AAC: symbols and rate enhancement techniques

Iconic Message Code

=semantic compaction=Minspeak Sequences of icons (i.e. pictorial symbols) used to create phrases on SGD apple+sun = let's have a barbecue apple+clock = it's time for a snack sun+clock = it's time to catch some rays!

Using a code such as "GN" for the message "It's nice to see you today" is an example of what type of encoding?

Alpha Message Code

Symbol considerations - color

Are bright colors used to highlight contrasts and details?

Symbol considerations - context

Are familiar activities portrayed in context?

Symbol considerations - wholeness

Are people and objects whole?? Or are elements or body parts separated or disjoined?

Symbol considerations - focus

Are size and positioning of characters used to emphasize relevant characteristics? Or are there merely arrows pointing to a part of the image?

Symbol considerations - familiarity

Are the ppl, object, activities depicted sthg that children have often seen?

____________ are words/phrases that keep a conversation going.

Continuers e.g. Wow! Really? Tell me more.

People with what types of CCN could benefit from manual sign?

Deaf/HH ASD Cognitive disabilities CAS

Symbol considerations - concreteness

Do symbols contain clearly depicted people &/or observable activities?

Morse Code for word-level How is it composed? What are some examples?

Dots and dashes represent letters, punctuation and numbers Dots and dashes are transmitted via microswitches A device or algorhythm translates them into letters and numbers.

SWITCH TERM AND DEFINITION FOR THE NEXT THREE CARDS

How would you describe a symbol that is not immediately clear, but once the meaning is provided it's like, "Oh yeah. I can see that."

Letter-Category Word Codes How are they composed? What are some examples?

Initial letter is usually superordinate category. Second letter is first letter of the specific word. F=Fruit D=Drink FA=apple FB= banana DC=coffee DM=milk etc.

_________________ is the official system in the U.K. for students with cog. disabilities, combining ___, _____, and _____.

Makaton Vocabulary speech, manual signs, graphic symbols

LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning) uses __________________________ icons

Minspeak/Semantic Compaction

What factors may strongly encourage symbol learning for those who do not yet grasp what a symbol is?

Reinforcement value (candy!!! trains!!!! etc) How the symbols are taught (games are more engaging!)

Alpha (Letter) Message codes Two types Examples

Salient Letter Message Encoding OD=Please open the door for me Letter-Category Message Encoding GN = "It's nice to see you." (G for greeting, N for nice)

Alphanumeric Word Codes How are they composed? What are two examples?

Same letters can be used repeatedly across words that are differentiated by number COMM1 = communicate COMM2 = communication COMM3 = community etc.

Symbol definition

Something that stands for something else (a referent/concept)

Numeric Message Code

Sometimes the first number is the category and other numbers specify the message in that category 3=wants/needs 8=sarcasm/curse words 326=get me a cup of coffee 825=eat my socks! memorize or use code book

What are the levels on the iconicity scale?

Transparent Translucent Opaque

Alpha Word Code How are they composed? What are two types?

Type a few letters and it pulls up a word Truncation codes are easier (HAMB = hamburger) Contraction codes (HMBGR = hamburger)

Blissymbol highly opaque PROs: - international - elemental (teaches linguistic formulation) CONs: must be learned or glossed

Type of symbol Iconicity Pros/cons

LAMP Not transparent. Maybe translucent? Pro: c

Type of symbol Iconicity Pros/cons

PCS (Boardmaker) transparent Pro: widely available Con: can't be combined to make new concepts

Type of symbol Iconicity Pros/cons

Alphanumeric Message Code

Typically the alphabetic part is category, number is message in that category G=greeting G1=Hello, how are you? G2=I haven't seen you in a long time!

Numeric Word Codes How are they composed? What are some examples?

Usually arbitrary 13=yesterday 24=hello Either codes are included on chart/menu or extensive learning and instruction is needed.

An action that is used more often in isolation that may seem to lack communicative intent (e.g. a formerly abused child who steps back and raises a hand when approached unexpectedly) is called a(n) _________________

adaptor

A facial expression/body movement displaying emotion (e.g. rubbing the outside of your eyes when sad) is called a(n) _____________

affect display

_________ symbols require some type of external assistance, such as a device or board, for production, while ________ symbols require no external device for production.

aided unaided

Color Message Code

colors are usually combined with numbers or symbols (e.g. in eye-pointing communication systems) and catalogued for partners Blue M = Turn on the music. Purple M - Can you scratch my foot? *Color is also sometimes used to help categorize symbols in communication books and electronic displays (LAMP), but the bg color may interfere with symbol learning for some individuals

Choosing symbols for children - visual aspects

concreteness familiarity context wholeness color focus

"Please ask me Y/N questions" and "Please don't try to speak for me" are examples of __________ messages.

conversation control

A gestural behavior used without speech (e.g. head nod) is called a(n) ________________

emblem

The example of a man with Gullian Barre who pointed his tongue in different directions to communicate was using a(n) ______________________

emblem

What factors may impede symbol learning for specific symbols?

experience/cultural background: can you recognize the object that's pictured? e.g. Have you ever eaten an apple to know that that symbol represents food?

3 types of unaided symbols

gestures vocalizations manual sign systems

2 types of unaided symbols we all use

gestures vocalizations (huh! uh-uh!)

Manual sign systems include _______________, _____________ and __________ with a linguistic base

hand movements body movements facial expressions

With ______________ enoding, sequences of icons are combined to store word, phrase, or sentence messages in voice-output devices

iconic

gestures used by a particular individual or group, but not by their society/culture at large are called ____________

idiosyncratic codes

Verbalizations may be ____________ or used during ____________

idiosyncrative auditory scanning with a partner

A nonverbal behavior that accompanies speech (e.g. mimicing writing while asking for a pen) is called a(n) ___________

illustrator

3 types of verbalizations

involuntary voluntary approximations of speech

At first, children respond to symbols as though they are_____________ and progress to seeing pictures as __________

objects (try to grasp them) 2-dimensional and separate from referents

____________________ is the ability to perceive, interpret, understand, and use pictures communicatively

pictorial competence

"hypothesized" symbol hierarchy for ppl w/ w/o disabilities (7 steps)

real objects color photos b&w photos PCS Pictogram Blissymbols Printed words (orthography)

A nonverbal action that helps control the direction of a conversation (e.g. reducing eye contact at the end of a conversation) is called a(n) _________

regulator

Using a code such as "FC" for the message "Please feed the cats" is an example of what type of encoding?

salient letter encoding

3 levels of prediction

single-letter word-level phrase or sentence-level

Kids idea of a ___________ is very different from what is commercially available.

symbol

Combined Symbol Systems are different from typical multimodal AAC because they are ________

systematized

Adaptations of manual sign are used for _____________ and ____________

tactile reception of signing (e.g. Helen Keller) Key Word Signing (e.g. "I want a cookie" = signs for want and cookie)

What skill can help a young person with a cognitive impairment to recognize abstract symbols?

the ability to understand the meaning of certain referents (spoken language comprehension)

How would you describe a symbol that is not immediately clear, but once the meaning is provided it's like, "Oh yeah. I can see that."

translucent

5 types of Message Codes

• Alpha Encoding ○ salient letter ○ letter-category • Alphanumeric Encoding • Numeric Encoding • Iconic Encoding (Minspeak) • Color Encoding

What matters when choosing prediction and other rate enhancement strategies?

• task and goal of task matters • how available the vocabulary is within a system • cognitive processing time • search time • key press time • how much motor effort is involved time or duration of message production

3 approaches to enhance rate

- arrangement of materials by frequency of occurrence - encoding - retrieval

When considering manual sign, remember that _______ is poor for unfamiliar partners, ______________ may prevent the user from signing, and that ____________ may be easier for user to learn complex concepts

- intelligibility - motoric complexity of signs - total communication (signs + speech and/or other AAC)

5 reasons to use encoding

- reduce key strokes/activations - increase rate - decrease fatigue - control conversation/discourse - literacy difficulties

6 advantages of manual sign

- slower, simplified input - opportunity to respond without speech and with assistance - helpful for teaching vocab - minimizes short-term auditory memory demands - the visual helps with processing - signs are often closer to their referents than spoken words

What capability requirement is probably useful in salient letter encoding?

- some familiarity with traditional orthography - ability to spell at least first letter of words - ability to recall messages in correct syntactic forms (open door, not door open)

Conversational rates of AAC users

13 wpm

Conversational rates of normal speakers

150-250 wpm

By ________ years, most children understand that pictures can "stand for" objects

3.5

What is a symbol? (definition)

"Something that stands for something else " (a referent/concept)

Four types of Word Codes

- Alpha (Letter) Encoding - Alpha-Numeric Encoding - Numeric Encoding - Morse Code

3 types of symbols

- aided - require external device to produce - unaided - nothing external required - combined - use both!

3 relationships of manual sign systems to the spoken language of a country

- alternative (e.g. ASL) - parallel (e.g. Signed Exact English - SEE) - supplemental (fingerspelling, cued speech)