Supporting Reading Instruction Using AAC (Augmentative Alternative
Communication)
J ennifer Schimek, [email protected]
Shelly Elfner, [email protected]
Julie Antol, [email protected]
Learner Outcomes
1. Participants will be able to utilize a variety of low to high-tech AAC to adapt student’s reading materials.
2. Participants will be able to create communication opportunities to actively engage students in shared reading.
Why use AAC to support Reading instruction?
 Language and literacy are connected from infancy onward. Speaking, listening, reading, and writing
develop concurrently rather than sequentially.
 Reading and writing float on a sea of talk (James Britton, 1983)
Related Research
Erickson, K. A., Hatch, P., & Clendon, S. (2010). Literacy, Assistive Technology and Students with Significant
Disabilities. Focus on Exceptional Children, 1-16.
Koppenhaver, D. A., Coleman, P. P., Kalman, S. L., & Yoder, D. E. (1991). The Implications of Emergent Literacy
Research for Children with Developmental Disabilities. American Journal of Speech Language, 38-44.
A Review of Bloom's Taxonomy and It's Application to PWUAAC
https://aaclanguagelab.com/resources/free - found under articles, see page 6
What is Shared Reading?
• Teachers read with students and not to students
• Shared reading is focused on interaction and making meaning
• The student should lead the interactions during shared reading
• Shared reading engages students and supports communication
How do non-verbal students participate in Shared Reading?
Interaction = joint attention and active engagement (Center for Literacy and Disabilities Studies, University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill)
• Give student a way to interact and communicate throughout the book reading
• Attribute meaning to all student’s attempts whether accidental or intentional
– Physical movements, eye gaze, vocalizations, symbols/pictures
How do you choose your books for Shared Reading?
 Know your student interests
 Books should be age appropriate
 Give your students choices
Before
Build on prior
Reading knowledge
Make connections
- Text to self
-Text to text
-Text to the world
Make predictions
Scaffold Vocabulary
Set the purpose for
the reading
-Today you are
going to…
Switches, Single Message,
Communicators, Sequencers,
Eye Gaze, Partner Assisted
Auditory Scanning, etc.
Use partner assisted scanning
to choose books
Engage student through
modeling expected skills
Discuss picture features, use
hand over hand assistance as
necessary to point to pictures
Establish joint attention
through eye gaze,
vocalizations, and body
movements to interact with
real objects or pictures
Engage with text
Pre-teach typical peers to
accept picture card to further
activity
Request to turn page by
exchanging picture or
selecting communicator or
use switch to turn page on a
digital book
Build meaning and
understanding
Communicate repetitive or
predictable sentence in book
During
Participation in
Reading listening to or
reading the story
Record each page on
sequencer
Communication Boards, Low-tech
Communication Devices, etc.
High-tech Speech Generating Devices
(SGDs)
Explore communication board
acknowledging and assigning
meaning to student’s spontaneous
interactions
Ask open ended questions, modeling
appropriate response as necessary
Demonstrate on communication
board where to find vocabulary
Use Chat Editor and PASS to model
where to find appropriate vocabulary
Model on the device key vocabulary
and use vocabulary in sentences
Discuss meaning and use of
vocabulary
Do a picture walk - student
identify/match picture features to
communication symbols
Ask questions to build interest and
make connections if necessary
demonstrate appropriate response
Build sentences from book
Follow along with reading of book
Follow navigational pathways, building
towards fading pathways in order to
read the book independently
Find target vocabulary
Find target vocabulary
Make predictions
Echo Reading
React or comment
Answer open ended questions EX:
What do you think will happen next?
How do you think the character feels?
Answer questions about the book
Have each student play a
character and record their
lines on a sequencer
Sentence completion activity
(Cloze Reading)
Echo Reading
After
Comprehension
Reading Questions
Story Retell/Main
idea and recalling
details
Use errorless learning provide pictures from story.
Students can use preferred
selection method to choose a
picture or object they
remember or recall from the
story
Make connections
Identify Story
Elements
Ask questions providing
picture/object choices and
allow students to answer
questions using preferred
method. Use error less
learning as necessary
Share/opinion – Did you like
the story? Would you want to
read it again? Etc… always
provide choices or assign
meaning to non-verbal
responses – EX: You are
smiling you must like this
story.
Build a story board
Use pictures to retell story – what
happened first, second, third
Use pictures to answer WH
questions and comprehension
questions
Use communication boards to
comment about the book,
expanding the vocabulary. EX: was
the book exciting, boring instead
of like or don’t like
Apply reading and vocabulary using
the device to build more complex
thoughts. Use modeling of appropriate
responses as necessary.
Answer comprehension questions
using their device not with given
choices
Provide model of sentence starters to
comment “I like…” and to provide
information “The boy…”
Use device to find vocabulary given the
definition.
Make connections – What did this
story make you think about?
Share – What was your favorite part?
What did you you think about when…?
Student generates questions about the
book using their device
Resources
Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
https://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds
 Project Core
 Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Professional Development
 Resources – articles, communication boards, presentations, etc.
PrAACtical AAC
http://praacticalaac.org/
 Website with a variety of AAC information and resources
Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilites
http://www.ric.edu/sherlockcenter/wwslist.html
 Adapted Literature and Lessons
Tarheel Reader
http://tarheelreader.org/
 Accessible books
VizZle
https://govizzle.com/
 Interactive Visual Learning Lessons and Library
Unique Learning Systems (ULS)
https://www.n2y.com/unique-learning-system/
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Library of books
Monthly lessons
Core materials
Communication boards
News-2-You
SymbolStix Prime
AAC Language Lab – free resources
https://aaclanguagelab.com/resources/free
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Lesson plans
Communication boards
Teaching Resources
Articles
Resources for Core Boards:
http://praacticalaac.org/praactical/core-samples/
http://www.project-core.com/core-communication-systems/
https://saltillo.com/chatcorner/content/29
Resources for making your own picture symbols or communication boards:
LessonPix http://lessonpix.com/
Boardmaker http://www.mayer-johnson.com/boardmaker-software
SymbolStix http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/symbols/symbolstix.aspx
Speech Therapy of the Rockies, LLC – Gretchen Storm
https://sites.google.com/site/stormspeechtherapy/augmentative-and-alternative-communication/aac-devicevocabulary-books
 AAC Device Vocabulary Books
o TouchChat - Saltillo
o LAMP – PRC
Chat Editor – Saltillo
https://saltillo.com/support/download_category/all-downloads-13
 Create pathways for adapting books or reading books
PASS Software – PRC
https://www.prentrom.com/support/PASS
 Create pathways for adapting books or reading books