are instrumental in providing structure and reducing anxiety by making the sequence of daily events clear and predictable. Other visual supports are then introduced in a lecture and video format, after which our students are put into small groups and given student scenarios, where they explore and address various communication challenges and opportunities in real-life contexts. This hands-on approach allows them to understand how broad strategies can be tailored to an individual’s needs and immediately applied in the classroom. (See image 6). Furthermore, we assign an Educational Assistant Toolbox project, wherein our students choose to research and create 5 visual supports to use once they begin their practicums. By collaborating on this project, we ensure that our EA students are well-prepared to meet the diverse needs of our AAC communicators, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. Through these activities, we reinforce how implementation of basic visual supports impact the student’s ability to successfully participate in the activities of the school day.
Kahoot quiz - Core or Fringe Word?, the students often require a quick lesson on parts of speech including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and prepositions. To further expand their knowledge of core and fringe vocabulary and its importance to each individual AAC communicator, we have our students engage in a case study. Each small group is given a student profile along with a personalisation form. From the profile they decide what personal vocabulary their student will need programmed onto their AAC device. Personalizing vocabulary ensures that the communication tools we develop are tailored to the unique needs and interests of each individual. Finally, the students compare a variety of commercially available high-tech vocabulary options. They are provided with a list of messages that they need to generate using each of the vocabularies. This demonstrates the advantages and potential challenges they may encounter based on the size and complexity of the vocabulary. As they use these boards themselves, they become aware of the necessity of providing non-speaking individuals with a robust vocabulary. See image 4 and 5. VISUALS Visual supports are useful tools for enhancing both expression and comprehension for AAC communicators, and as such are included as an important section of our curriculum. When implemented correctly, a visual support can significantly improve a student’s ability to communicate effectively and understand the world around them. Our EA students learn that ample time is needed for processing, acknowledging that every individual has unique needs when it comes to communication and comprehension. In our visual support section, our EA students engage in a series of thoughtful and practical activities. One key activity involves setting up visual schedules, which help AAC communicators to navigate their day with clarity and confidence. Schedules Image 3: The EA students’ communication boards typically have vocabulary to make requests for immediate needs and vocabulary to interact socially is often not considered.
MODELLING We recognize the profound importance of modeling in the context of teaching AAC, understanding that children learn language most effectively by seeing it used in real-life situations. Just as typically developing children acquire language skills by observing and imitating the speech around them, children who use AAC benefit immensely from seeing their communication tools in action. This observational learning is crucial for grasping how to use AAC devices or systems to express themselves and comprehend others. To integrate this approach into our teaching, we engage in a variety of purposeful activities. We begin with an overview of vocabulary organization. We show the EA students that the vocabulary templates are arranged in a manner that is rule-based, sequential, and categorical to make them easily accessible and intuitive. This organized system not only facilitates quicker word Image 6: The student working in partners to determine what visual supports would be beneficial based on the student scenario they have.
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