Evidence-based AAC Interventions for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

62 Pages·2010·0.18 MB·English

Evidence-based AAC
Interventions for Infants,
Toddlers, and Preschoolers
Janice Light and Kathryn Drager
Penn State University
Seminar presented at ASHA 2007, Boston
The Penn State Team
• Jen May
• Emily Angert
• Holly May
• Julia Birmingham
• Ashley Maurer
• Jacky Cammiso
• Rebecca Page
• Jen Curran
• Elizabeth Panek
• Elizabeth Hayes
• Sarah Pendergast
• Melissa Ihrig
• Kate Shapiro
• Lauren Karg
• Nicole Sherman
• Line Kristiansen
• Kristin Stoltzfus
• Wendy Lewis
• Melissa Witte
• Ashley Marzzacco
The challenge
• How do we provide access to the magic and
the power of language and communication
for young children with complex
communication needs who require AAC?
What did I learn watching my
kids learn language?
• Young children
– Start learning communication & language at birth
– Learn language during daily activities in their
environment, especially play
– Learn language in the context of social interactions with
familiar partners
– Communicate not just to express needs and wants, but
also to build social closeness and share information
• Social interactions are prime times to build language
– Depend on context to learn language
• “First words” are context-bound
What did I learn watching my
kids learn language?
• Young children
– Receive scaffolding support from their parents to help
them learn language
• Parents provide opportunities for communication & language
learning
• Parents adjust language input to children’s understanding
• Parents respond to children’s communicative attempts
– Receive 100,000s of models of language use
• Parents say words to children before they “know” the words
– Learn language rapidly
– Have fun learning language
Principles to guide AAC
intervention with young children
• Start as early as possible
– Intervene with infants, toddlers, preschoolers who are at
risk
• Intervene in natural environment during daily
activities
– Maximize functionality, familiarity, meaningfulness
• Focus on sustained social interactions with familiar
partners
– NOT just expressing needs and wants,
– but also building social closeness & sharing information
in sustained social interactions
Principles to guide AAC
intervention with young children
• Provide contextual support to help children learn
language
– Use context to support comprehension & expression
– Infuse familiar experiences /contexts into AAC systems
• Show parents how to provide appropriate
scaffolding support
– Provide frequent opportunities for communication
– Provide appropriate language input
– Respond to child’s communicative attempts
Principles to guide AAC
intervention with young children
• Provide models of AAC & speech
– Use AAC & speech when talking to child
• Sign & speech
• Aided AAC & speech
– Expand on child’s messages using AAC & speech
• Ensure that AAC systems are dynamic
– Support language learning
– Regularly introduce/ add new concepts for child
– Model their use
Principles to guide AAC
intervention with young children
• Ensure that intervention is FUN!!
– Integrate communication & play
– Enhance motivation of child and family
– Ensure that AAC systems are appealing and
fun!
– Ensure that AAC systems are easy to learn and
use!
Goals of the presentation
• Share the results of a research study that
developed, implemented, & evaluated the
effects of AAC interventions on the
language and communication skills of
young children with complex
communication needs
– Multiple baseline across participants
• Share case examples to illustrate AAC
intervention and outcomes