Month: February 2020

Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC), Autism

Supporting Expressive Language with Visuals

by cherylhoperisingLeave a Comment on Supporting Expressive Language with Visuals
Supporting Expressive Language with Visuals

In our last post, we learned a little about how visuals can help with receptive language. This time, let’s spend some time looking at how visuals can help with expressive language. Visuals can be used to increase expressive language skills in both people who are non-verbal, and those who have verbal skills. They can serve as reminders (cues) to a person about the word they want to use, or the word order for what they want to express. In addition, visual supports for expressive language decrease the cognitive load for verbalization, and allow the individual to focus on talking.

There are two general categories of visuals that can be used for expressive language purposes: low tech/no tech with no voice (speech) output, and high tech with voice output. Individuals can use these visual tools to express themselves by: pointing to pictures/words that are available to express the word, handing the visual to their communication partner, or using eye gaze to look at the visual.

Three main types of low tech visuals that are used for increasing the expressive language communication of individuals are: choice boards/books, core language vocabulary notebooks, and PODD books. Choice boards are what they sound like, boards that have pictures or text choice options on them. A PECs (Picture Exchange Communication System) book would be a type of choice book. Choice boards/books are not solely limited to PECs style communication notebooks, and can be any type of board or book where the user is able to pick from a variety of choices to communicate. A core vocabulary communication board/book is a communication system that is comprised of a combination of frequently occurring vocabulary words that occur in a wide variety of communication environments. A PODD book (Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display) is a book that is Pragmatic (uses realistic social language), Organized (words and symbols arranged in a systematic way), and uses a Dynamic Display (the ability to change pages to incorporate a robust vocabulary system).

High tech visual use is typically done with a communication device that is either a dedicated communication device, or an iPad with a communication app. High tech device use can be used both alternatively, and also augmentatively. If an individual has little to no verbal ability, their use of a high tech device (or a low tech one) is considered to be alternative- it is used instead of verbal speech. But a high tech device is not limited to individuals who are completely non-verbal. Many people who have some verbal skills use them augmentatively, or in addition to their verbal speech output. They may use the device to help them with vocabulary that is difficult to say, to make longer sentences than they are able to produce on their own, or to help repair or clarify verbal messages that they have spoken that may not have been fully understood by their listener.

In our next two posts, we will go over more details about the specific types of low tech visuals and high tech visuals that can be used to increase expressive communication skills for those who have difficulties with expressive language. Sign up to follow our blog on the right side of this page so you don’t miss anything!

Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC), Autism

Supporting Receptive Language with Visuals

by cherylhoperisingLeave a Comment on Supporting Receptive Language with Visuals
Supporting Receptive Language with Visuals

Visuals have gotten a lot of attention for how they can help individuals with structure, behavior, and learning, but they are also a fantastic tool to help out with receptive and expressive language. Come, join me and learn a little bit about how and why visual supports can help individuals in the area of receptive language. (We will discuss how they can help with expressive language in our next post).

            Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), as well as many individuals with ADHD (and other speech and language disorders that affect receptive language), have difficulties with receptive language skills. Here are some of the difficulties they can have with understanding and comprehending spoken (verbal) language:   

  • Auditory Attention
  • Auditory Synthesis
  • Auditory Discrimination

Auditory attention is the ability to pay (and maintain) attention to information that is presented auditorily, as well as shifting and re-establishing their attention to auditory information. Information that is presented auditorily, due to its transient nature, may not be processed because the individual was not able to maintain auditory attention.

Auditory Synthesis is the process by which a person’s brain makes sense of the auditory information it has just heard. The length of the message often correlates to difficulties with correctly understanding what was said: in longer messages a person with ASD often hears only the last part of the message: For example: “I do not want you to give the dog a hamburger” may be processed as: “give the dog a hamburger.”

Auditory Discrimination is the ability to hear and understand information in the presence of noise. People with ASD often have difficulty understanding verbal speech when there is any type of background noise.

Verbal language is transient; it is here, and then, it is gone. This can cause challenges for those who have difficulty with auditory attention, synthesis, and discrimination. Visuals, on the other hand, are not transient. They are permanent, or at least, semi-permanent (they are present long enough for the person to be able to get meaning from them).

If an individual has trouble with attention (including but not limited to auditory attention), the visual(s) will still be present when they are able to focus on the information; the person can also take needed time to shift their attention from one thing to another, and the information on the visual is still there! If an individual has trouble with auditory synthesis, the information on the visual can help them get the full meaning of the message, even if they only process a part of the message. If an individual has difficulty with auditory discrimination, visuals can help in a similar way, they can help the person to understand the meaning of what was said when there is other noise in the environment.

It is important to present visuals in combination with using auditory information to maximize the ability of each person to understand what was said. This also helps the person to learn what each visual means, as they hear the verbal language that goes along with each visual. It is imperative that visuals are not faded as verbal skills improve, however it is a good idea to consider changing their form over time to match the current skill level of each person they are being used with (for example: from pictures to text).

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