language sampling matters completing the spectrum of ... · completing the spectrum of language...

Schoolage & Prelinguistic LSA Teresa A. Ukrainetz & Mary Jo C. Hidecker.University of Wyoming

WSHA Convention, Laramie, June 2015 1

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Completing the Spectrum of Language Sample Analysis:

Academic Language Procedures

Teresa A. Ukrainetz, Ph.D.University of Wyoming

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Language Sampling Matters

Snapshot of performance for language and executive function in demanding “whole” discourse tasks.1.Can be done impressionistically and minimally informatively to complete an eligibility requirement2.Can be done quickly but systematically and analytically in oral modality, to inform eligibility decision, plan treatment, and track progress3.Can be done in oral and written modalities in classroom and treatment room over time with comprehensive analysis to obtain even better information

For More Ideas and Information

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From: [email protected]://www.uwyo.edu/c

omdis/faculty-staff/ukrainetz

Overview of Language Analysis and School-age Language Development

What isn’t language, anyway??!On a need to know basis --

What is needed for a quick, informative language sample analysis?

And where are the norms for all this anyway?

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Overall State of School-Age Language• Basic conversational language in place • Developing literate-style or academic language

– Variety and precision of vocabulary– Syntactic length and complexity– Discourse genre repertoire and competence

• Language & cognition & social intersections– Active, responsive, appropriate communicator– Attention, memory, & self-regulation– Word-finding and utterance formulation

• Most “development” dependent on environment

* Learning how to use what why when *

First, Analyzing Vocabulary & Grammar

SLPs need to know their grammar /to evaluate

how students use their grammar -

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Semantics: Expressive Vocabulary

• Word meaning in communicative tasks– Diversity and appropriate use for task– Not about semantic knowledge and metas

• Types of words– Tier 1: common, basic (baby, happy, walk)– Tier 2: literate-style, specific (infant, exuberant, plod)– Tier 3: low frequency, specialized (neonate,

ebullient, perambulate)• Word-finding

– Retrieving known words communicatively– Inconsistency word difficulty– But more on that in a moment

Syntax: AKA Grammar

1. Syntax: Word order and relations between words in sentences – “Parts of speech” and grammatical roles

2. Grammatical morphemes: Meaning units that specify functions and relations between words – SGWs and bits of words (AKA morphosyntax)

• Sentence structure at word, phrase, and clause level– Seeking evidence of deficits (and differences) in

rules and patterns• Plus utterance formulation

– Inconsistent performance – But more on that too in a moment

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Grammar at the Word Level• Last of Brown䇻s 14 gms

– Third person present agreement (she wants)– Irregular verbs & plural nouns (blew, ran, children,

moose) [vocab?]– Auxiliary, contract. & uncontract (is running, was

running, is he running? )– Copula, contract. & uncontract (is tall, were tall)

• Dialectal influences (They was running.) (They will drag that box there, but yesterday, he X the

other box by himself)• Other inflectional (bigger, biggest,) and derivational

affixes (help/er, de/construct/ion) [vocab?]

* Presence in obligatory context, not lack of opp *LSA 9

Grammar at the Phrase Level

• Combining parts of speech into “fancy phrases” • Very expanded noun phrases (That was an impressive

culminating achievement with little initial experience and few resources and under a time pressure)– Premodified and postmodified head nouns– Nested phrases

• Subtle verb conjugations & combinations (did go vs. ought to have gone vs. would have liked to have gone)– To express obligation, possibility, duration – Correct form and meaning

• Adverbial phrases – Esp. preposed adverbials (e.g., Very quickly, he

dashed...)LSA 10

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Grammar at Clause & Sentence Levels

• Sentence: At least 1 independent clause• Clause: subject and predicate (verb + the rest)

• Constituents: Subject, verb, object, adverbial, complement

She is short but has big feet and stands in the wind well.She was knocked over by a leaping kitten.

• Type of sentence1. Simple: 1 indep clause2. Compound/coordinated: 2+ indep clauses (and, or,

but, sometimes so)3. Subordinated/embedded: 1 indep and 1+ dep

clauses (because, although)• Try to reverse the clauses: Nope = compound

Main Types of Subordinated Sentences

• Infinitive clause/phrase ?– Find the main verbs to find the clauses

• Complement clause – Mother knew that would happen.– She said “Don’t go”.

• Adverbial clause – If you leave the door open, the cat will get out. – However you do it, just shut the door.– The cat got out because the door was open.

• Relative clause – The dog that is well trained will not jump on people. – The dog will not jump on people who do not allow it.

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Sentence Length & Complexity Measures

• Average sentence length– Mean Length of T-unit = Total no. words / No. T-units – MLT: 7-8 at 3rd grade, 12 at 12th grade

= increase of about 0.5 word/yr• Average sentence clausal complexity

• Hint: Count the main verbs to count the clauses• Subordination index = Total no. clauses / No. T-units

• 1.0 = All simple sentences, 1.2 = 1/5 2-clause sents, 1.5 = half 2-clause sents, 2.0 = All 2-clause sents

• 1.2 = 20%, 1.3 = 30%

Quantitative data from Scott (1988, 1995)LSA 14

C-units and T-units

• Communication-units (C-units), Terminal-units (T-units)• Both = main clause and attached subordinating clauses &

non-clausal structures (minus mazes)Yesterday because I couldn’t leave him alone I took my dog

who is very well-behaved into the store with me.• Like sentence except for compounds with 2+ subjects – I want to go to the store / and then I need to go to the

bank/ and then I have to go home.– I want to go / but she doesn䇻t.– I want to go but won’t.• C-units allow elliptical utts and “fragments” (Me too.

Beautiful. No.)• But use whichever

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T-unit, MLT, and SI Practice

This man he looks like Polly Pawkins and he has a lot of guns like Rambo he looks ugly he looks like Rambo because he has a lot of bullets he wears short pants he has a lot of knives he has a gun to shoot some lions the other man he has B.B. gun to shoot and the rocks were blocking the people who trying to shoot the people who get that guns and the bullets they hide the guns and the bullets in this little cave...

Length & Complexity Expectations

• Sml increases in length & complexity over grades– Frm expanded phrases & multiple clauses– Also from and...and...and then...

• MLT: 7-8 at 3rd grade, 12 at 12th grade= increase of about 0.5 word/yr

• SI = 1.2 at 3rd gr, 1.3 at 8th gr across text types• Sentences with 3+ clauses

The dog that is well trained will not jump on people who do not allow it and will be better liked by everyone because of this.

• Sophisticated conjuncts: nevertheless, instead of, despite• Some errors and awkward constructions normal

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Verbal Fluency and Productivity• Word-Finding

– Finding appropriate specific words for purpose– Reflects inordinate difficulty with simple task – Or reasonable struggle for challenging task?

• Verbal fluency– Ease of utterance formulation– Mazes (restart, repetition, reformulation)– Pauses, and filler words– Reflects task comfort and processing capacity

• Productivity– Reticence versus verbosity– Match to personality & culture– Flexible and appropriate to situation

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Context Matters More than Development• MLT

– Increases only 0.5 word/yr – 3 words longer in narrative than convers for 8th grade– MLT longer for narrative in elem; longer for expository

in high schl• SI

– Higher in persuasive expository than narrative– But not high in a simple expository procedure

• Informal oral different complexity than formal written– Long strings of coord & subord conjunctions with

redundancy and rephrasing– Density of specific, infreq vocab and propositions (idea

units); more subordination and phrasal elaboration



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The Big Picture of Context Over Development

The development of writing is unbelievable relative, to the point that pupil capacity seems to vary as much horizontally throughout a population of one grade as it does vertically through the grades...The past conditioning of the students (and of the teachers) accounts for more variation than anything else...At every turn of the road we ran into the disconcerting fact that what a student could write seemed to depend more on his out-of-school language environment and previous school training than on his age. (Moffett, 1968, p. 54-55)

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Appropriate over Correct

• Basic conversational oral grammar usually fine• Difficult content can result in syntax breakdown• Informal oral language may use syntax for pragmatic

purposes: Do you need the car? Because I have a meeting

tonight.• Dialectical variations present, even in 䇾mainstream

white䇿 childrenAnymore, people stay home to watch movies.

• Standard American English for school, but local oral dialect is not bad English

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Grammatical Development in Summary

• Sentences getting longer, ~0.5 word/yr– Finishing off gramm morph– Expanding and positioning phrases– Increasing no. & variety clauses – Decreasing structure errors

• With more variation bet discourse tasks than bet grades• Children with language impairment

– Overall immaturity in gramm structure with less elab and fewer complex forms

– Low but sig freq of gramm errors, esp in written text – Complex structures lacking or less freq used

Analyzing Narrative & Expository Discourse Structure

Discourse = organized unit of language larger than a sentence (not a random

assortment of sentences)

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Analyzing Narrative DiscourseNarrative = Recapitulation of a past event, real or imaginary

– About a particular event – Usually told with speaker perspective, episodic

organiz, & story markersExamine:1. Overall coherence2. Episodic or story grammar structure3. Cohesion, esp. pronoun reference4. Story art or expressive elaboration5. Vocabulary6. GrammarIs performance appropriate for age, schl expectations, task,

and context?

What to Look For in Episodic Analysis

1. Does story seem to have an orderly goal-directed problem-solution structure?

2. Complication that bothers someone in the story?3. If no, then pre-episodic story organized descriptively or

chronologically?4. If yes, then best episode present – incomplete,

abbreviated, complete, or elaborated?5. Which episodic elements (e.g., motivating state, plan,

attempt) present? 6. Episodic elements expressed explicitly or are you

inferring a lot?

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What to Look For in Cohesion and Story Art Analysis

1. Does this sound like a story? 2. Is it enjoyable and artful?3. Appendages, orientations,

and evaluations?4. Elements of categories are

present and missing?5. Used well and which need

strengthening?6. Weak elements that would be

simple to teach? 7. Oral techniques that could be

transferred to writing?

1. Does the story hang together and flow smoothly?

2. Helpful and correctly used connecting words (first, next, therefore, however)?

3. Incomplete sentences appropriate ellipses?

4. Series parts of sentence constructed in parallel?

5. Clear to which characters and objects pronouns refer?

6. Reference be made clearer by changing more pronouns to nouns?

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Expository or Informational DiscourseExpository = Discourse employed primarily for informative purposes; characterized by logical links, hierarchical organiz frm central proposition, and generalizing stance• Types

1. Description (Informative or expressive): Describe the sweater you liked.

2. Enumeration: List the items that were stolen.3. Explanation: Explain how fish breathe.4. Procedure: Tell how to operate your stereo system.5. Comparison: Which university should you choose?6. Argument or Persuasion (rational or emotional):

Take a position on forest management.

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Description & Enumeration

Example Purpose Structure

•Classified ad•Eye witness account•Passage in a novel

•Picture this •Notice this•Experience this

•Topic + details•Sensory description•Each major image + details, ordered•Text

•Nutrition label•Table of contents•Family genealogy

•Critical elements at a glance •Taxonomy

•Categories + listings•Spatial organization•Words and phrases

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Explanation & Procedure


•Internet health article•Research article•Investigative news report

•Why or how•Reasons, causes, logical relations

•Qn, evidence, concl.•Purpose, rationale, qn, method, findings, concl.•5-paragraph essay

•Manual•Recipe•Driving Directions

•How to do it•Materials, steps + sequence

•Materials & sequenced steps•Signals to order



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Comparison & Argument


•Consumer report•Catalogue product guidance•Job candidate selection report

•Explain compared to another•Which is better for what purposes

•List of same then different•Same/different feature by feature

•Editorial•Customer complaint•Political debate

•Convince someone•Rational, emotional & rhetorical

•Thesis + argument + thesis re-statement•Argument = point + elaboration

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Signaling Devices

Overviews Summaries Headings Key words

Signaling devices help composing & understanding – Amplify organization of loose expository structure– Aid analysis and synthesis of information– Aid skim reading for main idea and particular details

What do these look like for oral samples?

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Analyzing Expository Discourse1. Vocab & grammar: Appropriate and correct?2. Coherence: Discourse make sense easily?3. Genre: Discourse consistently in the requested genre?4. Organization: Was the organization adequate and

appropriate for the purpose?5. Cohesion: Clear use of connectives (however, but) and

he/she/they, a/the, this/that, bigger than reference?6. Elaboration: Sufficient detail expressed adequately?7. Topic Knowledge: Lack here affect language

performance?8. Judgment: Product reasonable for this age, school

expectations, and elicitation task?LSA 34

Putting It Together

• General profile • Variations across areas or low overall• Consistent difficulties within an area (e.g., just can䇻t

do relative clause sentences)• Inconsistent difficulties (e.g., 5 different gramm

errors along with correct occurrences)

• System overload or domain specific difficulties? • Attention or executive function difficulties?• Trying to say more than you can say well?

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Sampling School-age Discourse

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Language Sampling Contexts

• Sample multiple narrative and expository genres• For elementary grades:

– Incidental conversation– Two imaginative narratives– Meta-narrative knowledge– Two descriptions– Two procedures

• For secondary grades– Drop imaginative narratives– Add explanation or argument



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Imaginative Story

• Choice of picture with problem implied

• Use the story starter 䇾It was a dark and gloomy night 䇿

Simon (1984)

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TNL, Gillam & Pearson (2004)

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Meta-narrative knowledge

• Refer to the better formed of two stories• Story grammar: Ask for complication or problem,

feelings, thoughts, attempts, consequence• Story art: Title, setting, character names, dialogue,

special words, exciting part, ending• How would the student improve story on a retelling

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Description

1. Describe this picture to me. Paint a picture in my head.

2. This time, you want to sell this to me. Describe the picture again to me like you are trying to sell it to me.

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Procedure

1. What is a chore you have at home? I want to help. Give me instructions about how to do that chore.

2. You have a new friend you want to visit you. Pretend I am the friend and give me instructions about how to get to your house.

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Explanation and Argument

1. Explanation: What sport do you like? I don䇻t know how to play X. Explain to me how X is played.

2. Argument: Some towns do not allow cats outside without being on a leash. Tell me your view and why you think this.



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Student Self-Analysis

For student awareness of discourse structure and strengths/weaknesses:

1. Did you provide a good description (or procedure or explanation)?

2. What features of description did you use?3. How did you organize your description?4. What was one strength in your description?5. What is one way you could improve your

description?

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Analyzing The Sample

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Evaluating Language

• Use several discourse contexts• Videotape or audiotape• Repeated listening and note-taking• Multiple scans at word, sentence, and discourse levels• Apply available developmental information (e.g., 1/3

sentences complex)• Rely mainly on clinical judgment of appropriateness

(e.g., vocabulary sufficient for the task)

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SALT and Wisconsin Guide

• Can transcribe into Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT)

• SALT authors publish a written guide • Scads of age-referenced information on conversation

and narrative• Focus on: TNW, MLC, NDW, %Mazes• Will need at least 50 utterances

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Scanning Across Language Areas

1. Scan 1a) Speech intelligibility: Clarity and volumeb) Amount: Too little, just right, too muchc) Fluency: Wordfinding, utterance formulation, & pacingd) Pragmatics: Appropriate behavior for assessment

situation

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1. Scan 2a) Vocabulary: Appropriate, sufficient, diverse,

sophisticatedb) Grammar: Errors, expanded phrases, & complex

sentences• Transcribe some sentences for complexity and

errors2. Scan 3

a) Narrative: story grammar, cohesion, & story artb) Expository: Cohesion, elaboration, coherence, &

organizationc) Self-regulation: Attentive, thinks first, self-corrects



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School-age LSA –Example Samples

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AW䇻s Strengths & Weaknesses?

ConversationNarrationExposition

Patterns & variations

Informal versus Formal Discourse Sample Analysis

• Vocabulary types, diversity, and appropriateness• Types and nature of “fancy” phrases• Sentence complexity• Average/typical sentence length• Discourse structure & organization• Fluency and productivity

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(Okay.) So, we feel that Joey’s feelings towards Rachel are complex for several reasons. (Um) the first and main reason would be (um) he’s afraid of changing or messing up their relationship. (Um) he has a three-way relationship with Ross, Rachel, and himself. So (.) all three of them will be affected. Right? (Um) he’s afraid to cross the boundaries of that friendship, ya know, into more than friendship and he’s afraid of crossing that line and not being able to go back. (Ok, uh ) the second reason we feel that (um) his feelings are complex is he is afraid of rejection from Rachel (um) as in the case with all (.) new relationships. (Um) and the third reason we felt was (oh) the baby. The baby has a definite role in Rachel’s life and Ross’ life and now possibly Joey’s life. Right? (So it) but because of the fact that the baby is Ross’ (um) it adds a certain (.) complexity and problem to the situation. And it think that’s about it.

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It may be difficult for men to express their feelings. Take Joey for example, in the sitcom, “Friends” Joey’s situation is complex due to his relationship with Rachel and Ross. Joey has been a part of the close circle of friends for many years. He has recently discovered serious intimate feelings for Rachel. Rachel has had an intimate relationship with Ross and is now pregnant with his child. Ross is also one of Joey’s best friends. Joey is struggling with explaining his feelings of love towards Rachel without losing his friendship with both Ross and Rachel. Joey’s difficulty may be a result of his intricate relationships within his close circle of friends.

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Analyzing the Effect of Purpose on a Language Sample

• Language is spoken or written for a purpose and the purpose affects the languageContext plays a huge role in performance!

• I am writing this because:– It is worth 10% of my grade– This manual will help my parents program the

DVD/TV– This is a set of cool DVD/TV stuff for my friends



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Descriptions--

Examples ofContrasts in

Purpose

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Language Sample Analysis

A valuable assessment tool in the school yearsthat can be done by a practiced SLP

in a reasonable timeexamining

oral or writtenvocabulary, syntax, pragmatics, & discourse

and revealself-regulation & comprehension strategies

with a focus on communicative context & purpose over development

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ReferencesAukerman, R.C. (1972). Rdg in the secondary classrm. McGraw-Hill. Gillam, R.B., & Pearson, N. (2004). Test of Narrative Lang. ProEd.Hadley, P. (1998). Lang sampling protocols for elicitg discourse. LSHSS, 29, 132-147.Heilmann, J.J., et al. (2010). Language sample databases. LSHSS, 41, 84-95.Kamhi, A.G. & Catts, H.W. (2012). Lang and rdg: Convergences and divergences. In

Kamhi & Catts (Eds.), Lang and rdg disabilities (3rd ed.). Pearson.Lessem, D. (1996). Raptors! Boston, Little, Brown, & Co.Manzo, A.V. et al. (2001). Content area literacy (3rd ed.). Wiley.McFadden, T.U. (1991). Narr & exposit lang: Criterion-b assess proced for schl-age ch.

J SLP&Audiol, 15 (4), 57-64.Miller, J.S., & Chapman, R.S. (2004). SALT (V8). Madison, WI: U Wisc-Mad. Nelson, N.W., & van Meter, A. (2007). Measuring written lang ability in narr samples.

Rdg Res Q, 23, 287-309.Nippold, M.A. (1993). Develop markers in adolesc lang: Synt, sem, & prag. LSHSS, 24,

21-28.Nippold, M.A. (2005). Persuasive writing in ch, adol, and adults: A study of synt, sem,

and prag develop. LSHSS, 36, 125-138.Scott, C.M. (1988). Spoken and written syntax. In M.A. Nippold (Ed.), Later language

development (pp. 49–96). Pro-Ed.Scott, C.M. (2010). Assessing exposit texts by schl-age ch & adolesc. In Nippold &

Scott, Expository discourse in ch, adoles, and adults. Psychology Press.Simon, C.S. (1984). Eval comm competence. Comm Skill Builders.

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Completing the Spectrum of Language Sample Analysis:

Prelinguistic Language Procedures

Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker, Ph.D.University of Wyoming

Disclosure

Financial: Dr. Hidecker is receiving an honorarium for this presentation.

Dr. Hidecker is employed by the University of Wyoming.

Non-financial: No relevant non-financial relationship exists.

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Who are we talking about?• Individuals with severe disabilities including

– Autism– Cerebral palsy– Intellectual challenges

• Emerging CommunicatorsPre-symbolic Intentional, Goal Directed

using gesture

• Beginning Symbolic Communicatorsusing some starting to combinesingle symbols multimodalLSA 60



What do we want to know?

– Communication• Multiple modes of communication

– Language

– Speech

– Context (Communication Partner, Topic Desirability, ??)

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Eliciting Language Samples

• Think of tasks that encourage kids to talk and tasks that don’t.– MUST HAVE A REASON TO COMMUNICATE

• Joint action routines• Communication temptations• ????

• Who should be the communication partner?

• If you are the communication partner, what type of questions/tasks do you want to use?

Transcribing Language Samples

• Can transcribe the same language sample in different ways depending on your clinical hypothesis– Phonological – transcribe phonetically– Pragmatics – transcribe communication

partner and relevant actions– Semantics, Syntactic, Morphologic – may

be enough to write down only the client’s portion.

• Can be time-consuming– May take several listening trials to capture

the language correctly.

Create a gesture/behavioral dictionary (Beukelman & Mirenda, 2013)

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Sue’s Communication DictionaryWhat Sue does What it means What partners do Pair with conventional

AACHands flat acrossmouth

Wants food If meal time near, set timer and ask to wait.

If between meals, offer 2 food choices

Use object “symbol,”plastic plate for food, velcro to simple voice output device.Have object “symbol”

for each food choice.Reaches hand out to another person

Greeting Shake hands Add simple voice output device to say “Hi”

Communication/Language Sample

• Phonology• Pragmatics• Semantics• Morphology/Syntax• Phonology

CAUTION: Just because you do not hear the targets, Does NOT mean that the individual is lacking

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Early Phonology

• Phonologic Inventory/Speech Sample– What sounds, if any, are heard in vocalizations?

• Any vowel differentiations?• Any early consonants?• By 9-12 months,

reduplicated babbling (ba ba)nonreduplicated babbling (ba da)

(Bleile, 2004)

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Early PragmaticsCommunication Intention Worksheet (Paul & Norbury, 2012)

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I. Early intentionsGesture (8-12 mon) Vocalization (12-18 mon) Word (18-24 mon)

Request action

Request object

Protest

Comment

II. Later intentions (18-24 months)Request info

Answer

Acknowledge

Early Semantics

• Number of Words

• Two-word combinations– Semantic Relation

• Attribute entity• Possessor possession• Agent action• Action object• Demonstrative entity

• Entity locative• Action locative• Recurrence• Nonexistence, denial,

rejection• Disappearance.

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Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) issues in

language sample analyses4 Communicative Competencies

(2 more areas than typically developing)

Linguistic – understand languageOperational – understand how to use the aided

and/or unaided AAC systemStrategic – understand how to get around

limitations of the AAC systemSocial – understand how to communicate in socially

appropriate mannersLSA 69

Issues to Consider in Language Sample Analyses of AAC users

• Which modes of communication are used for which aspects of language?

• How should pre-stored AAC messages be counted in language sample results?

• Should “ automatic language logging” in AAC systems be used for language samples?

• Does the AAC system have available vocabulary and bound morphemes to be elicited? Does the AAC user have operational competence to use the vocabulary and morphology?

• How many utterances for a valid language sample? How to know where utterances break?

(Van Tatenhove, 2014)LSA 70

Indicating multiple modes of communication in language transcripts

1. Naturally spoken elements are italicized.2. ‘‘Words and sentences produced with digitized or

synthesized speech’’ are italicized within quotation marks.3. MANUAL SIGNS are in capital letters.4. GRAPHIC SIGNS and PICTURES are in capital letters and

italicized. 5. Some manual signs or graphic symbols need more than one

word in translation. When a sign or symbol contains two or more words, hyphenate: YOU-AND-ME or SIT-DOWN.

6. s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g is shown in lower case and underlined and has hyphens between letters.LSA 71

Indicating multiple modes of communication in language transcripts

7. ‘Interpretations or translations or meaning’ are used for interpretation of manual sign or graphic symbol utterances and appear in single quotation marks. This format is used when giving the meaning of facial expressions, gestures, pointing; ‘yes’ (nodding) or ‘no’ (shaking the head).

8. { . . . } indicates simultaneous expressive forms; for example, speech and manual signs, or manual and graphic signs. For example, {GLAD I am glad} means that the manual sign GLAD is produced simultaneously with the spoken sentence I am glad.

Used by AAC Journal who adapted with permission from von Tetzchner, S., & Jensen, M.H. (1996). Augmentative and alternative communication: European perspectives. (Table 0.1.: Notations, p. 12). London: Whurr Publishers.

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How should pre-stored AAC messages be counted in language sample results?

• Purpose of pre-stored messages?– Early pragmatic development

• Treat like protoword

– Speed up communication, but AAC user could use each element separately

• Code each element of utterance

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Should “automatic language logging” in AAC systems be used for language samples?

• Some AAC devices can log all keystrokes

– Privacy issues?

– Authorship issues?

– To use: https://www.prentrom.com/support/article/319

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Available vocabulary and bound morphemes? Operational competence with vocabulary and morphology?

• AAC system MUST have vocabulary and morphemes to complete task.

• AAC user must know both when (linguistically) and how (operationally) to access that vocabulary including adding bound morphemes.– AAC user must know (strategically) that he should

take the extra time to demonstrate his linguistic competence using any and all communication modes.

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# of utterances? Utterance breaks?

• No clear answers– Challenges especially when using aided AAC

• Increased time to compose messages result in slower pace of communication

– 8 to 10 words per minute if competent AAC user– 150-200 words per minute for competent oral speaker

• Utterance breaks primarily by length of pause time– Limited prosodic cues in synthesized speech

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MAKING GLOBAL JUDGEMENTS OF SEVERITY

Going beyond mild, moderate, severe:

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Communication Function Classification System (CFCS)

Level IThe person independently alternates between sender and receiver roles with familiar and unfamiliar partners at a comfortable pace.

Level II The person alternates between sender and receiver roles with familiar and unfamiliar partners, but at a slower pace.

Level IIIThe person alternates between sender and receiver roles with familiar partners, but is not consistently effective with unfamiliar partners.

Level IV The person does not consistently alternate between sender and receiver roles, but may be effective with familiar partners.

Level V The person is limited as both a sender and a receiver, and communication is seldom effective, even with familiar partners.

(Hidecker, et. al., 2011) www.cfcs.us



Considering all modes of communication Reporting Results from Language/Communication Samples

• Task & communication partner are usually relevant• Report the language domains

– (phonology, pragmatics, morphology, syntax, semantics) analyzed, and

• Summarize the important findings – related to your clinical hypothesis/referral question– baseline for goals/objectives– showing communication/language progress

What’s next?Some of my favorite intervention resources• Beukelman, D. R., & Mirenda, P. (2013). Augmentative and alternative

communication: Supporting children and adults with complex communication needs (4th ed.). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.

• Gillette, Y. (2012). Achieving communication competence: Three steps to effective intervention. Verona, WI: Attainment Company.

• Goosens', C., Crain, S., & Elder, P. (1992). Engineering the preschool environment for interactive, symbolic communication. Birmingham, AL: Southeast Augmentative Communication Conference Publications.

• Johnston, S. S., Reichle, J., Feeley, K. M., & Jones, E. A. (2012). AAC strategies for individuals with moderate to severe disabilities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.

• Reichle, J., Hidecker, M. J. C., Brady, N. C., & Terry, N. (2003). Intervention strategies for communication: Using aided augmentative communication systems. In J. C. Light, D. R. Beukelman & J. Reichle (Eds.), Communicative competence for individuals who use AAC: From research to effective practice (pp. 441-477). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

LSA 81 LSA 82

References•Barker, R. M., Akaba, S., Brady, N. C., & Thiemann-Bourque, K. (2013). Support for AAC use in preschool, and growth in language skills, for young children with developmental disabilities. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 29(4), 334-346. doi: doi:10.3109/07434618.2013.848933

•Beukelman, D. R., & Mirenda, P. (2013). Augmentative and alternative communication: Supporting children and adults with complex communication needs (4th ed.). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.

•Binger, C., & Light, J. (2008). The morphology and syntax of individuals who use AAC: Research review and implications for effective practice. Augmentative & Alternative Communication, 24(2), 123-138.

•Bleile, K. M. (2004). Manual of articulation and phonological disorders: Infancy through adulthood (2nd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Thomson/Delmar Learning.

•Hidecker, M. J., Paneth, N., Rosenbaum, P. L., Kent, R. D., Lillie, J., Eulenberg, J. B., . . . Taylor, K. (2011). Developing and validating the Communication Function Classification System for individuals with cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol, 53(8), 704-710. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.03996.x

•Paul, R., & Norbury, C. (2012). Language disorders from infancy through adolescence: Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and communicating . St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier.

•Van Tatenhove, G. (2014). Issues in language sample collection and analysis with children using AAC. Perspectives on Augmentative & Alternative Communication, 23(2), 65-74. doi: 10.1044/aac23.2.65

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