"Light Tech" Communication Part Currently We Often Offer A Limited Set .

May 2012“Light Tech” Communication part2 - The Power of PODD:Autonomous Communication forBeginning CommunicatorsCurrently we Often Offer aLimited Set of ChoicesBased on the Work of Gayle PorterMelbourne, AustraliaLinda Burkhartlinda@Lburkhart.comwww.Lburkhart.comHere are Your Choices:What Would You ReallyRather be DoingRight Now?Play Ping PongGo BowlingAACWhat is our Long TermDestination?Being able to say:Will She Take it to a Party?What I want to say,whenever I want to say it,to whomever I want to say it toLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, Australia1

May 2012Adopt these Beliefs:It’s about buildingLanguage and InteractionNot just learning vocabularyoranswering questions correctlyCommunication is AboutSomething We Don’tAlready Know - We CanNot Know what AnotherPerson is ThinkingCommunication is Messy Dynamic and Raw - Not Edited andPolished Not Sterile Like Performing a Script Not a One Way Process - DependentUpon the Communication Partner’sResponses - Not All Thought OutAhead of TimeWhen the Goal is Communication, WeNeed to Accept and Expand UponWhatever the Child DoesCommunication Happens “At AnyTime” - Not Just an Activity Communication is ConstantlyOccurring In any activity, communication may be: The primary goal A necessary component toachieve another goal An enhancing componentLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, AustraliaCommunication Autonomy(von Tetzchner & Grove, 2003) Must be theChild’sMessage - Even if SheNeeds Help to Communicateit Not Just a Response to theOptions Provided by Others Responsible for her ownmessage2

May 2012Imagine: You are a teenager with Rett Syndrome Mom is dressing you and talking aboutwhat you are going to do this weekend Go to little brother’s soccer game Go to the park and watch the kidsWhat is aPODD?playing You would like to go to the mall andbuy new shoes - How do you say that?Pragmatic OrganizationDynamic Display (PODD)communication booksPODD Communication Booksare “Partner Powered”(partners turn the pages)Gayle PorterOperational Buttons on the SideChild Points - Partner Turnsthe Page Increases efficiency / speed Decreases visual distractions Reduces tactile sensory distractions Can be done by the child, once he canturn the page directly withoutinterrupting his thought processLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, Australia3

May 2012Organization of vocabularywithin PODD According to the individual’scommunication function and discourserequirements Categories, activity specific, topic andanecdote organizations can all be used Efficiency to meet communicationrequirements is the overriding factorPODD is a Way of OrganizingVocabulary For All Day Long in AnyContextFor a Range of Access MethodsHigh Tech and Light TechWithin PODD Aided language development issupported -multiple page sets(communication books) The range of page sets reflects adevelopmental process as reported inthe literature on both typical and aidedlanguage development Page sets areselected to enable theuse of aided language stimulationCreated by: Gayle Porter Melbourne, AustraliaPODD is also the use of specificMethods and evidence-basedStrategies for Teaching aVisual LanguageHow it is used matters! More than 20 years ofGuiding Principles:development Gayle Porter and other colleagueswith Team Input: PTs, OTs,teachers, assistants, conductorsfamilies and children Discussions: questions, difficulties andconcerns - what did and did not work fordifferent childrenLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, Australia Communicative: Autonomy Accessibility Competence4

May 2012 Comprehensive, multi-page communicationbooks for communication at “any time”PODD Communication Books areOne Part of a Multi-ModalCommunication LearningEnvironment Designed to be used receptively andexpressively in natural daily contextsDifferent Aids for Different PurposesHow Can anyone Learn aLanguage that Keeps Changing? We need: Systems that build from early languagethrough complex syntax - withoutchanging patterns of vocabularyorganization Systems that maintain similarities acrossaccess methodologies Systems that enable children to talk toProblem: Another Year,Another AAC SystemNeed to Stop Looking forthe Magic Device to Fixor CureLearning a LanguageTakes Time!!!!!!each otherLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, Australia5

May 2012PODD provides a languagestructure that can growwith the child and be builtupon instead of replacedHow Do Children Learn Language?PODD is a Graded developmentalprogressionacross different page sets Increasingcomplexity of pragmatics, semantics,morphology and syntax. Early functions (9. 12) Expanded functions (9, 12, 16, Key word (36, 40) Expanded key word (48, 70) Complex syntax (90 , 100 )20)Typical children learn language bybeing immersed in a native languagelearning environment, where they canfreely interact with, and try out theirdeveloping skillsLanguage ImmersionGayle Porter, 2004Linda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, Australia6

May 2012Gayle Porter, 2004Gayle Porter, 2004Receptive Input Aided language stimulationCrain & Elder, 1992)(Goossens’, Systemfor Augmenting Language(Romski & Sevcik, 1992) Natural Aided Language (Cafiero,1998)Model in NaturalEveryday SituationsAided Language StimulationGoossens’, Crain & Eldera ide d la ngua ge stimula tionCritical forLearning LanguagePragmatics!Talking to the Child withhis system: Validates the child’smeans of communicationChildren will learn to usetheir system in the waypartners model itLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, Australia Gives thepartner agood perspective onwhat the child is facing7

May 2012Drill and practice is not veryeffective for learning languageWe Need toCreate aMulti-ModalLanguage Language concepts need an emotionaland meaningful connection to be storedin, and retrieved from memory Learning language in functionalLearningsituations facilitates generalization Anything that has some intrinsicEnvironmentmotivation for the child is more likelyto be practiced in different settingsand used by the child.The Challenge!“A child who uses speech will independentlyselect the words she wishes to use from the vastarray of words she hears/sees used everyday.A child who uses AAC will independently selectthe words she wishes to use from the vocabularyother people have chosen to model and, for aidedsymbols, made available for her to use.”Aided Language learning opportunitiesdon’t just happenThe Responsibility Lieswith Us!Porter & Kirkland, 1995, p.93-94Providing SufficientAided Symbol Vocabulary To meet currentcommunication requirementsand To stimulate furtherdevelopment ofcommunication and languageLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, AustraliaVaried communication functionsgreet/ disagreemanipulateanswerinstruct othersrelate informationask questionsexpress feelingsshare informationprotestdiscuss interest "make social contact"commentjoke%ask for thingsexpress an opinionagreedescribebargainrequest / attract attentioncomplain8

May 2012Vocabulary*Growth*as*a*function*of*ageBased on Smith (1926) as cited by Dale (1976) & Retherford (1996)PODDCommunicationSystemsCommon forms of organizationof vocabulary across multiplelevels or pages Categories with Master Index Activity Specific Core / Fringe Topic / Subject (curriculum) Anecdote - scripts and stories Comprehensive PersonalCommunication Systems -Alwayswith the person Usea variety of organizationalstrategies based upon efficiency Containcore and fringe, generaland individual vocabulary Range of communication functionsPODD CommunicationSystems:High-tech Light-tech Maycontain Activity Specificpages Enablesnatural branching to movethrough pagesOne child’s expereince: age 2 - direct select 9 pictures age 3 - began partner-assistedOne child’s expereince: moved to coded access for light techand continues to use single switchscanning on her high tech devicescanning and some eye-pointing age 5-6 - began partner-assistedscanin combination with eye-pointing on aPODD with 70 items per page lateelementary school - single switchscanning on a device as well ascontinued to use ligth tech PODDLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, AustraliaSection?Color?Number?9

May 2012One child’s expereince: I use my communication book with myfriends. why?. because it givesthem something to do I use my high tech communicationdevice with my Mom at home. why?.because she is always saying “wait aminute”Template foldersCD1One page opening& Group booksCD2Two page openingCD3Two page openingplus side panelAcknowledge thatCommunication is a priority!“Communication is the essence of human life”PODD ResourceDirect Access templates Printable book:Porter (2007) Pragmatic organizationDynamic displays (PODD)communication books Step by step instructions Information files Construction files Additional vocabulary ideas Template foldersInformation FilesandConstruction FilesPODD Trainings 2-3 DayIntroductory CourseASHA, 1991, p.9Communication allows us to:establish relationshipsexpress our personalitydemonstrate and share our knowledgeensure that our needs are met andour wishes are considered Linda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, AustraliaCheck my websites for US Courses:www.Lburkhart.comlinda@Lindaburkhart.com10

May 2012How are pragmatic branchstarters used in PODD forbeginning communicators whomay be at the early one ortwo word phrase stage oflanguage development?Pragmatic branch startersPerform two different functionsWhat Function are YouExpressing with “store”? Provide faster predictive links to pages ofvocabulary commonly required to expressa particular communication function. Compensate for the reduced use ofenvironmental supports, gesture andintonation generally used to establish thecommunication intent of 1-2 wordutterances.What functions may be expressedwith this vocabulary?Store Request - “Let’s go to the store” Question – “Are we going to the store?” Relate information – “I went to thestore.” Tell a story – “We went to the store .” Pretend – “Let’s play going to the store” Etc.What type of branching organizationsuits each function?Linda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, AustraliaCategoryorganizationCategory)* placesstore11

May 2012Pragmatic Organization - Beginwith the Pragmatic Intent Then get to the Word“Let’s0go0shopping”p.# 24“Let’s0go0 ”005 go0to0page0120“Let’s0go0shopping”storep.# 25“Let’s0pretend0 we0are0going0 shopping”Let’s0pretend005 go0to0page07Linda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, Australia“Let’s0pretend0we0are0going0 shopping”“Let’s0play0shops”places005 go0to0page01212

May 2012“Let’s0pretend0 we0are0going0 m0asking0a0question005 go0to0page008p.# 40Yes/No Intonation Marker“Are0we0going0to0the0shop?” Eat? home? car?“You0need0to0tell0me0yes/no”005 going0shopping?”places005 go0to0page012shopLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, Australia13

May ng005 go0to0page03Tense d005 go0to0page07“I0went0shopping” Scaffoldthe child’sinclusion of sufficientinformation to enablepartner understanding Compensatefor AACsystem limitationsplaces005 go0to0page012“I0went0shopping”Pragmatic orCommunicative Intents: I want something Something’s wrong I’ll tell you what I think(or I like and I don’t like)storeLinda Burkhart www.Lburkhart.comBased upon the work of Gayle Porter,Melbourne, Australia14