Game on! Strategies for Building Language with AAC Through..

Game on! Strategies for Building Language with AAC Through Game Play By Beth Poss and Christopher Bugaj

Game on! Strategies for Building Language with AAC Through Game Play INTRODUCTION augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)

While games operate with rules, within those boundaries they provide interactivity and choice. Meaningful choice pro- duces a sense of control increasing the likelihood of an individu- al becoming invested in an experience. We hope that by the time you are reading this article life that has been impacted by COVID-19 around the world will be at least somewhat more back to normal. However, what we the authors have discovered personally during this time of self-quarantine and changes to our school, work and social routines is that game time with our families in our homes and with friends through

People need joy in their lives. Learning filled with joy increas- es productivity, social-emotional health and promotes a sense of well-being. One way to spread joy while learning is by playing games. Games provide an opportunity for families and friends to participate in a structured social activity that strengthens bonds of togetherness. Games and game play go across cultures and generations. Playing games offer opportunities for exposure to rich language concepts to help learners expand their vocabular- ies. Most importantly, games are fun!

CHRISTOPHER R. BUGAJ , MA CCC‐SLP is a founding member of the Assistive Technology Team for Loudoun County Public Schools. Chris co-hosts the Talking With Tech podcast featuring interviews and conver- sations about augmentative and alternative communication and has hosted The A.T.TIPSCAST; a multi‐award winning podcast featuring strategies to design educational experiences. Chris is the co‐author of The Practical (and Fun) Guide to Assistive Technology in Public Schools published by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and has designed and instructed online courses for ISTE on the topics of Assistive Tech- nology and Universal Design for Learning. Chris is also the author of ATEval2Go, an app for iPad that helps professionals in education perform technology assessments for students. Chris co-authored two chapters for a book published by Brookes Publishing titled Technology Tools for Students with Autism. Chris co‐produced and co‐authored the popular Night Light Stories podcast which features original stories for children of all ages. Chris has presented over 400 live or digital sessions at local, regional, state, national and international events, including TEDx. His latest book The New Assistive Tech: Make Learning Awesome For All, also published by ISTE, is available for order now! BETH POSS is a Speech-Language Pathologist and is currently the Director of Educational Programs for LessonPix. She has previously served as an assistant principal, special education supervisor, curriculum writer, and assistive technology team member for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. She is passionate about using visual supports and customized high-quality educational resources to support all students in accessing a rigorous curriculum in a Universally Designed Learned educational environment. She is an adjunct faculty member for Johns Hopkins University and presents nationally on best practices in Early Childhood, Special Education, Assistive Technology, Instructional Technology and Universal Design for Learning. Areas of special interest include Designing Inclusive Learning Environments, Visual Supports for Students with Disabilities, and Culturally Responsive Teaching.

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MODELING AAC USE DURING GAME PLAY When playing a game with someone who is learning lan- guage with augmentative/alternative communication (AAC) it is important that other players model language using the AAC as well. Options for communication partners to model can be on the user’s device or on a second device. If the user of AAC is learning to use a high-tech device, not every player may have access to the same high-tech device. In these instances, the oth- er players might have a low-tech board that mimics the home screen of the high-tech device. The other players then point to words as they say them aloud. At first, the language learner might not even be expected to use the AAC. The other players should engage with the AAC demonstrating certain words, such as, like, your turn, play, you go, fun, I like it , or any words that might come up during the play. Not every word spoken needs to be modeled on the AAC system. Players could attempt to target one word per turn or round, based on the skills and vocabulary being targeted.

virtual platforms has been a way to connect with each other, maintain relationships and even take a break from technology. A March 21, 2020, New Yorker magazine article discussed how playing games provides those practicing social isolation “a place that can relieve them of anxiety and stress.” Speech Language Pathologist, Tara Roehl finds traditional board games adapted for online play via web meeting applications, such as Zoom, are an effective means of delivering speech and language telether- apy. Regardless of your reason for game play, whether as a fam- ily bonding experience or to address specific language goals, games are a more than just a way to pass the time.

USING GAMES IN THERAPEUTIC OR EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS

PROMOTING LANGUAGE Most games follow rules, usually require turn-taking and typ- ically have predictable outcomes (someone wins, someone los- es, or a task, quest or journey is completed) all of which means that the language needed to play almost any game is predict- able and can be structured to provide numerous opportunities for repetition of language targets for players using AAC. Single words or short phrases including my turn, your turn, go, wait, get, put it, take, there, here, same, different, no, don’t and can’t are just some of the core words that can be targeted in virtually any game. Longer phrases including I have it, do you want, give it to me, I have same, I have different, put it down, take that, I know it, do you have it, I need more, I like this and what do you have , can be repeatedly modeled and used by communication partners and individuals using AAC in the context of a game. Depending on the game, fringe words can easily be incor- porated, either specific to the theme of the game or to gaming itself, including win/won, lose, cheat, number words, etc. It’s im- portant to note that while fringe vocabulary may be targeted in game play, it is not advised that a specific board or page set be created for general game play. Use the games as an oppor- tunity to become proficient at using the vocabulary on pages as they are already organized in a user’s AAC system. For exam- ple, if a fantasy game involves the vocabulary princess , troll and knight , the adult player should model and support the users of AAC in finding these words as they may already exist on a peo- ple page or on a storytelling page. Alternatively, increase the user of AAC’s strategic competence with other vocabulary by helping them find ways to describe a low incidence word-- ugly, short monster for troll or man on horse for knight. If a word that was previously low incidence becomes a high use word due to frequent game play or increased interest in a subject, then add it to a logical location within the users system, where they can access it for a variety of purposes. Furthermore, fringe vocab- ulary during game play might be an additional opportunity to practice spelling and literacy skills by modeling on a keyboard.

PRC's LAMP Words for Life 84 Location Language System.

GAMES OVERVIEW

TYPES OF GAMES Games can be placed into two major categories of video games and tabletop games. Subcategories exist for each. Vid- eo games can be played on consoles, desktop/laptop comput- ers, or mobile devices. Tabletop games include board games, card games, role playing games or any other type of game with physical elements shared in the same space. Games can either be competitive or collaborative. Competitive games invite the different players, either individually or on teams, to face off against one another usually resulting in one player or group of players ultimately winning the game. Collaborative games have the players working together to progress through a story, solve a mystery, or otherwise work together to overcome some obsta-

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cle put forth by the objective of the game. Finally, some video games are neither competitive nor collaborative but, instead, create a shared environment in which people can build, con- struct or otherwise create. These are known as sandbox games and although people can and do collaborate in these games, it is not a requirement to play as there is not necessarily an objective to win. Any of these types of games can be used to foster and support the learning of language using AAC. CHOOSING THE RIGHT GAME The game selection process mirrors the process for consider- ing technology to meet educational goals. When searching for a game to play, one considers the interests and abilities of the po- tential players before selecting. A person who likes superheroes or fantasy worlds, might like games with those elements baked into the design. If maps and mysteries are more your thing, then a different set of games might be appealing. Knowing what in- terests the people with whom you hope to play can help you select the right with the most appeal. Another strategy for se- lecting the right game would be to read or listen to reviews of games. There are several board game review podcasts available, such as the All The Bits podcast hosted by instructional design- er, Michelle Compton and Speech Language Pathologist, Shaun Pearson, which provide detailed explanations of games along with their own insights as to who might find the games fun to play. Any game can be used to promote language. Working to select games interesting to the player(s) will help maintain at- tention while working on language targets. LEARNING THE RULES Although most games still come with a written set of rules, a different modality to learn how to play a game can be to watch a video of someone explaining the rules. YouTube channels such as Watch It Played provide brief tutorials for how to play just about any game you can find or think of. The videos can be paused, rewound or watched repeatedly to help with com- prehension. Video tutorials also allow for a quick way to refresh one’s memory on how to play a game that hasn’t been played in a while. Videos can be watched at increased speeds to expe- rience the content in half the time. Another way to learn how to play a game is to watch others play it. Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop is a YouTube channel dedicated to watching different celebrities playing board games together. Twitch.TV provides people with a way to watch others playing all types of games in real time or through recorded video. Of course, as with any content read or viewed online, viewer discretion is advised. BOARD GAMES When one hears the word “game” an image that might be conjured could be that of a classic board game such as Check- ers, Chess, Scrabble, Life, Sorry!, Monopoly, Candyland, Chutes and Ladders or Clue. These games have withstood the test of

time and might be commonly found in classrooms and homes around the world. There are several newer board games that pro- vide an opportunity to connect while learning something new. Some contemporary popular games include Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Munchkin and Splendor. Most board games also have a junior version available so the entire family can enjoy the game play. There are some board games that include different sensory experiences as well. For instance, Shadows in the For- est is a game meant to be played in the dark. Players move a lantern around a three-dimensional game board attempting to find cute creatures hiding behind trees. No matter the type of board game selected, the family and friends are sure to have a fun time. CARD GAMES Go Fish, Old Maid, Gin Rummy and Spit are family favorites with multiple variations and are easy to play with nothing more than a deck of playing cards. Uno, while made with a specific deck based on colors, can be played with suits of 2 regular card decks. Newer card games include Sleeping Queens, Moose on the Loose, Loot and Dragonwood, which has both cards and dice. These games have engaging artwork and easy to learn rules both of which can be used to entice players while reducing the barrier to entry. ROLE PLAYING GAMES You’re walking through the woods when suddenly you hear a child scream. You turn toward the sound and see a girl, maybe 5 or 6 years old, sprinting toward you. Behind her, and gaining, is the strangest creature you’ve ever seen. It’s the size of a bear but with feathers. Its head isn’t that of a bear at all. Does it have a head of an owl? The child and the creature are both barreling toward you and will be on you in mere moments. What do you do? What do you do? You are now immersed in a role-playing game, with a problem to solve! Role playing games, like Dungeons & Dragons, invite play- ers to pretend to be a character with varying traits, abilities and personalities. The character then progresses through a series

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of scenarios that make up a cohesive story. Role playing games typically have one person, known as the Game Master (GM), who manages the story. Dice are often used to determine outcomes of actions selected by the player. High rolls usually mean some- thing favorable happens. Lower rolls might mean something less desirable occurs. The characters of role-playing games are usually heroic in nature who go on quests, solve problems or otherwise interact in a fictional world. Characters, each managed by a different player, might work together as a team, known as a party. Parties with shared objectives promote collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication. Role playing games allow players to create a shared storytelling experience with open-ended pos- sibilities. The openness of the game provides an opportunity to say whatever you want to say whenever you want to say it how- ever you want to say it which promotes language use. Listen to Shaun Pearson describe how he ran a role playing game session over the summer at a camp for users of AAC by going to https://bit.ly/smalltalks3 and check out this arti- cle from the International Society for Technology in Educa- tion on using role playing games to engage all students by going to https://bit.ly/isterpgs SANDBOX GAMES Certain games have no objective to win. Instead, they are just meant to be a space where players can gather to create togeth- er. Like children playing with sand on the beach (or a sandbox) players construct structures that can be works of art, virtual envi- ronments, buildings or anything the players can imagine! Mine- craft might be the most popular and well-known sandbox game which allows players to design and create in a virtual space mak- ing it ripe with opportunities to use and practice language con- cepts and usage. Although any part of speech can be practiced in a sandbox game, they are particularly useful for practicing spatial prepositions such as over, under, on, in and beside. ADAPTING GAMES TO MEET A PLAYER’S NEEDS Favorite tabletop games can be adapted to target specific vocabulary or learning targets. The games Guess Who and Hed- banz provide an opportunity to incorporate question words, who and what . Zingo , which is an early childhood-oriented BIN- GO game with a few different versions. All these commercially available games can be played as is straight out of the box or can be adapted with targeted vocabulary by overlaying custom im- ages on the game boards. Physical adaptations allow individuals with motor needs to participate and play independently. Plac- ing dice in a clear plastic food container can provide students an alternative way to roll dice which uses larger gross motor movements to roll. Writing numbers on big cardboard boxes is another way to produce an adapted die. Virtual dice apps and websites are available including https://www.online-stopwatch.

com/chance-games/roll-a-dice/full-screen/. If at home and if a voice activated assistant is nearby, people can verbally or with AAC say, “Roll a d6” to roll a virtual die and listen to the results. If playing a card game, some people might enjoy using a card holder of some sort. This could simply be two pieces of wood rubber banded together to form a slit in between their two lon- ger edges or it could be a commercially available card holder. Sites like http://Tarheelgameplay.org provide a large array of games that are switch accessible. The adapted XBox controller allows people an opportunity to interact in games on the Xbox with switches. Switches can be inserted into the ports which can be configured to operate different controller commands. Organizations like AT Makers and AbleGamers help connect in- dividuals with disabilities to fellow gamers who can help make customized adaptations to meet the unique needs of every in- dividual person. Listen to Bill Binko, creator of AT Makers, discuss the Maker Movement by going to https://bit.ly/twtatmakers and Mark Barlet, co-creator of Ablegamers, discuss accessible gaming by going to https://bit.ly/ablegamerstwt. CREATING CUSTOM GAMES One activity that can be particularly fun for children is to create their own games. These games could then be shared and played with friends or family. A simple activity could be to create a game board using a file folder. Students could use a Bingo dab- ber, stamps, stickers or trace circles around a coin to make spots on the game board. A printout of symbols of target words, could be placed intermittently throughout the board. When playing the game, the student could roll the dice or spin a spinner to move their marker throughout the board. When they get to a symbol of a word, they could be asked to use it in a sentence using AAC. Software for creating custom clipart based game resources, such as LessonPix, provides a variety of templates for playing cards, dominos, BINGO and traditional board games that allow

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therapists, educators and families to tailor these games to meet a specific goal or to engage a player with highly motivating themes. Creating custom game boards allows a therapist, edu- cator or family member to simplify the game as needed, make it relevant to the individual needs of a student, or zone in on target vocabulary or curricular concepts. By adjusting the num- ber of squares needed for a BINGO style game, students with a shorter attention span, low tolerance for frustration or who are just learning the rules of the game can have quick success, ulti- mately building up to the traditional 5x5 game board. Custom game boards can be used in school or therapy and provided to families for follow up without additional expense. When cus- tom game boards are created in or downloaded as PowerPoint or Google Slides, they can easily be adapted for use during tele- therapy over a web conferencing platform that allows shared cursor/mouse control.

the language targets for individuals learning how to use an AAC system. The language used in games is consistent and can be used across many contexts, and as a result can lead to language competency for individuals who are motivated to be successful communicators during play. Games played in person or virtual- ly decrease barriers for individuals with disabilities and provide needed opportunities for social interactions, competition and collaboration. With a large variety of game options, from table- top to video and off the shelf to adapted there is the perfect game out there for everyone! REFERENCES: Bugaj, Christopher R., and Rachel Madel. “Small Talks III: Brian Whitmer, Brandi Lee Wentland, Kathy Howery, Shaun Pearson, & Kelly Key.” Talking with Tech , 19 Nov. 2019, talkingwithtech.pod- bean.com/e/small-talks-iii-brian-whitmer-brandi-lee-wentland- kathy-howery-sean-pearson-kelly-key/ Bugaj, Christopher R., and Rachel Madel. “Bill Binko: DIY As- sistive Technology, “Makers,” & the Convergence of Assistive Technology and Universal Design” Talking with Tech , 2 Nov. 2017 https://talkingwithtech.podbean.com/e/bill-binko-diy-assis- tive-technology-makers-the-convergence-of-assistive-technol- ogy-and-universal-design/ Bugaj, Christopher R., and Rachel Madel. “Mark Barlet: Mak- ing Video Games Accessible to All “Makers,”Talking with Tech, 21 March. 2018 https://talkingwithtech.podbean.com/e/mark-bar- let-making-video-games-accessible-to-all/ Chess, by Enricco Strocchi, licensed under CC-BY-ND, Septem- ber 8, 2007 Prentke Romich Corporation, LAMP Words for Life LessonPix We're BAAACK! More w/ Tara Roehl on Using Lesson- Pix for SLP Telepractice 3/24/303 Retrieved from https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=dy-HehjWO3Y “LessonPix Custom Materials.” LessonPix , lessonpix.com/ Parkin, Simon. “Finding Connection During Quarantine with Animal Crossing: New Horizons.” The New Yorker , 21 Mar. 2020. URL https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/ finding-connection-during-quarantine-with-animal-cross- ing-new-horizons Pearson, Shaun, and Michelle Compton. “All the Bits.” All the Bits, https://allthebits.podiant.co/. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “ TarHeel Gameplay .” TarHeel Gameplay, https://tarheelgameplay.org//

Customized Treasure Map gameboard used with permission from LessonPix.com.

CONCLUSION Games have been around for centuries and are a part of ev- ery culture in the world. Game play brings families and friends together, especially in challenging times. Games provide a dis- traction or a means to bond with others. Games by their nature are typically interactive and provide opportunities for choice and autonomy. Game play is a fun and engaging way to address

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