Engaging All Learners through Social Interactions, Visual S…

Dec 22/Jan 23 Closing The Gap Solutions - Collaborating With Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Users Gains A New Perspective To Best Support Clients By Lydia Dawley

augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)

Social Interactions, Visual Supports, & AAC: The Impact of a Social-Emotional, UDL Framework on One District’s Journey Engaging All Learners through

JENNIFER RO, MA, CCC-SLP. Jennifer is the Director of Tools for Life, Georgia’s AT Act program at Georgia Tech. As a speech-language pathologist of 30 years, Jennifer has developed extensive knowledge and experi- ence in Assistive Technology (AT) with specific focus on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and physical access. Prior to joining TFL, Jennifer’s work focused on collaborative and coaching models of AAC service delivery, with emphasis on social-emotional engagement in the public schools. Jennifer has also provided Technical Assistance to school districts in Georgia through her work with Marcus Autism Center, a large research center in Atlanta. Her clinical experience in public schools, private clinics, early intervention programs, and community-based adult homes and workshops, informs and drives Jennifer’s interests in developing the communication and language abilities of children and adults with complex communication and physical access needs. As a result, Jennifer recognizes the unique perspective of individuals, caregivers, school staff and private service providers, as they progress through life’s stages. Additionally an independent AT-AAC Consultant, Jennifer obtained both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Northwestern University. She has presented extensively on various topics related to AT and AAC. JESSIE NELSON, EdS, CCC-SLP, Jessie is currently an Instructional Coach for Assistive Technology at Forsyth County Schools, where she supports educators and students in effectively implementing assistive technology to enhance communication and learning outcomes. She is also a speech-language pathologist with 20 years of experience serving a diverse pediatric population in both educational and clinical settings. Jessie holds a bachelor's and master's degree in communication disorders from Valdosta State University, as well as an Education Specialist degree in Curriculum and Design from Lincoln Memorial University. AMY THOMSEN, MS, CCC-SLP, Instructional Coach for Assistive Technology – AAC, Forsyth County School. Amy earned a bachelor’s degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois and her master’s degree from Illinois State University. Throughout her 30+ year career as an SLP, Amy has worked in a variety of settings from schools to private practice to rehab hospitals covering various populations including hearing impaired, birth to 3, developmentally and learning disabled, Autism, TBI, and general education. Areas of special interest include complex communicator language development and social development, neurodiversity, peer interaction, and coaching AAC communication partners. Amy has been a LAMP Certified Provider since 2017. She has worked for Forsyth County Schools for the past 20 years. augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)

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Summary: This article details a school district's effort to maximize student engagement in the classroom. After several years of intro- ducing and implementing a systemwide core vocabulary approach with students who require AAC, the district’s AAC special- ists still noted that many students’ communication abilities slowed or plateaued. Though school-based SLPs and educators were trained to use specific district AAC tools and evidence-based AAC strategies, this frequent pattern of slowing indicated an additional approach was needed: a focus on overall student social-emotional engagement in the classroom to boost stu- dent motivation to participate and communicate throughout learning. In addition to the district AAC tools and supports already in place, key efforts across a decade included developing com- prehensive district training and resources for school-based educators providing specialized instruction. These resources in- cluded common terminology to describe social and communication development and priority targets; a standard set of visual supports; and a proactive focus on highlighting why, what, and how to facilitate student social-emotional engagement through a UDL framework. The overarching goal was to proactively foster social-communication growth and learner en- gagement for all students receiving specialized instruction; which in turn enhances educators’ and SLPs’ abilities to facilitate continued communication development for students who use AAC.

Over the past decade, school districts across the United States have increasingly emphasized focusing on social-emotional en- gagement within instructional frameworks for learning, connec- tion, and overall well-being. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a research-based framework supporting how we learn, provides a flexible and inclusive way to look at how all educators can en- hance student engagement for learning. A specific focus on so- cial-emotional engagement through a UDL lens, that also takes into account a student’s developmental level, provides educa- tors with additional tools and strategies to maximize engage- ment for those students receiving specialized instruction. THE CHANGING EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE From our perspective, the last 15 years of working in a large school district have revealed a shift in the school landscape on various levels. Educators have noted changes in classroom en- gagement as students are exposed to the rise of technology and cell phones; in conjunction with recovery from the unique expe- riences of pandemic-era learning. These changes have brought increased awareness of stu- dents’ mental health needs, capacity for learning, and the need for a supportive school environment. With greater recognition of anxiety, trauma responses, and emotional regulation chal- lenges, schools are now more focused than ever on creating safe, supportive environments that foster connection, resilience, and well-being. This growing understanding presents an opportunity to im- plement proactive strategies that strengthen student engage- ment, build social-emotional skills, and promote positive behav- ior in the classroom. This opportunity is relevant for the entire student population, including those receiving instruction in both general education and special education classrooms. The start of the 3 authors’ collaborative journey initially fo- cused on developing the communicative abilities of AAC users within specialized instruction classrooms. After several years of

rolling out AAC training for the district, we shifted to a broader approach focusing on social-emotional engagement based on UDL principles, developmentally aligned supports and strate- gies, and creating educator resources. Participation in the SEE- KS program (Social-Emotional Engagement-Knowledge and Skills) began this shift. Though our initial focus as AAC-SLPs was developing stu- dents’ communication abilities through AAC, it became readily apparent that a greater emphasis on student engagement in the classroom was needed not only to develop AAC abilities; but to also facilitate learning that supports student connection and well-being. Without student social-emotional engagement in the classroom, there is limited motivation to meaningfully com- municate or interest to actively participate in learning. With the input of many educators and other district staff, we developed district-wide resources and tools combining princi- ples and insights gained along the way as needs arose. We now have a comprehensive set of district-wide resources that serve as guides for school-based educators of students receiving spe- cialized instruction.

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FCS AT Team - revised 7.30.2025

Image 1: FCS Core Word Board

This article highlights the meaningful changes that emerged from our focus on social-emotional engagement. We also offer insights for other districts related to both progress and challeng- es encountered targeting student engagement through social interaction, visual supports, and AAC strategies district-wide. GRASSROOTS EFFORTS FOCUSING ON AAC In 2012, our district’s AT team and AAC-SLPs began targeting core vocabulary after attending one of the earliest trainings on core vocabulary and Language Acquisition through Motor Plan- ning (LAMP. Center for AAC and Autism, 2025). In these earlier years, we noticed students who used AAC ex- hibited challenges maintaining their communication abilities as they progressed through the school years. This was most readily apparent during transitions. Communication skills notably de- creased or plateaued, especially as they transitioned to new en- vironments — pictured words that had been available to them for years in one classroom often changed when they moved to the next. To address this, the district’s AAC-SLPs set out to develop one of the first systemwide core word boards. We aimed to provide staff and students with a standard AAC tool for early core word targets that would remain consistent throughout the district

when students transitioned from grade to grade or school to school. (See Image 1: FCS Core Word Board above). We soon developed formal core vocabulary training for educators providing specialized instruction and included ev- idence-based AAC implementation strategies. After several years, we noticed a recurring pattern as AAC implementation took hold and became consistent. Though more emphasis was placed on a standard set of core words district-wide, a focus on targeting a variety of pragmatic functions, and implementing the strategies of Aided Language Stimulation and modeling, we noted that many of our students made progress to a certain point with their communication abilities, then seemed to slow or plateau. A different trajectory was noted when discrete academic con- cepts – such as letter recognition, counting, or labeling nouns – were targeted in lessons. Though students with limited verbal speech ability often showed progress for these concepts as per mastery of IEP goals, continued development of their communi- cation abilities often slowed. Despite good, consistent AAC intervention, communication development for many students was generally restricted to expressing basic wants and needs in very familiar or practiced activities. Overall initiation and spontaneous communication

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using AAC for various pragmatic purposes continued to be lim- ited. In addition, meaningful communicative expression of aca- demic concepts as per mastered IEP goals also remained limited; these mastered concepts were only expressed in structured or predictable activities and infrequently, if at all, in spontaneous classroom communication. After years of consistent AAC intervention, this trend was disheartening. However, upon reflection, we also identified a potential correlation between slowed communication develop- ment and overall student engagement within classrooms across the district. We noted that classrooms that showed consistently higher levels of student engagement during instruction tended to have students that exhibited greater progression in communicative development, given appropriate and consistent AAC interven- tion. In these classrooms where students showed higher en- gagement, students’ communication progression included var- ied word classes, different pragmatic functions, and an increase in initiating interactions. At this time, our district was fortunate to collaborate with the GaDOE and Marcus Autism Center through a professional de- velopment grant to train educators in several Georgia districts. Using SEE-KS (Rubin, 2015) as a framework to support students’ learning, the core goal was to build teacher capacity by maximiz- ing their efforts to increase overall student engagement during instruction, rooted in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The SEE-KS program (Rubin et al., 2022) builds on UDL principles, by incorporating UDL supports and strategies through a so- cial-emotional lens in the classroom. The key to promoting in- creased student engagement is to proactively embed classroom supports and strategies that are aligned with students’ exhibited level of social and communication development. UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING THROUGH A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT LENS CAST (2025) defines UDL as an approach that “aims to change the design of the environment ... When environments are inten- tionally designed to reduce barriers, every learner can engage in rigorous, meaningful learning.” This mindset encourages edu-

cators to look beyond what a student can’t do and instead con- sider how the environment can be designed to promote access, engagement, and growth for every learner. UDL focuses on pro- active planning to remove barriers to learning for all students, rather than reactively responding to individual challenges in the classroom. In the SEE-KS program, the principles of UDL remain the same but they are primarily focused on social-emotional engagement. • Foster Interest and Motivation: Stimulating interest and motivation in different ways. The “Why” of learning. • Provide Multiple Means of Representation: Providing information in different ways. The “What” of learning. • Allowing Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Al- lowing students to demonstrate what they know in differ- ent ways. The “How” of Learning. Because SEE-KS focuses on social-emotional engagement, its supports and strategies must be developmentally aligned. So- cial-emotional engagement looks different based on exhibited stage of communication development and, therefore, requires supports and strategies that match level of development. SEE-KS specific UDL supports and strategies identify 3 charac- teristics that show a student is engaged in learning: Investment, Independence, and Initiation. Educators will see students invested in the lesson when it taps into their interests and motivation. Investment is the "Why" of learning. Are students emotionally hooked in the lesson ensuring Investment (Interest) in the activity? Are there available strategies that support students’ ability to persist? Educators will see increased independence from their students since their understanding is supported within the lesson and they can then independently act. Independence is the "What" of learn- ing. How can we increase student understanding to support Inde- pendence by providing information in multiple ways? And lastly, educators will see students readily initiate and act within the lesson. Initiation is the "How" of learning. How can students show what they know? Are there multiple options of expression to foster participation and Initiation throughout the activity? When a student shows all 3 characteristics, the “3 I’s,” during instruction, we now know when they are socially-emotionally en- gaged in the learning! Students are motivated to participate and understand what is taking place and what to do ... and then, they can initiate and communicate in the most effective way to show what they know. Students who exhibit limited social-emotional engagement have limited opportunity and motivation to communicate. Op- portunity and social motivation to participate are BOTH necessary for continued development of communication in the classroom. It became increasingly obvious that social-emotional engage-

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ment, paired with consistent AAC intervention for those students receiving specialized instruction, must come together to facilitate meaningful learning and continued communication develop- ment in the classroom. These experiences and observations through SEE-KS gave us a framework that we could apply and use with all students, regard- less of developmental level or disability, to foster student engage- ment in any learning environment. With this knowledge in hand, educators can plan to proactively embed social-emotional sup- ports and strategies within their lessons to boost student invest- ment (interest), independence, and initiation to optimize learning for academic concepts, communication, and social connection. DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE DISTRICT SUPPORTS With new knowledge gained through SEE-KS, we shifted our focus slightly from primarily targeting AAC implementation, to a broader focus on overall student engagement using AAC meth- ods. The learning environment is essential to supporting contin- ued development of communication. As our work evolved to include educator training on so- cial-emotional engagement using UDL principles, it became clear that consistency across the district was essential to support sustainability and access for students at every school. Not every school or district program participated in formal SEE-KS profes- sional development. We began to ask ourselves, “What resources and support do teachers need to foster their ability to maximize student engagement for learning?” As SLPs focusing on AAC and communication, we knew that students must be engaged and motivated to have a reason to communicate. Upon reflection, we noted that the missing piece was an explicit focus on stu- dents’ early social development abilities, starting with increased awareness of people, a reason to interact, and joint attention to develop communication abilities. We also knew that educators were aware of the importance of visual supports, but noted implementation was generally in- consistent across classrooms, grades, and schools. We were also aware that a student’s ability to use visual supports was highly dependent on their exhibited level of social and communication development. Through collaborative reflection and input from a variety of district colleagues of varying disciplines, we developed sever- al key resources for school-based educators. The goal was to maintain a consistent and comprehensive set of resources for educators to promote student engagement that also considers students’ developmental levels. Educator supports were developed for 4 key areas. 1. Common developmental terminology for both social development and communication development that can be used by district staff, school-based educators, and families.

2. Developmentally based priority targets outlining key social-communication goals, so embedded supports or lesson expectations appropriately correspond to stu- dents’ level of development. 3. A standard set of visual supports grouped by purpose and developmentally aligned. 4. A comprehensive guide to foster social-emotional en- gagement through a lesson-planning form that guides educators to embed UDL supports to boost the “Three I’s” of student engagement—Investment, Independence, and Initiation. This intentionally developed set of comprehensive supports and resources for school-based staff and district trainers ensures that educators are supported, students are empowered, and student engagement for learning is maximized. LESSONS LEARNED While the comprehensive set of educator resources has en- dured over the years, conversation would not be complete, with noting only the high points and celebrating the successes. Along this incredible journey, we observed recurring challenges—pat- terns that shaped our growth and impacted sustainability. Some challenges stemmed from shifts in priorities and re- sources, while others reflected the realities of implementing systemic change within a large organization. Maintaining mo- mentum requires ongoing communication and a shared vision across schools and departments. The years of the COVID pan- demic and its enduring characteristics were an added layer that amplified the impacts of noted challenges. Among the most significant challenges encountered was the continual need to train new staff each year and proactively plan for staff turnover, ensuring that incoming educators understood and could implement the frameworks in place. Similarly, hav- ing dedicated district staff assigned to support these concepts

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Engaging All Learners - Planning Guide to Maximize Interest & Investment, Understanding, and Expression

Identify Student's Communication Stage

Plan Daily Instruction Using UDL Guidelines

Implement Visual Supports and Strategies Appropriate for all students for each of the 5 Categories of visuals based on communication stage of development Available consistently and readily for all students to utilize and reference, when needed Individualized when necessary

Before Words Stage ...pre-symbolic; movement, actions, behavior

Provide multiple means of Engagement … to ensure investment and interest

Emerging Language Stage ...symbolic; generally, 1-2 word, picture, or gesture combinations

Provide multiple means of Representation … for understanding to support independence Provide multiple means of Action & Expression … to facilitate participation and initiation

Conversational Stage ...reciprocal interactions more effectively maintained & socially navigated

Developed visuals should support UDL Guidelines in lessons and within daily classroom routines

REMINDER : Keep in mind each student's social stage and social-emotional sensory regulation needs during lessons

Above: A high-level overview of steps taken during coaching and implementation sessions focused on “Engaging All Learners” through social interaction, visual supports, and AAC.

proved essential but was often limited by competing priorities and resource constraints. Early on to get the program running quickly, it made sense to begin with a series of staff development sessions with class- rooms at a few schools. As the number of classrooms and schools increased in successive years, organizing large-group coaching sessions became logistically difficult. The plan to build capacity and support growth through a peer-to-peer mentoring model at each school was also a challenge due to turnover and the in- creased time demands on educators. As available resources changed and priorities evolved, our approach shifted. Large-scale group training and mentoring sessions gave way to a more flexible model based on educator request. Today, teachers and staff in our district may make a re- ferral for coaching, implementation, or training, as needed for themselves or for their department. Equally important was providing teachers the time for struc- tured reflection and “downtime” to process their practice. This was especially important for teachers who operated frequently

in “response mode” to meet the immediate needs of individual students. Supporting teachers through these moments and helping them shift to a proactive, engagement-focused mindset requires school and district administrator support, intentional guidance, and consistent mentorship. Despite it all, each challenge offers opportunities for reflection and growth; reinforcing our collec- tive commitment to fostering engagement, connection, and meaningful learning experiences for all students. CONCLUSION While noted challenges require ongoing attention and cre- ative problem-solving, they also emphasize the value of inten- tional structures, consistent support, and a collaborative cul- ture in sustaining meaningful change. By acknowledging and addressing these areas, our district has refined practices, while maintaining a focus on student growth in communication and social-emotional development. Though our district was fortunate to participate in initial

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training with Emily Rubin, MS, CCC-SLP, SEE-KS co-author, one of the most empowering characteristics of SEE-KS is that its tools and resources remain available at no cost for school districts. The SEE-KS framework is based on UDL principles applied through the lens of social-emotional engagement. The only other knowl- edge needed is that embedded supports and strategies and priority targets for each student must align with the student’s exhibited level of development. Since that time, our efforts have focused on nurturing student engagement in the classroom, which further enhances our ability to facilitate social-communi- cation development through AAC. As we continue to address various challenges, we remain steadfast in supporting social-emotional engagement for learn- ing across all classrooms in the most effective and meaningful ways. Even though we started this path focusing on student engagement over 10 years ago, the principles of SEE-KS and the educator resources developed have stood the test of time. There is genuine hope for all districts to adopt a developmental model of intervention grounded in neuroscience, using a UDL approach that emphasizes social-emotional engagement. No educator walks this journey alone. Each day, in classrooms filled with curiosity and effort, the smiles we encounter, the joy we witness, and the progress we celebrate remind us of why this work matters. And now that one of the authors has moved on to another work setting, the need to facilitate social-emotional engage- ment across all environments outside the school building is readily apparent; in daycares and preschools, adult group homes, assisted living facilities, senior centers, and even at work. Though formal learning and education ends after graduation, the basic desire to remain connected and engaged within the greater community continues, regardless of developmental lev- el or disability. The seeds of growth through engagement, communica- tion, and connection extend beyond graduation into our wid- er communities. In every moment, we see that our efforts can truly make a difference. Together, we can all inspire meaningful change that lasts a lifetime. DISTRICT-WIDE SUPPORTS FOR EDUCATORS The supports and resources highlighted in this article are de- scribed in greater detail to clarify the key components of each resource. The content of each resource allows teachers to inten- tionally design lessons and embed developmentally appropri- ate supports that meet the needs of both groups and individual students during instruction.

The resources created include:

a. Social-Communication Stages Graphic. To establish common developmental terminology across the district. A visual graphic was created to promote a shared language

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Social-Communication

Stages of Development

Stages of Social Development

Seeking-Liking

Social-Orienting

Social Maintaining

- seeks out others to share interests and emotions; initiates and responds to bids for interaction; develops social reciprocity and joint attention; interacts intentionally using behavior, movements, or words

- develops awareness of & interest inpeople; develops shared attention; interacts pre-intentionally through eye contact, movement, sounds, or facial expressions

- able to consider & interpret different perspectives; is learning social norms; shows awareness of self-efficacy; develops ability to navigate various social interactions

Birth

Conversational - combines words flexibly to communicate many ideas & thoughts; is learning to communicate in different social situations, including the nuances of interacting with others and in groups

Before Words - non-symbolic; uses movements & behavioral methods to communicate, does not talk or use pictures

Emerging Language - symbolic; uses single words & pictures to communicate, is learning to combine words for different purposes, may be using scripts

Stages of Communication Development

Rubin, Townsend, & Vittori; 2015, SEE-KS Chevallier et al., 2012, The Social Motivation Theory of Autism Prizant, Wetherby, Rubin, Laurent, & Rydell; 2006, The SCERTS Model

Image 2: Social Communication Stages of Development

across the district. This graphic depicts three social stages — So- cial Orienting, Seeking-Liking, and Social Maintaining —along the top, and three communication stages — Before Words, Emerging Language, and Conversational —along the bottom. Identifying a child’s specific stage in both domains is essential to ensure that embedded supports are developmentally appropriate. The developed graphic shows that social skills and communi- cation skills do not develop in isolation of each other; but rather, they typically develop in tandem. In students with developmental differences, one domain may advance more quickly than the other, creating a developmental gap. In this case, the domain that advances more quickly eventu- ally plateaus, if the gap in the other domain is not addressed. For example, autistic students who use AAC may exhibit a plateau in communication development due to social learning differences. When the gap in social development is intentionally addressed as a priority and social development catches up, communication development can again progress more effectively with appro- priate AAC intervention.

The Social-Communication Development graphic not only identifies and defines common terminology across the district for development; it also serves as a visual support to assist teach- ers in identifying possible gaps in social or communication de- velopment exhibited by students. It has also proved helpful for families when describing their child’s current abilities and dis- cussing potential priority goals that correspond to their child’s observed level of development. (See Image 2: Social Communi- cation Stages of Development)). b. Scaffolded Supports for Communication Develop- ment: Priorities & Goals . To provide guidance for em- bedding UDL supports that are developmentally ap- propriate. It also details priorities and goals that, when mastered, signal a student is progressing towards the next stage of communication development. With information from a 2015 presentation (May, 2015) by Emily Rubin, MS, CCC-SLP, we developed this resource to serve as a reference for educators. It defines the communication char-

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Scaffolding Supports for Classroom Instruction and Curriculum

Identifying the developmental stage of students can guide priorities and scaffolding of instruction and curriculum to increase student engagement in the classroom. Embedding developmentally appropriate supports can foster student engagement in 3 areas: 3 I ’s of Student Engagement: I nvestment (or Interest), I ndependence and I nitiation. Developmental Stages: PRE-SYMBOLIC/BEFORE WORDS STAGE – Students at this stage are not talking or using symbols to communicate.  Priority at this Stage: Build a high rate of nonverbal communication (e.g., conventional gestures that have shared meaning such as: giving, pointing, pushing away, gesturing)

 Goal: Initiate 2 communications per minute during highly motivating situations  * How this relates to AAC: Because we target student engagement with people (e.g., a

child’s bid for social interaction) at this stage, we primarily focus on modeling for comprehension of single words. The priority is single word meaning and includes: people’s names, actions, prepositions. For comprehension, students may more readily understand real objects paired with directions or presented content.

EMERGING LANGUAGE STAGE – Students at this stage are early communicators and are using single words or symbols. They are learning how to combine words flexibly to communicate.  Priority at this Stage: Increase communication involving others (e.g., requesting actions or routines, commenting on experiences with teachers, friends, family)  Goal: Build subject + verb combinations (e.g., Harper open cookies. Jamie’s turn)  * How this relates to AAC: The priority goal is to develop flexible language to ultimately include

subject + verb + object/descriptor combinations. For comprehension, students will benefit from visual supports for content and for s+v+obj/descr word combinations.

CONVERSATIONAL STAGE – Students at this stage have developed motivation to socially interact with others and readily attempt to maintain reciprocal conversations. They can form word combinations flexibly to communicate a variety of thoughts.  Priority at this Stage: Build a sense of self-efficacy and target social norms in conversation (e.g., self-regulation abilities, executive functioning skills, reciprocal turn taking, vocal volume, proximity, topic selection, and topic maintenance etc.)  Goal: Build the student’s awareness of social expectations and ability to predict intentions of others.  * How this relates to AAC: The priority goal is to develop awareness of social norms and foster

appropriate interactions and emotional regulation skills. Visual supports can be provided to facilitate ability and independence to self-regulate and navigate social interactions. This increases a student’s ability to feel effective as an active participant and communicator within the environment.

Rubin, Emily (2017, March). Navigating evidence-based practices for children with autism: Application of the SCERTS framework for selecting critical educational objectives. Go SSLP Conference, Atlanta, GA. Developed by Forsyth County Schools AT Team; 8.26.2017

Image 3: Scaffolding Supports by Stages of Communication

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Forsyth County Schools Categories of Visual Supports Tier 1 & Tier 2, Proactive Classroom-Based Tools

1. COMMUNICATION: Communication Tools/Systems and Language Supports (ex. Core Word Board, Phrase Strips, Voice Output Devices)  Tools to support expressive communication; low-tech to high-tech  Tools and supports to foster and enhance comprehension of language; low-tech to high tech  * Long Term Goal - Every student will establish a proficient communication system and utilize supports to foster comprehension of language.

2. EXPECTATIONS: Behavior Management System

(ex. Classroom Rules, Behavior Expectations, Classroom-Based Jobs/Roles)  Promotes independence for self-management of expected behavior  Minimizes frequency of verbal reminders from teachers  * Long Term Goal - Every student can monitor his or her own behavior and establish positive self-confidence/efficacy.

3. DAILY ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS: Schedules

(ex. Individual Schedules, Classroom-Based Schedules, Within-Task Schedules)  Regulation tool for visualizing time and understanding expectations  Provides predictability  Reduces behaviors  * Long Term Goal – The student will develop the ability to use a tool to visualize their schedule. This fosters ability to visually plan time and facilitates independence in his or her current class, future class placements, in settings outside school, and eventually at work or in the community. 4. VISUAL SUPPORTS DURING INSTRUCTION: Supports for Comprehension of Language and Content (ex. Real Objects, Phrase Strips, Aided Language Input, Help Boxes, Graphic Organizers, Word Walls, Content Visuals)  Supports comprehension of language and presented concepts  Promotes independence during instruction  Scaffolds instruction for different learners who may also be at different developmental stages  * Long Term Goal - The student will build comprehension of language and knowledge of presented instructional content or academic concepts. The student will exhibit knowledge and independence for use of available visual supports during daily activities.

5. SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL REGULATION: Supports for Managing Emotions and Self-Regulation (ex. Turn-Taking Supports, Emotional Regulation Support Choices, Visual Timers)  Provides predictability

 Fosters engagement through anticipation  Increases social orientation towards people  Promotes appropriate social interaction and social regulation skills  * Long Term Goal – The student will learn coping strategies related to time management, social-emotional regulation, and awareness of themselves and others within social interactions.

Developed by Forsyth County Schools AT Team; 8.26.2017

Image 4: Five Categories of Visual Supports

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acteristics at each of the 3 communication stages, priorities for students in this stage, and an overall communication goal at each stage. We then related how this information corresponds to AAC implementation. (See Image 3: Scaffolding Supports by Stages of Communication). c. 5 Categories of Visual Supports . To identify a standard, comprehensive set of visual supports, grouped by pur- pose; that are ideally present in every classroom to maxi- mize overall student engagement. A team comprised of a behavior specialist, an AAC-SLP, and an instructional coach reviewed the variety of visual supports that were utilized throughout the district. The team identified 5 categories of visual supports grouped by the “purpose” served. This resource document details “why” each category of visual support enhances student engagement and should be standard in the classroom. It additionally describes the skills that students develop through consistent use of each type of visual support. Once the categories were identified, it became clear that in- dividual classrooms and their students benefited from utilizing supports across all 5 categories, universally in the classroom. To support educators at all schools, district Special Educa- tion staff developed a “Visual Supports Binder” that contains 2-3 examples of select visual supports within each of the five cate- gories. Special Education staff took it a step further and created each visual support example in 3 different versions, each version designed to match one of the 3 communication stages. For example, the category of EXPECTATIONS carries several types of visual supports to assist students in following expecta-

tions. The visual supports example for “classroom rules” in this category was created 3 times; one appropriate for a student at the Before Words stage, another for a student at the Emerging Language stage, and the last for a student at the Conversational stage. Because our district had been implementing and training on its low-tech core word board (CWB) systemwide for several years prior, the CWB served not only as the primary visual support for the COMMUNICATION category, but elements of it were also uti- lized in the other visuals highlighted in the binder. (See Exam- ple: Classroom Rules Emerging Languagee) After weeks of printing, cutting, and laminating, a hard copy of the Visual Supports Binder is now housed in each school in our district so that educators can look through, touch, and get ideas of the most optimal visual supports for the classroom. Also accessible online for all staff, the Visual Supports Binder serves as a teaching tool to show how one visual support can be slight- ly modified for each stage of communication development. (See Image 4: Five Categories of Visual Supports). d. UDL Lesson Planning Form to foster engagement. To provide structured, comprehensive guidance for teach- ers to purposefully embed visual supports when plan- ning lessons. Teachers now have ready access to this tool that guides them through questions to proactively embed UDL supports and strategies. Tips and reminders were included directly on the re- source to maintain awareness of developmentally appropriate supports for communication development and priorities for so- cial development. (See Image 5: FCS Lesson Planning Form) REFERENCE CAST. (2025). CAST: Until learning has no limits. https://www. cast.org Chevallier, C., Kohls, G., Troiani, V., Brodkin, E. S., & Schultz, R. T. (2012). The social motivation theory of autism . Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(4), 231–239. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.tics.2012.02.007 (ouci.dntb.gov.ua) Prizant, B., Wetherby, A., Rubin, E., Laurent, A., & Rydell, P. (2006). The SCERTS Model: A Comprehensive Educational Approach for Children with Autism . Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Rubin, Emily. Communication Crossroads. (2025). SEE-KS . https:// commxroads.com/see-ks/

Example: Classroom Rules Emerging Language

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Forsyth County Schools - Lesson Planning Form (Master/Detailed) Focus on Engaging All Students During Instruction ● Universal Design for Learning via Developmentally Appropriate Supports Activity or Lesson Targets: __________________________________________________________ Social Stages: Social-Orienting * Seeking-Liking * Social Maintaining (circle observed social stages of students in classroom) Communication Stages: Before Words * Emerging Language * Conversational (circle observed communication stages of students in classroom)

* Allow Multiple Options of Expression: Foster participation and INITIATION throughout activity. -What supports, materials, strategies can I embed that: … can be independently accessed to participate? … are readily available for self-regulation or problem-solving? … encourage opportunities to engage with others? … help students communicate at their developmental stage? … provide multiple options for initiating and sustaining engagement? _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Key Priorities for 3 Stages of Social Development - Social Orienting: ● Increase length and enjoyment of play and social interactions with adults ● Develop interest in and awareness of people - Seeking-Liking: ● Increase awareness that people are sources of help to meet needs or support when upset ● Increase independent initiations using gestures, single words, pictures, or flexible word combinations ● Increase ability to direct others, comment, & express likes/dislikes through gestures, words, pictures, or AAC - Social Maintaining: ● Develop a sense of self-efficacy, awareness of social norms, and ability to navigate social interactions

Key Supports for 3 Stages of Communication Development - Before Words (Pre-Symbolic): ● Use of real objects ● Use of sensory components: (music, water, wind, light, visual stimuli, noises, textures, movement, etc.) ● Modeling of priority vocabulary: names, verbs, prepositions, descriptives, etc. - Emerging Language: ● Use of pictures, Core Word Board, AAC devices to ultimately promote understanding & flexible expression of subject+verb+object/descriptor word combinations - Conversational Stage: ● Use of pictures, written words, and strategies for self regulation, engaging in social interactions, and planning ahead * Provide Information in Multiple Ways : Increase understanding to support INDEPENDENCE . -What supports or strategies can I use to: … present my verbal language in different ways? … present cognitive targets and academic concepts inmultiple ways? … present social or behavior expectations to facilitate comprehension across activities? … weave cognitive targets and academic concepts across multiple activities?

_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ … stimulate motivation or include special interests? … are meaningful to students or applicable to real life? * Foster Engagement: Get students emotionally hooked by ensuring their INVESTMENT (Interest) in the activity. -What supports or strategies can I use that: … provide predictability? … emotionally draw students in or ensure interest? … help students stay actively engaged, alert & regulated?

UDL SUPPORTS to Foster Engagement = ALL MY STUDENTS Are Engaged & Learning

_________________________________________ _________________________________________

The 3 I ’s of Student Engagement: I nvestment (Interest), I ndependence and I nitiation.

Forsyth County Schools AT Team; 2020.7

Image 5: FCS Lesson Planning Form

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES RELATED TO SEE-KS: SEE-KS Social Engagement Ladder https://cxrweb.wordpress.com/see-ks-social-engagement- ladder-whole-group/

Rubin, Emily (2015, May). Social Emotional Engagement – Knowledge & Skills, Measuring Progress and Planning Next Steps. [Web-based presentation]. GaDOE State Professional Development Grant, Preschool Programs, various LEAs. Rubin, E., & Townsend, J. (2022). S ocial emotional engagement: Finding the fuel for learning in our classrooms (Using the freely accessible tools of SEE-KS) [Paper presentation]. OCALICON, Columbus, OH, United States. Siller, M., Morgan, L., Fuhrmeister, S., Wedderburn, Q., Schirmer, B., Chatson, E., & Gillespie, S. (2023). Feasibility and acceptability of a low-resource-intensive, transdiagnostic intervention for children with social-communication challenges in early childhood education settings . Autism, 28(3), 587-599. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231179289 (Original work published 2024)

SEE-KS Quick Reference Tool https://cxrweb.wordpress.com/see-ks-quick-reference/

SEE-KS 6 Step Mentorship https://cxrweb.wordpress.com/see-ks-mentorship-form/

Language as a Missing Link on the Deal Center website: https://www.galiteracycenter.org/language-as-a-missing- link

All images and this article are copyrighted by FCS Assistive Technology Team

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