Outcomes 5/12/2015 USING CORE VOCABULARY TO DEVELOP COMPETENT COMMUNICATORS. More about vocabulary & AAC. What is Core Vocabulary?

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1 USING CORE VOCABULARY TO DEVELOP COMPETENT COMMUNICATORS Mary Purtee, AAC & Curriculum Consultant Muskegon ISD May 14, 2015 Outcomes Know what core vocabulary is & give examples of how to use it. Explain why this approach matters for students with complex communication needs. Have some strategies and resources for implementing a core vocabulary approach with individual students, classrooms, and school-wide Review data for school-wide, classroom and individual student implementation What is Core Vocabulary? Small in number 80% or more of the words we use when we speak come from as few as 300 words The words vary little across individual or environment, providing a consistent list of essential words to teach and make sure are easily available to AAC users. High utility, generic words that are used by everyone to say nearly everything. How often do you use the words below? go spatula like get kangaroo they see biome run survive Live tornado want princess not More about vocabulary & AAC Personal Core words that are important to me (everyone has their own personal core group of words) based on their interests, and preferences, needs, and key environments) Fringe or extended vocabulary unique to specific activities or academic subjects. Competent communicators need access to core, personal core and fringe using the 80/20 rule: 4:1 ratio guideline when modelling/selecting vocabulary targets (I want go eat Chicken McNuggets) 1

2 Use of Core Vocabulary begins early! 23 of core words made up over 95% of toddler words in a 2003 study (Banajee, Dicarlo, & Stricklin) Core Vocabulary Lists There are a number of lists that have been researched and compiled over the last 25 years or more. Links to most can be found at the AAC blog, PrAACtical AAC. There is a lot of overlap; differences can most often be explained by the group studied (i.e. toddlers vs. adults with disabilities) Our centralized school selected a list developed in 2013 to use in conjunction with the DLM Essential Elements at the University of North Carolina Center for Disability Studies. This list is composed of 509 words ranked in order of priority. AAC Language Lab First 100 Words Why core vocabulary? 2

3 Little words Big Ideas It was time to eat. I wait and wait. No one there. No one come. I afraid no one here to help me eat. I wait more. He come and say to me you don t tell. He bad and mean. He go away. I wait more. Why core vocabulary? Bruce: first spontaneous generative multi-word utterance that anyone at his school is aware of at age 26 a couple of weeks after a core vocabulary initiative was started What was John s total word count? What was John s unique word count? All of the words John used are part of the top words most frequently spoken, as determined by spoken vocabulary research (core vocabulary). Bruce was unhappy about not being able to go to the gym. His teacher ran down the hallway yelling Bruce said he doesn t like me! We Want Competent Communicators Angela, 29, Consultation Taught Herself to Use Unity Spontaneous Novel Utterance Generation (SNUG, Dr. Katya Hill) Being able to say whatever we want (or need) to say to whomever we want to say it whenever we want to say it as independently and as efficiently as possible. (Gayle Porter, 2010, PODD Training) Would you take it (AAC system) to a party? I would love to do it by myself I want you to show it to me I don t have a van I need my wheelchair at school and at work I don t like it because I can t do more things for myself At my other job I visit people Will the talk to me Can I go on face book Can I do it all without having to go back to the 3

4 Draven, Kindergarten, Started here He found LAMP WFL on his ipad Examples of a few spontaneous utterances (SNUG) heard last week I want new teacher. I want Miss flower (Blohm). Yuck! Inside recess. My friend Logan likes bugs. Miss Anderson is speech. Teacher reads to children. So Why is Core vocabulary important? High utility in all life contexts! Research supports the effectiveness of explicitly teaching and providing access to core vocabulary with toddlers through adults and a variety of ability levels. It is a way to measure progress and increase language & communication for students from preschool through high school and beyond. We can t be competent communicators without it! How is it different from what we typically do? Traditional Thinking I need lots of new vocabulary! Flower, cut, leaf, plant, water, pretty, pot, buy, pay, shop, grow Flower Shop Center Core Vocabulary - Get that, put in, come up, I want that, more help, you help, you want that? I like that. Teaching style & Core Vocabulary Referential Style - need lots of fringe! Requires access to an ever expanding body of content vocabulary for quick responses (George Washington) Requires the least amount of critical thinking or language production. Highest memory demand on the learner with the least pay-off in learning or language development. Highest demand on the staff for creating, organizing & adding to symbol displays. Descriptive Style - can use core words to say most things! Requires access to a body of high frequency, reusable vocabulary for longer, descriptive answers (first man head of here. Big place where we all live.) Requires more integration of information. Allows the student to focus on the information & big ideas in the lesson and not on learning new symbols Has the greatest application to real life use of vocabulary. 4

5 Teaching Style and Core Vocabulary Using core Vocabulary across the day Referential Style Fringe Example from last spring s high school Unique topic: DNA Descriptive Teaching - Core Example from last spring s high school Unique topic: DNA Teacher: What in our bodies carries all the information about how we will look and function? Student: DNA Teacher: Tell me about DNA Student: I have same my mother, father, sister, brother. It make my eyes blue. It make my hair brown. Additional examples of using core words in everyday activities AAC Language Lab Early communicators use 1 word at a time, then 2 & 3 word utterances. Learning to Use Core Vocabulary You Can Use Core Vocabulary to Talk About Almost Anything! (Up-Goer Five Text Editor) 5

6 When to add AAC Supports? (Kumin 2014) When speech is not meeting a child s communication and language needs across environments using a typical development framework Use AAC as a Transition to Speech a bridge between language and speech by 18 months of age Use AAC to Supplement Speech when intelligibility is an issue; when intent and vocabulary and length of utterance need supplemented. Using AAC as an alternative to speech 30 year review of the literature, 67 subjects, 11% no change in speech & 89% gains in speech. (Miller, Light, & Schlossser, 2006 School-Wide Implementation at Wesley, Muskegon County Center-based School Prior to core vocabulary initiative no systematic approach to communication Sign language in some rooms PODD no-tech multi-page communication books in some PECS in some We know what they want in many say lots of imitation consisting of mostly unintelligible vocalizations. Voice output was mostly phrase-based on single message switches & sequencers School-Wide Implementation at Wesley Wesley School planned to transition to use of the Essential Element State Standards in September of 2014, beginning with 2 days of PD The Academic Focus Group decided to begin with the English Language Arts Standards 4 Strands 1. Reading 2. Writing 3. Speaking & Listening 4. Language Being able to communicate might be an issue! 6

7 Wesley needed a systematic schoolwide approach to communication Lots of different communication systems & approaches! Goal: to build consistency for students from year to year and class to class that works across systems so students increase their ability to use language for learning and life. Wesley needed an approach to systematically choose vocabulary and build language skills over time. What to do? Wesley s Academic Focus Committee chose core vocabulary as a school wide initiative to support communication. Day One included all 104 staff & addressed the what and why of using core vocabulary. Lots of buy in (John s video). Day Two included teachers and ancillary staff and addressed the how with lots of facilitated planning time. Reviewed Oakland ISD core vocabulary initiative Reviewed the UNC core vocabulary work initiative Reviewed the ASHA Leader article on A Few Good Words What to do? Staff worked in SCI, SXI, ASD Department teams lots of autonomy for how to proceed within the core vocabulary initiative Each group chose 32 words to begin with from the top 100 of the UNC Center for Disabilitiy Studies List Prioritized 32 into smaller chunks (paper overlays, Tech 32, other) Created 3 sets of symbols (Boardmaker, Symbolstix, Sign Language H.I. consultant recorded video clips of the signs for the top 100 core vocabulary words for consistency among staff Planned for intentional teaching and modeling using the classroom systems Auxiliary staff planned for core vocabulary use in the motor room, the gym, the swimming pool, during all specials Created pre-tests and data collection tools Set a date for a follow-up meeting Wesley Sequence for Teaching & Supporting Communicating ASD classroom introduced 9 first; SCI & SXI classrooms introduced 4 first. Considered the importance of motor planning and kept placement the same when adding new words to the boards. No tech paper boards, some with pull off symbols, Tech 32 devices, ipads with customized TouchChat Transition during the year for a few students to trials of high tech devices in order to submit for funding of personal devices. 7

8 Planning for Personal Core & Fringe (similar to Print n Communicate, Boardmaker) Vocabulary Selection Questionnaires to help determine personal core and fringe words needed. praactical AAC Blog Relating Core Vocabulary to the Essential Elements State Standards Identify the theme or central idea of a familiar story, drama or Poem Wesley Data Sheets Created SCI & ASD (based on the Early LAMBaseline, Dr. Katya Hill) He big, he bad, he want to go in. He mean. He want to eat them. They no want in house. They say go away. He go away. They come out. They happy. Good vs. bad; all work and help; good over bad (Tell me about the wolf What did the wolf say? What did the pigs say? What did the wolf want? How did the pigs feel? What did the pigs do? What happened at the end?) 8

9 Wesley Data Sheets Created Other Tools: Using Core Vocabulary Throughout the Day Wesley Data ASD Classroom, 8-12 year olds Targeted Core Words Used Independently Wesley Data SCI Classroom, year olds Targeted Core Words Used Independently 9

10 Wesley Data SXI Classroom, year olds Targeted Core Words Used Independently Core Vocabulary at Wesley: Transformative -Christine DeWildt, principal at Wesley School Next Steps: Use the same symbols (Unity)for all classrooms for communication Use the same 32 core vocabulary boards (ASD and SCI will be using LAMP Words for Life 84 boards and app) Continue to identify students who are ready for more & trial speech generating devices (LAMP WFL & Unity Systems) Choose school-wide core vocabulary targets for each month Build folders of resources and materials on the shared drive Language Acquisition Through Motor Planning (LAMP) training for all staff on September 2 nd before school starts Contract with Gail Van Tatenhove to work on access for students who need to use alternative access methods to communicate Use language stages information to choose goals and plan interventions for students Implementation in an Elementary ASD Classroom, 8 12 year olds Teacher Kasey Swanson, kswanson@muskegonisd.org & SLP Kami Beilhartz, kbeilhartz@muskeonisd.org Consistent approach individualized core vocabulary supports based on strengths/needs. Embedded core vocabulary in ALL classroom routines Morning meeting have/we have, I here, Where is he/she?, I like it, It is (day month, weather, special, etc.) Literacy - Math Snack/lunch Direct Instruction with lots of video modeling using core vocabulary Classroom 32 Board 10

11 Wesley ASD Paper Board & Fringe Wesley ASD Tech 32 Wesley ASD ipad with Adapted TouchChat Wesley ASD ipad with LAMP Words for Life 11

12 Wesley ASD ipad Accent 800 ipads adapted with swivel hooks & straps and ION Clipster bluetooth speakers to promote independence Have only the communication app on an ipad used for communication. We don t even call it an ipad, we say get your words, here are your words If a student plays educational games or uses an ipad for other purposes, you need a 2 nd ipad. The only exception we make is for writing thoughts and ideas you need your words! Additional Embedded Classroom supports Large Core Word Board with Removable Symbols and Words to Place on Strips Additional Embedded Classroom supports Video Modeling My turn 12

13 Additional Embedded Classroom supports Core Words Everywhere! Outcomes and Date for Individual Students: Ava (Kasey s classroom) No independent communication using symbols and voice output in September, 2014 Started with Tech 32, then ipad, now Accent 800 with Unity and a submission for a personal device. Data logged during the course of 3 separate days in February, 2015, showed that Ava independently produced an average of 56 phrases/sentences per day with a SGD. Some examples of sentences produced are: I feel sad. I want go sleep please. I want play computer. Play song Turn it Help me All done My turn I want blue drink. I like it. Outcomes and Date for Individual Students: Ethan (Kasey s classroom) Prior to core vocabulary project No spontaneous use of symbols or voice output for communication in fall of 2014 Lots of behaviors Minimal attention to classroom activities Since the initiation of the core vocabulary project Increased attention to classroom activities Attention to video modeling Tolerance of assistance Independent generation of 7 targeted core vocabulary words with multiple partners in multiple environments & combining symbols NEED eat Outcomes and Data for Individual Students Zachary (ECSE; Wesley) Brecken (kindergarten) Draven (kindergarten) Kaitlyn (ECSE) Tayvin (ECSE) Charleigh (ECSE) Carson (ECSE) Jacob (first grade) And more stories, but out of time! 13

14 Core Vocabulary in Muskegon County Next Steps AAC special topics series & support group LAMP training for early childhood teams Gail Van Tatenhove video consult for students with access challenges Resource bank for sharing resources and strategies Increase the number of device trials and funding requests Research project with two of our own! Research Project with Nicole & Kasey Both are young adults and competent communicators who use eye gaze and spell out all of their messages using word prediction. Semantic compaction (Minspeak; Unity Program) can be 5 x faster than spelling with word prediction (Hill, 2001) Nicole and Kasey will learn Unity and compare words per minute generated between the two systems. Resources to Help Get Started and to Support you on your Journey PRC AAC Language Lab Gail Van Tatenhove Minspeak praactical AAC Blog North Carolina Center for Disability Studies Center for AAC and Autism Questions? Comments? 14