let's talk ...

It is the last day of school for the year, and I have spent hours on paperwork that no one will likely ever look at. That's okay --it's the nature of the beast. I feel no sense of accomplishment in having completed it, though. That time could have been better spent, which I find a bit frustrating.

To put that busy work out of my mind, I am going to think back to something that I felt very proud to be a part of. A colleague of mine is the primary person behind it, and I feel very fortunate to work with people like her. I worked with her and some other colleagues on developing a very simple means for nonverbal people to communicate. From there, we used these communication books with children who have difficulty communicating with others using language, and I shared how to make them with parents and the wider community online. I've included that information below. And here is the part that I think back to tonight ...

In all, so far, I know of at least four people, including two adults I don't work with directly, who were able to communicate using language after being introduced to the communication books. In the case of the two adults, they were able to use it without being taught how to use it. This makes me incredibly happy and sad at the same time: happy, because they finally had a means to communicate using language that they had developed on their own; and sad, because the people around them either assumed they had nothing to say or didn't have the patience to figure it out. 

If you know people like this, please feel free to use this idea. Let me know how it goes. 'Core vocabulary' are words that are frequently used; 'fringe vocabulary' are words that are thematic or may fit within a particular category that aren't used as often. Please let me know if you need the pages --they're a little tricky to download here! The directions below are for use with kids, but that doesn't mean adults can't use them.

To make a communication book, you will need a ½ inch binder, like the one shown, and a color printer to print out the core vocabulary and fringe vocabulary sheets.

 

Place this core sheet on inside top left cover of ½” notebook. This example is affixed with clear packing tape.

 

Place the other core vocabulary sheet on inside top right cover of ½” notebook. Use tabbed plastic notebook dividers, cutting out the top portion so the core vocabulary can be seen from any tab. Attach fringe vocabulary to these dividers. These examples are affixed with clear packing tape. 

Tips:

1. Review all of the words on the board before expecting your child to know what they say. They are still learning to read, and it helps with that learning.
2. The adult or another communication partner also uses the communication book. This will help model how they are used and how the “buttons” are paired with speech. It also helps to normalize using AAC for communication -not all communication is verbal!
3. Have your child imitate what you are doing, or look for words on the board. The adult or communication partner might provide the voice, or you both say it together, or they might say the words themselves, depending on ability level.
4. Not all of the words or word forms are included on here for the sake of space. That’s okay. You can add words or word endings when you are talking (e.g., for “I have the glue”, you would say that sentence and touch I +have + glue).
5. Feel free to use or have the kids use the question words as well (e.g., “Where’s red?” could be where + red).
6. The blank “buttons” are in case there is a word that is not included on the board (e.g., if you wanted to say “octagon”, you could touch a blank button on the shape fringe vocabulary page). Communication supports don’t always have all of the vocabulary we would like because of space, but you can still have the option of using words that aren’t on there.