AAC Supporting Literacy Instruction for Individuals With Deafblindness

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 98-106
Author(s):  
Christopher Brum
Keyword(s):  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Literacy Development ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Communication Supports

This paper aims to provide an overview of literacy as it relates to children with deafblindness, including information on literacy instruction and specific examples of activities that support literacy development for this population. It will also explain how augmentative and alternative communication supports, including the use of technology, can be integrated into literacy instruction for individuals with deafblindness.

Thomas the Writer

1995 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doreen M. Blischak
Keyword(s):  
Literacy Development ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Second Grade ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Central Vision ◽  
Grade Classroom

A case study is presented to describe the development of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and literacy skills by a 9-year-old child, Thomas, who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and a central vision impairment. Thomas’s development and progress from birth to second grade is chronicled. Development and use of his AAC system also is described, along with activities for language and literacy development and his inclusion in a second grade classroom.

Teachers' Perspectives on Literacy Instruction for Students with Severe Disabilities Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication

2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 100-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Ruppar ◽  
Stacy K. Dymond ◽  
Janet S. Gaffney
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
General Education Curriculum ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perspectives on the appropriate skills and settings for literacy instruction, the factors influencing their decisions about literacy instruction, and the barriers to literacy instruction in general education classrooms. A sample of special education teachers (n = 69) of students taking the Illinois Alternate Assessment were surveyed, and results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicate that teachers prefer to provide life-skills-linked literacy instruction in special education classrooms and consider student characteristics and features of the general education curriculum when making these decisions. Also, the setting had a significant effect on teachers' rankings of preferred literacy skills to teach. Teachers may not understand how to adapt literacy content or how access to literacy instruction in a variety of contexts may benefit their students with severe disabilities.

“Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Will Give You a Voice”: Key Practices in AAC Assessment and Intervention as Described by Persons with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (05) ◽  
pp. 399-415
Author(s):  
Felicia Giambalvo ◽  
Kim Kohler ◽  
Godfrey Nazareth ◽  
Jessica Caron ◽  
Susan Fager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Complex Communication Needs ◽  
Multiple Modalities ◽  
Intervention Process ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
Communication Supports ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (pALS) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with the AAC assessment and intervention process. Twenty-one pALS with complex communication needs participated in a multipart survey (and follow-up e-mails) to provide information on their experiences with AAC assessment and intervention. A majority of the participants agreed with the importance of three key AAC intervention principles: appropriate staging of the timing of assessment and intervention activities, inclusion of communication partners, and the use of multiple modalities and strategies as communication supports. Most participants reported that their assessment and intervention experiences included at least some aspect of these three key practices. The results of this study suggest that the identified best practices in AAC should be reviewed and implemented on an individualized basis for pALS with complex communication needs.

Pointing Forward: Typing for Academic Access

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Ashby ◽  
Christi Kasa
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Classroom Strategies ◽  
Social Opportunities ◽  
Communication Supports

Abstract For students who do not demonstrate reliable verbal speech, utilization of augmentative and alternative communication, both low-tech and high-tech, can be an effective way of engaging meaningfully in the academic and social opportunities of the classroom. This article discusses the benefits of drawing on a variety of communication supports, including typing to communicate, and outlines key principles and practices for the successful inclusion of students who type in academic classes. Key principles include universal design, presuming competence, writing effective IEP goals, and successful classroom strategies.

The Effect of Symbol Background Color on the Speed of Locating Targets by Adults Without Disabilities: Implications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Display Design

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1482-1488
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. Thistle
Keyword(s):  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
The Other ◽  
Background Color ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Display Design ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
Research With Children ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Perceptual Factors

Purpose Previous research with children with and without disabilities has demonstrated that visual–perceptual factors can influence the speech of locating a target on an array. Adults without disabilities often facilitate the learning and use of a child's augmentative and alternative communication system. The current research examined how the presence of symbol background color influenced the speed with which adults without disabilities located target line drawings in 2 studies. Method Both studies used a between-subjects design. In the 1st study, 30 adults (ages 18–29 years) located targets in a 16-symbol array. In the 2nd study, 30 adults (ages 18–34 years) located targets in a 60-symbol array. There were 3 conditions in each study: symbol background color, symbol background white with a black border, and symbol background white with a color border. Results In the 1st study, reaction times across groups were not significantly different. In the 2nd study, participants in the symbol background color condition were significantly faster than participants in the other conditions, and participants in the symbol background white with black border were significantly slower than participants in the other conditions. Conclusion Communication partners may benefit from the presence of background color, especially when supporting children using displays with many symbols.

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