw images, or take pictures to communicate.

Click on the picture above to visit the user guide, which will give more information about the features and how to use the device.