Summary The topic for today's reading was Augmentative Communication Systems-Sign Languages, PECS. In the assigned reading and module, we observe that a characteristic of autism is difficulty developing and using verbal speech to communicate with others. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is used to help children with autism to develop a system for communicating with others across multiple environments. It is used most often with learners that are non-verbal, but can also be used with learners with limited verbal skills. PECS can be used across age ranges, starting in preschool, to help individuals with ASD communicate with others. In fact, research has shown that learners can use PECS to increases their work production and speech development. PECS is different from others visual communication systems in that the learner is taught to hand a picture to person with whom they want to communicate with. Learners are initially taught to use PECS to make request. Once their communicate dysfunction is learn they may be taught other functions such as labeling and questio...
Many people believe that sign language is all about the hands, but to fully understand sign language people need to pay attention to facial expressions. Deaf people and those who are fluent in ASL, American Sign Language, know how to correctly use facial expressions. Many facial expressions hold different meanings and to fully comprehend sign language one has to ask: What does each facial expression mean in sign language?
Incidental teaching focuses on child-initiated interactions. (Hall, 2013) Incidental teaching is used to increase skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. (Hall, 2013) A study done by Hart and Risley (1975) looked at the incidental teaching process used at the preschool age to aide in teaching language. Incidental teaching has been the most frequent strategy that has been used to teach language. When using incidental teaching a child’s request may be verbal or nonverbal. Examples include reaching for an object that is out of one’s reach, requesting food or a toy or calling an adult’s name. There is a series of decisions that an adult can use to respond to the child’s request. These choices include: if the occasion should be used for incidental teaching: if so then a choice regarding the language behavior that is obtained from the child, and then a choice has to be made concerning the cue that will be used to initiate instruction, the cur could be focus of attention by itself, or in addition to the focused attention a verbal cue as well. If the individual does not respond to the cue, then a choice concerning the degree of prompt to be used, the “fullest degree: a request for imitation; medium degree: a request for partial imitation, or minimal degree: a request for the terminal language behavior.” (Hart & Risley, 1975) This study was performed on boys and girls between the ages of four years old to five years old. The baseline procedures ensured that the children had a variety of vocabulary for use in sentences. The sentences that they were taught was “I want x so I can y.” The second step of the procedure was the use of incidental teaching of compound sentences directed to teachers. After thirty-six days of school, the incidental teaching began to occur when the children needed assistance in trying to get different preschool materials.
In American Sign Language a major part of the language entails being able to express emotions and types of questions through the use of non- manual signals such as when asking a yes-no question the eyebrows will go up but when asking a wh-question such as what the eyebrows go down. Another way to express something is through mouth morphemes this is the way your mouth is shaped to convey different meanings, such as size and grammar. Non-manual signals and mouth morphemes are just as important as any sign and enrich the language to make it possible to effectively communicate.
Knowing other forms of communication is important because it can help to decrease negative behaviors for those who are non-verbal, and to understand their wants and needs. Many Autistic children have trouble with socializing and understanding different facial features, tones of voice, body language. For a non-verbal Autistic child the level of difficulty increases along with the chance of them becoming frustrated. There are many ways for a non-verbal child to be able to communicate, such as PECS boards, writing, different technology on ipads. This paper will provide evidence to answer the question: What are some techniques that are used to help a non-verbal Autistic child communicate?
The form of communication they choose will affect the child for the rest of their life. One form of communication available to children who are deaf is American Sign Language. “Though many different sign languages exist, American Sign Language is considered the most widely used manual language in the United States” (Hardin, Blanchard, Kemmery, Appenzeller, & Parker, 2014) with approximately 250,000-500,000 users. However, it is difficult to place an exact number of American Sign Language users because of “methodological challenges related to how American Sign Language users are determined” (Mitchell, Young, Bachleda, & Karchmer, 2006). American Sign Language is a complex language in which its users use their hands along with facial expressions and body postures. For children who are deaf, early exposure to sign language is very beneficial for them, because the earlier a child is exposed to sign language, the better their communication skills will be. Research suggests that “the first few years of life are the most crucial to a child’s development of language skills, and even the early months of life can be important for establishing successful communication”
Social interactions are another area of focus of LEGO therapy (2004). Social interaction comes naturally to those who do not have social communication deficits. Observing and imitating at an early age enables one to gain the social skills required in basic everyday interaction, as well as allowing one to gain confidence when socialising (Densmore et al., 2007). However, children with autism may lack in social interactions. Autistic children may require additional assistance in social interactions as they have difficulty in things such as: forming peer relationships, group play, maintaining eye contact, sharing, use of body language, use of facial expressions, participating in imaginative role play and much more; these skills are the fundamental base of effective social interactions (Gammeltoft and Nordenhof, 2007). Lack of social skills and communication skills overlap one another, having a “knock on” or “dominos” effect thus it is important that children with autism are supported in the development of these areas.
Adamson, L., Bakerman, R., Deckner, D. & Romskey, M.(2008). Joint Engagement and the Emergence of Language in Children with Autism and Down Syndrome.
Luiselli, James K. "Verbal Language and Communication." Teaching and Behavior Support for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Practitioner's Guide. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.
There are many issues teachers and students encounter in educational contexts centering on teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Many of the major issues addressed here are also relevant to teaching students American Sign Language (ASL), as well as other signed and spoken languages. The goal of this paper is to conduct a review of current research and literature of ELL/EFL/ESL/TESOL/TEFL/ESP/TOEFL/IELTS peer-reviewed publications that address these teaching-learning contexts and the key focus areas of culture diversity, sociolinguistic variation, the use of innovative technologies for language teaching and learning, language assessment, and language modalities. Each of these concepts will be extrapolated to
Simultaneous communication, also known as Sim-com is a form of communication process that utilizes both signs and sound. Quite often Sim-com has been referred to as a sign supported speech; these signs are usually in English in order to ensure that there is fluency in the language. In this, it is noted that some other non-verbal cues like the use of finger spelling and visual aids which rhyme to the spoken language can be used. Simultaneous communication has always been known to be a form of communication that is intended to help people who have hearing problems (deaf) understand what is being said. In this, it is realized that over the years, Sim-com has been able to utilize other systems of communication like seeing essential English. Sim-com has proven its advantageous use in both the deaf and hearing people because it presents both the spoken language and also the non-verbal. Simultaneous language is not only used by the deaf, but also used when communicating with students at the preschool level. This is important because these children tend not to understand verbal communication fully (Beginnings, 2014).
The social issues and communicative issues are very intertwined and the two factor model (social communication and restrictive, repetitive behaviors) of the DSM-5 has been supported by literature and the APA committee has come to a full agreement about the two domains that qualifies an individual for autism spectrum disorder. The rationale behind a merger between social interaction and communication into one category was for the reason that individuals use and need communication when engaging in social behaviors in their environment with other people (Carpenter et al. 1998). For instance, a child cannot engage in social greetings (e.g. saying hi, hello, good morning) or take part in back and forth conversation without language itself (e.g. sign, vocal). Furthermore, previous findings have shown that social and communicative skills are highly correlated with one another within a sample of children who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (Lord, 2011), hence another reason as to why the two domains merged into one single
Highly structured, intensive early intervention may lead to significant developmental gains. When dealing with children of preschool age, a critical focus area is the non-verbal communication skills, as these have a significant effect on the social skill development and development of social behaviors both at this age and as an adult. While there is not one conclusive list of the full range of verbal and non-verbal impairments of communication of autistic student’s language impairments; these impairments are obvious and specific both in early childhood autism as well as later in life (Wing,
This research was conducted to measure the use of video modeling (VM) procedures combined with the picture exchange communication system (PECS) to increase independent communicative initiations in preschool-age students. The four members were 3-year-old youngsters with constrained communication skills before the intervention. Two of the understudies had been determined to have a developmental delay and the other two have autism. The treatments was designed to inspect the impacts of utilizing VM as a preparing strategy to upgrade the adequacy of the students getting PECS and increase the communication skills. The researchers’ findings showed that all students figured out how to utilize PECS and expanded their communication skills. However, the
ease frustration, a parent can choose to what extent they want to teach their child. Fortunately, Sign Language acts as a three step method towards verbal communication. The first step is motor skills, which does not have to be taught, because it comes instinctively. Then, the second step is teaching a child ASL. Repetition is a key factor when teaching a child ASL. Start off by saying the word out loud while signing it simultaneously. The purpose of saying the word out loud while signing it, is so that the infant will be able to make connections between the words
For many decades the use of sing language in Australian Indigenous communities has been of a particular interest to linguists and researchers. Sign systems used around Australia are not mutually intelligible; however, particular finger-talk dialects can be understood by different tribes within one region and serve them as a lingua franca if their spoken languages are not interintelligible (Green & Wilkins 2014; Power 2013).