Use of a prioritized core vocabulary. Selecting the vocabu- lary to display via symbols on a student’s AAC system is chal- lenging. Students who use speech to communicate choose their own words from those in their expressive vocabulary. By contrast, students who are learning to use AAC must choose from the limited set of words others have selected for them. For some beginning communicators, cognitive, sensory and phys- ical challenges place constraints on the number of symbols that can be included on an AAC system, the pace at which additional symbols can be added and the ways they can be represented and accessed (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013; Erickson & Geist, 2016). Historically, decisions about which symbols to use have focused on preferred items or activities (Beukelman, McGinnis, & Morrow, 1991; Schlosser & Sigafoos, 2002; Snell, Chen, & Hoover, 2006) in order to promote requesting (Frost & Bondy, 2002) and functional communication (Adamson, Romski, Deffebach, & Sevcik 1992). This process often results in concrete symbols that potentially increase student interest and joint attention and allow communication partners to reinforce successful communication through contingent reinforcement (Tomasello, 2003). The context-specific nature of these concrete symbols limit opportunities for teaching and learning and restrict the purposes for communication primarily to the pragmatic func- tion of requesting (Dodd & Gorey, 2013). Furthermore, these symbols are of little use in the context of academic instruction. Core vocabulary provides an alternative approach to selecting symbols to include on AAC systems for beginning communicators (Deckers, Van Zaalen, Van Balkom & Verhoeven, 2017; Van Tilborg & Deckers, 2016). Core vocabulary refers to a relatively small set of highly useful words, such as more, go, you and like. Core words are among the first words typically devel- oping children learn to say (e.g., Banajee, DiCarlo, & Stricklin, 2003), they overlap with the first words they are explicitly taught to read (e.g., Dolch, 1955) and are predominant in children’s early writing (Clendon & Erickson, 2008). One of the primary advan- tages of core vocabulary for beginning communicators who use AAC is that the words can be taught across a variety of contexts throughout the day. Core vocabulary is conceptual. As a result, the symbols repre- senting core vocabulary words are abstract and may be more difficult to learn than concrete symbols. However, in comparison to concrete vocabulary, there are dramatically more opportuni- ties to teach and learn core vocabulary across a typical school day because the words can be used across contexts, purposes and partners (Adamson et al., 1992; Deckers et al., 2017). Addi- tionally, core vocabulary can support the kind of initiating, responding and interacting that is required to successfully access grade-level standards. This usefulness is realized when adults take advantage of the flexibility of core vocabulary and teach its use across the entire school day.
Application of naturalistic teaching principles and tech- niques. Project Core is aimed at promoting spontaneity in communication and generalization across contexts and part- ners (Cowan & Allen, 2007; Pindiprolu, 2012; Prizant & Wetherby, 1998). The implementation resources are intended to support teachers and classroom staff in: (a) leveraging typical daily activi- ties and common academic routines; (b) building on students’ interests and preferences; (c) following student-initiated inter- actions and (d) developing intrinsic motivation through the natural consequences of interaction (Pindiprolu, 2012). TARGET AUDIENCE In Project Core, teachers, teaching assistants, related service providers and other personnel who interact with students in the classroom deliver the instruction and take a primary role in helping students learn to use AAC. No prior training or expe- rience with AAC is required to get started. However, effective implementation is based on: (a) a belief that all students can learn to communicate in increasingly complex ways and (b) a commitment to engage in ongoing professional development (PD) that includes self-reflection and peer and coach support. Through the series of PD modules, teachers learn to identify all of the ways their students communicate, build on these early forms and make meaningful connections as they teach students to use symbols on personal AAC systems. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and related AAC specialists provide addi- tional focused support and guidance, as schedules and case- loads permit. It is important to note that many students with significant cognitive disabilities have limited access to SLPs with expertise in addressing their specific communication needs (American Speech-Language Hearing Association [ASHA], 2012), and when they do, their time is often limited to small group, 20 to 30 minute sessions, two times each week (Brandel & Loeb, 2011). The Project Core implementation model aims to empower teachers to deliver foundational communication supports and instruction for all in need, and thus contribute positively to the time specialists like SLPs have available to focus on individual- ized solutions and intervention plans for students. UNIVERSAL CORE VOCABULARY Project Core features a prioritized set of core vocabulary words called the Universal Core (see Erickson, Geist, Hatch & Quick, 2019). The words that make up the Universal Core can be used alone or in combination to communicate for a range of purposes on countless topics with many different partners. Several formats are available to support student access through direct pointing or touch, eye gaze selection and partner-assisted scanning. Versions with symbols with reduced complexity and high color saturation are available to address the needs of some students with visual impairments. Three dimensional (3D) symbols are available for students who are blind. Additionally,
5
February / March, 2020 | www.closingthegap.com/membership Closing The Gap © 2020 Closing The Gap, Inc. All rights reserved.
BACK TO CONTENTS
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator