AAC Nuts and Bolts

Introduction

This module is number 3 in the package “Supporting Communication through AAC” publishedby SCOPE. It provides information on the “nitty gritty” of introducing and using AAC. It isdivided into several sections and appendices in the hope that readers can dip into it to find thoseaspects that they want to know about now, but can return to it later when the next issue arises.

Section 1 is a Communication Bill of Rights which we hope everyone will subscribe to andfollow when talking to or working with a person who uses AAC to help them communicate.

Section 2 provides some guidance on Do’s and Don’ts when communicating with people whouse AAC.

Section 3 aims to emphasise the importance of having an AAC Policy. Each school, college,and adult environment should have a policy to guide their implementation of AAC. The AACPolicy given here is used at Redway School and has supported and encouragedcommunication throughout the school.

Section 4 discusses the issues involved in selecting the communication system the child is touse, and provides lots of pointers to guide and inform your choice.

Section 5 looks at the issues involved in organising and integrating a communication system –such as selecting vocabulary and what to do to ensure success.

Section 6 provides information on making communication boards and books, and questions toconsider before starting. There are lots of examples on how charts and books can be laid outassisting speedy access and communication.

Section 7 tells you about the software that will help you to make the charts and books quicklyand easily yet with a professional looking end result.

Section 8 leads you through the maze of Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCAs) whichare available from simple one-message devices to complex systems, both dedicated aids andcomputer-based systems that can provide a full range of vocabulary.

Section 9 contains information about the vocabularies available for VOCAS.

Section 10 is an introduction to the value and making of Communication Passports.

Section 11 contains all the appendices, which cover:

1. Manual sign systems2. Graphic symbol systems3. Objects of reference4. Vocabulary for sentence structuring5. Use of language6. Symbol software packages & word and letter based software packages7. Suppliers & Addresses

1Supporting Communication through AAC

Module 3: Nuts and Bolts of AAC

FOR TALKING WITH PEOPLE WHO USE VOICE OUTPUT COMMUNICATION AIDS (VOCAs)

DO’S

1. Do look at me, not my Talker.

2. Do give me a VERY LONG time to respond.

3. Do ask me how I indicate ‘yes’ and ‘no’ if I don’t have my Talker.

4. Do ‘read’ my facial expression and body language.

5. Do ask me to expand/explain, rather than always asking questions to which I can only answer yes or no.

6. Do check that I mean to say what I said, (check it wasn’t a mis-hit) and also that you have not misunderstood. Just ask “Did you mean ...”

7. Do make sure that I can access my Talker:■ is it switched on?■ is my switch plugged fully in?■ is the light reflecting on my screen?■ is the light shining directly on the screen■ is my head-pointer upside down!?■ is the screen at a good angle?

8. Do talk to me at my eye-level.

9. Do tell me things, it’s boring just to be asked questions.

10. Do tell me when you want to move my chair – I’m not a sack of potatoes.

3Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 2

You have the right to:

1. be offered choices

2. express feelings

3. understand communications

4. reject

5. request information

6. have access to information

7. be communicated with in a dignified manner

8. aids, services and resources

9. be listened to

10. be included in social interaction

11. learn about yourself

12. learn about life

This Bill of Rights is based on the outcome of a

joint initiative in Australia between Compic and

the Spastic Society of Victoria.

2 Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 1

The Communication Bill of Rights Do’s and Don’ts

Section 1 Section 2

Section 3

ALTERNATIVE AND AUGMENTATIVECOMMUNICATION POLICY

It is important to have an AAC Policy related to your environment so everyone knows what isexpected. It makes the environment’s standards clear for all. The Redway School has kindlyallowed us to include their AAC Policy here as an example of an actual policy in use in aschool.

The Redway School Alternative and Augmentative Communication Policy (AAC Policy)It is important to note at the outset that learning to use any form of alternative andaugmentative communication is difficult. Sophisticated users claim that familiarity with theircommunication aids can take a number of years.

Children progress through a number of stages, including accessing the aid, developingfamiliarity with the aid, learning the available vocabulary and accepting the aid as an essentialform of communication. Once this point is reached the aid enables the child to take part fullyin educational and social life.

INTRODUCTIONThis policy has been written by the AAC team, consisting of teaching staff and speech andlanguage therapist. It is the result of the training and experience of the AAC team. Thepolicy details the way alternative augmentative communication enables children to access thewhole curriculum in the Redway School.

THE NATURE OF ALTERNATIVE, AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNCATION (AAC)Alternative refers to a means of communication other than speech. Augmentative means thequality of increasing the power of communication. Communication is described as success inconveying one’s meaning to others. Therefore Alternative, Augmentative Communication canbe defined as any means which replaces speech and/or enhances an individual’s ability tosuccessfully convey meaning to others.

The Redway School policy is TOTAL COMMUNICATION. This means that pupils areencouraged to use every available form of communication. This includes the informalmethods of facial expression, body language, gesture and vocalisation, together with formalcommunicative methods of words, signs, symbols and electronically aided speech. Pupils areencouraged to use whatever system they feel is most effective for each given situation.

THE AIMS OF THE ALTERNATIVE, AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNCATION CURRICULUM.1. To enable pupils to take part in the whole school curriculum once they are able to do so.2. To give access to a form of communication other than natural speech for those pupils with this

need.3. To assess each pupil and offer tuition in the most appropriate forms of alternative,

augmentative communication.4. To give pupils a means of active participation in motivating social situations.5. To teach core vocabulary within a carefully structured programme.6. To enable pupils to create their own Total Communication system. This means using the most

effective means of communication for each given situation.7. To work in close co-operation with the speech and language therapy department and where

appropriate, the occupational therapy department and the physiotherapy department.8. To work closely with the pupil’s family.


FOR TALKING WITH PEOPLEWHO USE VOICE OUTPUT COMMUNICATION AIDS (VOCAs)

DON’TS

1. Don’t ask a question and then answer it yourself, or immediately turn to someone else for the answer.

2. Don’t talk about me in front of me without acknowledging that you are being rather rude – and apologizing.

3. Don’t lean on my device or my wheelchair without my permission.

4. Don’t anticipate what I’m going to say without asking “Can I have a guess at what you mean?”

5. Don’t switch off my device because I’m being a pain or you disagree with me.

6. Don’t laugh at my mistakes, it gets disheartening. When you did your best to speak French,would you like it if someone laughed at you?

7. Don’t just ask me questions, tell me about yourself or talk about music, television,football, etc.

8 Don’t put me on the spot by asking me to demonstrate my Talker unless I have agreed in private.

9 Don’t stand behind me when I’m talking to you.


STAFFING AND RESOURCESThe AAC team consists of 2 speech and language therapists and a part time specialist teacher.

■ All teachers are responsible for AAC across the curriculum with support from the AAC team.■ The AAC team take responsibility for the maintenance and preparation of resources. Class

teachers may prepare resources for particular curricular sessions.■ A number of speech output devices of varying complexity are owned by the school and

become dedicated to individual children. This enables pupils to discover if there is a role forelectronically aided speech in their total communication system.

■ Private machines are purchased by other funds when speech output devices are recognised asan essential part of the pupil’s communication.

Signing ResourcesThe Redway School uses the Makaton Vocabulary stages 1-9. Further sign vocabulary istaken from British Sign Language.

Symbol ResourcesRebus Symbols are used throughout the school. Additional vocabulary is from Mayer JohnsonPicture Communication Symbols.

Assessment ResourcesThe Redway School Communication Assessment (published by David Fulton 1997) was writtenby the AAC team.

The team have produced a video to inform others about the teaching and learning methodsdeveloped at the Redway School.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENTTeachers take responsibility for ensuring that AAC is available at the appropriate level to thepupil in all curricular areas, following the guidance of the AAC team.

RECORDING PROGRESSProgress is recorded daily by the class teacher and after each session with a member of theAAC team. The class teacher and the AAC team will collate their reports at intervals. Recordswill contain information about:

■ spontaneous functional language uses of AAC, including the situation in which the childcommunicated.

■ developing skills in the use of AAC.■ the use of AAC to support other communication methods, e.g. a sign to explain an unclear

vocalisation.

The information recorded will be used to inform:■ teachers about the level of skills achieved by the child in different social situations.■ parents of their child’s progress, and show activities that have been covered.■ all staff who may be involved in programmes of work.

ASSESSMENTAssessment takes place yearly on the Redway School’s communication assessment. Thisallows progress in the use of AAC to be reviewed in context of the pupil’s functionalcommunication skills. The assessment leads to the formulation of future plans for AACtogether with general communication skill work.

EVALUATIONThis policy will be presented to the governors at the discretion of the head teacher. It will bereviewed at regular intervals by the AAC team as new information and research becomesavailable.


THE PLACE OF ALTERNATIVE, AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNCATION IN THECURRICULUM.The NATIONAL CURRICULUM states in the common requirements for the programmes of study“Appropriate provision should be made for pupils who need to use:

■ means of communication other than speech, including computers, technological aids,signing, symbols or lip reading;”

The AAC policy addresses this need in the Redway School.

PUPIL EXPERIENCES■ All pupils experience an AAC environment.■ All staff use key word signing to help pupil’s understanding of the spoken word and as a

model for an effective method of communication for some pupils.■ Objects of reference are used as an aid to help some pupils’ understanding of immediate

situational changes.■ Symbols are available in the school environment as an aid to learning.

INDIVIDUAL PUPIL EXPERIENCES Pupils are given the opportunity to further develop their use of AAC according to theirassessed needs.

■ Some pupils will have a personal resource of objects of reference to aid their understanding.■ Some pupils will be offered the opportunities to further develop their signing skills.■ Some pupils will have a personal symbol resource to augment their communication.■ Some pupils have a dedicated speech output device to augment their communication.

PUPIL ACTIVITIES■ Sign and symbol are an integral part of curricular activities.■ Pupils are encouraged to use AAC in interactions to augment their communication.■ Personal resources are available for pupils to use following guidance from the AAC team.

INDIVIDUAL PUPIL ACTIVITIESTeaching modules have been jointly designed by the speech and language therapist and AACco-ordinator to teach pupils to learn and use personal AAC resources effectively. Themodules ensure a common approach from the members of the AAC team.

The teaching modules integrate with the English communication scheme of work teaching thesame vocabulary at each band. This ensures that children will have access to the samedevelopmental vocabulary as their speaking peers.

■ Modules are currently in use for speech output devices and symbol resources. Modules toteach signing will be developed.

■ After assessment pupils are withdrawn either individually or in small groups to complete theappropriate module with a member of the AAC team.

■ Progress is reviewed at the completion of each module and the pupil either moves to a moreadvanced module or experiences a period of consolidation either in class or in a small group.

CROSS CURRICULAR ISSUESAll AAC is cross curricular and integrated into pupils’ individual programmes at theappropriate level.


■ Words must always be present with symbols or pictures.■ As only one reliable movement is needed to use a graphic system it is ideally suited to those

with severe physical impairments.■ Is colour important, or are black and white pictures easier?■ Picture sets may provide an easier means of communication between the user and non-

literate listeners.■ Some use complex pictures i.e. they are representational but difficult to draw. Others are

more stylised and therefore easier to draw.■ Pictures may be more visually confusing for those with visual or visual perceptual difficulties.

A graphic system will inevitably reduce the rate of communication; therefore the user's outputis likely to be telegrammatic.

■ Symbol systems are much more powerful than pictures, but they may be initially harder tounderstand and learn.

For further information see Appendix 2.

2.3 Points to consider when using objects of reference:■ When to use the following types of objects of reference:

– Shared: all students use the same objects to represent the same Person, Object, Locationor Event (POLE) e.g. the same cup is used to indicate drink time.– Differentiated: all students use the same object, but the object may vary e.g. a cup is usedto indicate drink time, but each student has his or her own cup.– Individualised: students have their own objects of reference.

■ How extensive does the vocabulary need to be? Choosing a limited vocabulary e.g. favouriteactivities or toys is often a good starting place.

■ What sorts of objects does the child respond to? There is no point in selecting an objectmade of a material the child objects to.

■ When choosing a key object to represent an activity, it should be an item related to the activityor used within the activity e.g. a swimming hat or swimsuit to represent swimming, an apron orbib to represent mealtimes.

■ Can the child manipulate the objects her/himself? Ideally, the child needs to be able to holdand manipulate the object themselves. By doing this the child builds up a mental picture ofthe object.

■ The child keeps this object with them for the duration of the activity.■ Objects of reference must be relevant to the individual. This may mean that two people may

have different objects of reference for the same toy or activity.

For further information see “A Voice and a Choice” by Keith Park, in Special Children Issue153 Feb/March 2003.

See Appendix 3 for a sample Objects of Reference Policy.


Section 4

WHAT COMMUNICATION SYSTEM SHOULD THE CHILDUSE: SIGNS AND GRAPHIC SYMBOLS?

An AAC system should be:■ Appropriate for the child’s current

– language skills– cognitive abilities– access (e.g. eye pointing or hand/finger pointing)

■ Flexible and allow for growth■ Acceptable to and understood by the child and the listener■ Functional and appropriate for the child’s educational and social needs.

The choice of a communication system is a difficult one. Systems and devices are oftendivided into categories:

■ Signing – such as British Sign Language, Signed English, or sign vocabularies such as the Makaton Vocabulary or Signalong

■ Graphic symbols – Picture Communication Symbols, Rebus, Blissymbols■ Simple digitised Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCAs) – such as single

message devices (BigMack, Talking Buddy or Chipper) or sequenced single messages (Step by Step, Sequencer)

■ Digitised voice output devices – such as AlphaTalker, Macaw, Message Mates,Portacom. (Some are basic, others are more complex e.g. with ‘themes’, topics or ‘levels’)

■ Computer-based communication applications – such as EZ Keys, CallTalk,Chailey Communication System or Ingfield Dynamic Vocabularies, with programs such asClicker, Speaking Dynamically Pro, Talking Screen or The Grid.

■ Synthesised VOCAs – such as Cameleon, Tellus, Pathfinder, DV4/MT4.

Children will commonly use communication charts and books as well as VOCAs andcomputers. All parts of the communication system go with the child all the time, enabling himto participate and interact, ask and answer questions, comment, direct, explain and report,and practise their use of language in a natural and immediate way.

Further information is contained in Appendices 1, 2 and 3.

2.1 Points to consider when selecting a sign system:■ Are the signs easy to understand? ■ Ease of making signs, i.e. can the user make the necessary hand shapes?■ Are one or two hands necessary? ■ Are signs symmetrical (both hands doing the same thing) or asymmetrical (one hand in one

position and the other making a different movement in a different position) in relation to theuser? Either of these would be difficult for many children.

■ Which system will meet the user's communication needs in the foreseeable future?■ Can additional vocabulary be obtained from a similar sign vocabulary? For example, for an

individual using Signalong, additional vocabulary can be taken from BSL.

For further information see Appendix 1.

2.2 Points to consider when selecting a graphic system:■ Does the graphic system contain all the necessary vocabulary?■ What is the relationship of the graphic system to spoken English? ■ How can the vocabulary be expanded?■ No recall is needed as the graphic systems are present all the time.



2.4 Points to consider when using Facilitated Communication Training (FCT):■ Does the person have a functional communication system currently in place?■ Can the person make his/her needs / wants known to others?■ Do others understand messages communicated?■ Can the person control his movements?■ Can the individual tolerate physical contact and support? ■ Can the individual initiate communication?■ Does the individual have any independent access to control technology?■ Can the individual make choices?■ Can the person pick up something or point to something spontaneously?■ If you ask the person to pick something up or point to something, is it difficult?

See Appendix 4 for further information.

2.5 Points to consider when using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS):

■ Does the person have a functional communication system currently in place?■ Can the person make his/her needs / wants known to others?■ Do others understand messages communicated?■ When does the person communicate – spontaneously, responsive or imitative?■ Does the person have severe physical impairments?■ Does the person have the motor skills to exchange a picture? Can he/she pick up and hold a

picture on his/her own?■ Does the person have preferred activities and/or toys/objects?■ Are there sufficient staff available to start working with PECS?

See Appendix 5 for further information.


Section 5ORGANISING/INTEGRATING A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

‘The purpose of a communication display is to arrange language in space so individuals can ...say what they wish to say as quickly as possible, and can do so with a minimal amount ofeffort’ (Blackstone 1993).

Vocabulary Selection Choosing vocabulary for a child who cannot speak is difficult. A child who uses augmentativecommunication needs to have:

■ reason for talking■ method of talking■ a sensitive listener.

Without a large flexible vocabulary, the child who uses AAC will be restricted in what s/he cansay. A small vocabulary:

■ limits what the child can say ■ changes the way the child might talk ■ gives responsibility to the communication partner rather than the child.

Obviously, a child will start with a few signs or symbols that are immediately useful andmotivating to her. (These are unlikely to include the basics such as ‘toilet’, ‘drink’ and ‘biscuit’,although choices of drinks e.g. water, juice, milk etc and snacks e.g. biscuit, banana etc, mightbe motivating.) The child’s vocabulary should be developed as quickly as possible to provideas wide a vocabulary as s/he can cope with cognitively.

Without a functional vocabulary (i.e. the words the child needs rather than the words we thinkthe child needs) it is impossible for a child to say what s/he wants to say. Although the childmay not always have access to the exact word s/he wants, with some graphic symbol systemss/he can use symbols very flexibly. The child who signs has access to personalised gestures.

A useful way to gather vocabulary is to jot down the words the child might need throughout theday. For example, you may write down the names of favourite toys, people and activities,favourite drinks, snacks and other food, places to go and things you see when you go out. It isimportant to take time to do this so the child has the vocabulary s/he really needs.

In order for a child to learn to communicate and develop vocabulary, learning to use an AACsystem must be fun and functional. Vocabulary must be directed, at least initially, at activitiesthe child is interested in and motivated by. New vocabulary should be introduced as part of theactivity so that the child sees others using signs and/or symbols and sees the outcomes fromthat use. This may make the difference between an AAC system being used functionally orsimply as a teaching tool.

There are lots of games and activities you can play to teach the child what photographs, pictures,graphic symbols and signs mean. For some ideas, see Module 4 “Games and Activities”.

What to do to make communication successful.Communication is fun and although the list below looks long, by following the basic principles thechild has the best possible opportunities to develop their language and communication skills.

■ Discuss the child’s communication skills and needs with the relevant people e.g. SLT,carers, nursery staff.Aim: to ensure that there is a co-ordinated approach to developing a communication systemfor the child. In the Early Years, parents will often take the initiative regarding communication.

■ Discuss roles and responsibilities with those involved with the child’s communicationsystem.– Who will co-ordinate the development of the child’s communication system?– Who will add new vocabulary?– Who will create new charts/books?– Who will take the lead on teaching others about the child’s communication system?Aim: to ensure everyone knows who will do what!

■ Include all those involved with the child in any communication and/or AAC training.Aim: to make sure everyone involved have an understanding of the communication needs ofthe child and how their input can help the child to become an effective communicator.

■ Have the child’s communication system available at all times.Aim: to make sure the child has access to the most appropriate means of communication.

■ Make sure the child is positioned well in order to use the most appropriatecommunication system for the situation.Aim: to make communication as easy as possible for the child regardless of position.

■ Initially, keep language simple.Aim: Use simple clear sentences when speaking to the child and repeat the sentences ifnecessary, but do not bombard the child with lots of rapid questions. Silence works too!

■ Attract the child’s attention.Aim: to make sure the child is watching and listening to what is happening.

■ Take time.Aim: to give the child time to pay attention and to respond. It may take the child time toorganise herself to look and listen and respond.

■ Give choices.Aim: to encourage the user to be an active communicator and to have a positive effect on theirenvironment. Don’t ask lots of questions that require a ‘yes/no’ response. Give the child time.

■ Provide signs and symbols in the AAC user’s environment i.e. label activities/toys/rooms.Aim: to encourage and develop the AAC user’s awareness of her communication system i.e.seeing others using her symbols.

■ Create a well organised attractive communication system (chart or book) that reflectsthe personality of the user.Aim: to create something the child will be proud to use.

NB: This will include using commercially available tools such as Boardmaker, Writing withSymbols, Clicker4 or Paper Chart Maker, as well as photographs and pictures. See section 7for further information.

■ Put the most frequently used vocabulary in the easiest to reach/see locations.Aim: to make communication as quick and easy as possible for the child.

■ Make the print large enough for everyone to read easily, (but not bigger than the symbols!).Aim: to introduce, from the beginning, the idea that print is important and part of the child’scommunication system.

■ Use symbols for things the user cannot already indicate.Aim: to expand, not duplicate, the user’s expressive language e.g. allow imaginative use oflanguage, e.g. interesting vocabulary such as ghosts, monsters, doll's names and the use ofcolloquial language.

■ Use vocabulary that is highly motivating for the user.Aim: to promote the user’s interest in the augmentative system. The first sign/symbolsintroduced should be those which are highly motivating for the user.

13Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 512 Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 5

■ Add vocabulary in context and use functionally immediately.Aim: to help the user learn the new vocabulary and use it appropriately.

■ Demonstrate the usefulness of signs or symbols.Aim: Each communicative interaction should be rewarded by demonstrating that theenvironment can be controlled through communication.

■ Include vocabulary from all syntactic categories.Aim: to provide the user with a flexible, usable vocabulary so the user can creategrammatically correct utterances, if the situation requires it.See Appendix 6 for further information

■ Include vocabulary for a range of communicative functions e.g. requesting,questioning, giving information, initiating conversation.Aim: to give the child as many possibilities for engaging in conversation as possible and togive the child a shared responsibility for conversation and communication.See Appendix 7 for further information

■ Expand the child’s utterances by using signs, symbols and speech.Aim: to show the child how she can expand her utterances. All children learn speech this wayand children using AAC need to see others using their communication systems.

■ Use additional charts for specific occasions.Aim: to provide relevant vocabulary for specific situations and topics which would not need tobe readily available all the time.

■ Demonstrate and teach the potential of creating new words by combining symbols.Aim: to develop the user abilities to manipulate language effectively.

■ Provide the opportunity to develop self-image.Aim: To provide an opportunity for the individual to talk about their feelings of being disabled.This may just be a single comment or may develop into a lengthy and detailed discussioninvolving other people.

■ Teach the communication partners about the user’s system and how it is accessed.Aim: to promote efficient, effective communication. It is essential to provide clear instructionsas to how the AAC user accesses her communication system.

■ Teach the child what to do if she is not understood by her communication partner (thisis also described as developing strategies for coping with communication breakdown).Aim: to enable the child to begin to take some responsibility for conversation. This willincrease the child’s conversational skills as she realises that her attempts at communicationare valued as the adult/communication partner responds.

■ If you cannot understand the child’s message, ask structured questions.Aim: by asking a set of structured questions starting with ‘who’ was/will be involved‘what was it about’‘where’ was it/did it happenetc

■ Encourage initiation: watch wait

■ Expect signals: look listen

■ Respond.

■ Have fun!!!!!

Section 6

MAKING COMMUNICATION BOARDS AND BOOKS

“Symbols are useful in helping a child to make sense of routines, to understand what is goingto happen next, or to make choices and express preferences. If you use symbols to back upyour language, you are giving children two chances to understand – they can hear your wordsand see the symbols. The symbols stay there – spoken words disappear!” (Claire Craig, EarlyYears Advisor, East Sussex LEA 2003)

Communication boards/books can be used almost anywhere. They don’t go wrong (and evenif one gets lost, you WILL have a backup, won’t you?)

Basic PrinciplesYou need to think about the physical skills of the child who will be using the communicationdisplay, such as:

■ Where will the child be sitting when he/she is using a communication chart book?Will it need to be available in lots of different seats and positions? Why?: because the child needs to be able to communicate in whatever position or seatings/he is in. This may mean a communication book to be used when the child is sitting insupportive seating, but s/he might need a much simpler board to access when lying on thefloor or sitting on the sofa with Mum.

■ Where will the board/book need to be placed?Why?: the child needs to be able to access the board/book as effectively as possible withminimum effort so s/he can give their message as quickly as possible.

■ Does the child have any vision or hearing problems?Why?: any visual problems will affect the choice of signs and/or symbols, the size of symbols,how symbols will be arranged and where a communication board/book will be placed.

■ How will the child access the symbols? Will he use his hands and point with a finger orpart of his hand? Will he use his eyes and look directly at symbols? Will you need to point toall the symbols for the child and wait for him to indicate that you have pointed to and said theword/phrase he wants?Why?: Access to a communication board/book needs to be as easy as possible with the childusing the minimum of physical effort to indicate the symbols s/he wants.

■ What layout of symbols will best suit the child?– What size will the symbols need to be?– How far apart will the symbols need to be?– How will the vocabulary be arranged, grammatically or in topics?Why?: this will enable the child to access the communication board/book quickly and easily.

■ You need to leave spaces for new vocabulary so words can be quickly and easily addedwithout the child having to relearn vocabulary as it is moved around on the page.Why?: so the child will not have to be constantly relearning where vocabulary is on thecommunication board/book. This will save time when communicating.

■ Choose vocabulary for each chart/page and plan the layout.Why?: by planning on paper first, creating the layout on the computer will be quick and easyas you will not have to move symbols around on the page you are creating. It does save time!


■ Include details about how the child uses the communication book.Why?: so the communication partner understands how the child access his/hercommunication board/book.

■ Use durable materials e.g. plastic wallets, laminate charts/pagesWhy? Each communication board/book will last longer!

■ Save each chart/page created with chart making software (e.g. Boardmaker, PaperChart Maker, Writing with Symbols 2000, Clicker4).Why?: Having a backup to the paper based communication board/book is always a goodidea. Creating boards and book on the computer with chart making software will save timewhen the vocabulary is expanded.

■ Keep a paper copy – just in case!Why? Because computers go wrong and we all forget to backup sometimes!

What is a communication chart?

A communication chart is a single sheet, of whatever size the child needs, that contains thegraphic symbols the child needs to be able to communicate. It may not contain all thevocabulary the child knows, but it will have a good core vocabulary. Additional vocabularymay be organised into topics and kept in a topic based dictionary that moves around withthe child.

The communication chart:■ will usually fit on a wheelchair tray so that it is easily available■ makes it is quick and easy to find vocabulary■ may be more suitable for children who use wheelchairs as the chart can be fixed to a

wheelchair tray■ will contain a clear description of the child’s means of access to the chart e.g.

■ may have vocabulary organised topically or grammatically e.g.

Topical organisation

Grammatical organisation


Hello, I’m Sam. This is just to tell you a little bit more about how I can talk to you.

I use my left thumb to point to the symbols I need to talk to you. Please read the wordsabove each symbol as I point to it. I also use some gestures.

I will point to one or more symbols and look at you when I have finished. Please repeatwhat you think I have said. If you are right I will nod my head. If you are wrong I will shakemy head and I will try again.

I do understand what you say, although sometimes I may not answer immediately!

he chip forgot wanted

the some got got

to market crisp sugar

a ball comic supermarket

■ it may include some useful phrases e.g.

■ could be supplemented with:– additional charts for specific topics– a ‘dictionary’ format which may be topically organised– a topic dictionary attached to the chart.

What is a Communication book?

A communication book is another way of organising vocabulary for a person who uses AAC.Vocabulary can be organised in different ways, but there is generally an index page at thebeginning of the book and tabs on the edges of the pages, so the owner of thecommunication book and his listener can quickly move to other topics.

Communication books:■ are more portable for ambulant users■ can contain more vocabulary■ can be any size, but you should think about the size of the book in relation to the child i.e. A5

might be better than A4 for a young or little child.■ contain a clear description of the child’s means of access to the book e.g.

Communication symbols

Topic Vocabulary

indextabsforpagesoftopicvocab

Hello

This is just to tell you a little bit more about how I can talk to you.

I will find the page I want. I will point to the symbols with the middle finger of my right hand.Please read the words above each symbol as I point to it. I also use some gestures:please read the page called “ My Signs and Gestures”.

When I have finished, I will look at you. Please repeat what you think I have said. If youare right I will nod my head and smile. If you are wrong I will shake my head and frown andI will try again.


■ should contain an index page, so topics can be chosen quickly and easily e.g.

■ a core vocabulary can be available on each page e.g.

■ as a pull-out or flap core vocabulary e.g.

■ should contain some whole phrases e.g.

■ should have clear page turning tabs e.g.

■ should contain vocabulary important for the child e.g.

■ should leave space for new vocabulary e.g.

Arrangement of symbols

How do we know where to put symbols on a communication chart or book?

There are several things to consider when you plan a communication chart or book, butremember, the communication chart or book will grow and change as the child learns andexperiments with language.

You will need to think about:■ whether the child is going to use her hands and fingers to point to symbols or is going to use

her eyes and eye-point■ where symbols need to be placed so the child can see them easily, and reach if hand pointing■ whether the child can see the symbols well, (see the section on Auditory Scanning in Module

5 “Access”)■ whether the child is going to use a communication chart or book or a combination of both■ what sort of colour coding would best help the child to find symbols. Will this be topic based

(in a communication book) or grammatically organised (communication chart or book)?

topic based grammatically organised


■ will the symbols be arranged? This may depend on how the child will indicate symbols.

blocks columns

pages


Section 7

CHART MAKING SOFTWARE

There are several programs that can be used to make communication boards/books. Somecontain the symbols you may need, but with other programs the symbols have to bepurchased separately.

The most commonly used programs for making communication boards/books are:■ Boardmaker (Picture Communication Symbols)■ Writing with Symbols (Rebus, Widgit Rebus, Picture Communication Symbols, Makaton

Symbols)■ Paper Chart Maker – part of Symbols for Windows suite (Picture Communication Symbols,

Rebus, Blissymbols, and others)■ Clicker 4 (Picture Communication Symbols)

It is possible to import symbols into any of these four programs; for example, importing Rebussymbols into Boardmaker even through you cannot purchase Rebus for Boardmaker. You willneed to purchase these additional symbol sets if you need to use them.

All the programs will create regular grids, e.g.

Writing with Symbols and Boardmaker will allow you to remove cell walls, e.g. for worksheetsor for irregular communication board/book layouts:

PaperChart Maker, Writing with Symbols 2000 and Boardmaker will let you have more thanone symbol in a cell (shown with a pale yellow background):

2524 Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 8Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 7

You can scan in pictures to all the programs e.g. the Digivox overlay containing the names ofall the dogs in the story “Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy” (by Lynley Dodds)

See the ACE Centre website (www.ace-centre.org.uk) for the Comparison of Chart MakingSoftware for further information.

Section 8

VOICE OUTPUT COMMUNICATION AIDS

There is a wide range of electronic communication aids available. To help readers get to gripswith the range available they have been classified as:

■ Simple message devices (digitised speech)■ Multi-message/multi-level message device (digitised speech)■ Complex devices (synthesised speech) and the vocabularies available for them.

Digitised speech refers to the use of human recorded speech which can be changed at anypoint.

Synthesised speech refers to artificial, machine generated speech. The quality of this isimproving all the time.

Choosing a VOCAThe choice of a VOCA is not a simple decision. It is essential that both professionals andparents are involved with the individual in the decision making process and if required, furtheradvice should be sought from a centre specialising in the assessment and use of VOCAs (e.g.communication aids centres, ACE Centres).

When choosing a VOCA, consider:■ What is the device to be used for? e.g. is it to be used as a main or additional means of

communication, for attracting attention, all of these functions as well as writing and accessingthe curriculum?

■ Who will take responsibility for co-ordinating the use of the device?■ Who will take responsibility for programming the device? e.g. adding new vocabulary -■ Is the individual ambulant or does s/he use a wheelchair or variety of seats? This affects the

weight of the communication aid that will be possible – heavy communication aids are difficultto carry around but can be attached to a wheelchair – as well as raising the issues ofmounting the device.

■ What is the individual’s level of language and cognitive ability?■ Is auditory scanning required to support the individual’s visual skills?■ How is the individual going to access the device (keyboard, optical head-pointer, switches,

joystick etc.)?■ Which type of speech output (digitised or synthesised) will be most easily understood by the

user?■ Are languages other than English spoken in the individual’s environment? If so, this may

affect choice of device as digitised speech may be required in order to record speech in theuser’s first language.

■ Should graphic symbols or text be used on the VOCA? If graphic symbols are to be used,should these be the same as the user’s existing graphic symbol system or should othergraphic symbols available with devices be used (e.g. Minsymbols, Dynasyms)?

■ Is the individual at the stage of pressing one location for a single message or will he be able toselect several symbols to produce more complex and spontaneous messages? Can he/shecombine icons and use a Minspeak based system or does he/she need a hierarchical systeme.g. Dynavox, Personal Communicator (Symbols for Windows), MindExpress?

■ Where is training and support going to be available from?

SIMPLE MESSAGE DEVICES

1. Simple single message devices:e.g. Big Mack, One Step Communicator, Talking Buddy Button, Chipper, Partner 1, OneTalker (For Sources see Appendix 9)

These devices are useful classroom tools as they can be quickly and easily reprogrammed tosuit any activity.

Some ideas for getting going:■ Developing understanding of cause/effect (attached to Powerlink or similar to operate toys

and/or electrical equipment).■ Attracting attention (teacher’s name).■ Greetings.■ Asking the children in the class or family members to do silly things, such as jump up and

down, make a silly noise etc.■ Join in reading a story, if there is a repetitive phrase e.g. ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’■ Reciting nursery rhymes, poems.■ Join in a song where there is a chorus of repeated refrain, e.g. ‘there was an old woman who

swallowed a fly, perhaps she’ll die.’■ Taking news to and from home and school.■ Playing Hide and Seek e.g. ‘you are getting closer’ or ‘you are getting further away’.■ Taking messages in school e.g. finding out what is for lunch.■ Controlling a game e.g. ‘build up the bricks’ or ‘knock them down’.■ Taking part in a school play.■ Placing an order in a café.

Some ideas for moving on:■ Activities that involve using a message functionally and waiting for the appropriate time.■ Joining in class by having an answer to a question put into the single message device and

having to press the switch to give the right answer in the right place.■ Having a word or message that can be used in more than one situation e.g. ‘more please’ and

learning to use it appropriately.

Issues■ Care should be taken to have an appropriate symbol or material on the device so that the user

can know what the message is about.■ If the message is changed too frequently a user at this developmental stage is unlikely to

know what will happen when they press the device and it becomes a purely physical activityrather than a communicative one.

2. Single message stepping devices:e.g. Little/Big Step-by-Step, Step-by-Step with levels. (For Sources see Appendix 9)

These devices are identical to the single message devices except that a sequence ofmessages can be recorded and played back by repeated presses of the button.

Some suggested uses:■ Fun activities such as participation in stories, songs, assemblies etc, when a pre-determined

sequence of messages is required in a specific order.■ Introductory activity for ‘auditory scanning’: a sequence of options is recorded on the device;

the pupil presses switch repeatedly until s/he hears the required option; s/he then indicatesthe choice by smiling/vocalising etc.


3. 2-message devices:e.g. Partner 2, Partner 4, iTalk2 (For Sources see Appendix 9)

Some suggested uses:■ Child learns to distinguish between two switches (could begin with one ‘blank’ switch so that

child finds switch with photo/symbol or other distinctive marker to make something happen).■ Child learns that each switch can have a different function/message.■ Introduction of simple choices (drink, food activities etc).■ Directing activities/games using two commands (go/stop, fast/slow, loud/quiet).■ Participation in routines, games and activities as for single message VOCAs.

4. 4-message devices:e.g.Partner 4, One by Four Talker, TalkTrack Plus (For Sources see Appendix 9)

Some suggested uses:■ Choosing drinks, food, toys, activities etc.■ Core vocabulary to use in different activities: (e.g. that’s great, yuck, more, help).■ Directing others – (Pull a face, blow a raspberry, sing a song, jump up and down).■ Games and activities –dressing up, face paints, art.■ Songs/stories (using right word/phrase or line at appropriate time).

5. Simple level devices:e.g. 4Talk4, Scan 4, TalkTrack Plus with Levels, Pocket Go Talk, GoTalk 4 (For Sources seeAppendix 9)

Some suggested uses:■ As with single-level, 4-message devices, except that vocabulary for different activities can be

stored on different levels for re-use.

MULTI-MESSAGE/MULTI-LEVEL MESSAGE DEVICES

More than 8 messages can be programmed into these devices but the messages cannot bestored or backed up on a computer.

Many of the ‘multi-message/multi-level’ devices can also be programmed with as few as 2 or4 messages for pupils who need to start at a simple level, but are expected to progressquickly onto a larger display.

The devices have displays (sometimes quite small) from which the user selects items but theyhave several levels which can allow vocabulary to be programmed for different contexts. Thesimpler devices do not expect the user to change the level – it is anticipated that the level andthe overlay appropriate to that level will be changed by the teacher/parent to suit the context inwhich it is to be used. Hence there will be, for example, a level (an appropriate overlay) forshopping vocabulary another for playing in the home corner, another for colours, another forbaking, and so on.

The more complex devices in this category have up to 128 locations and/or the facility for theuser to move between 2-3 levels independently. They also have the facility to increase thenumber of messages available by storing messages under symbol sequences.

A wide range of devices is available in this category. They vary in shape, size, weight andcomplexity. Careful assessment of the child and detailed knowledge of the devices arerequired to ensure that a particular VOCA is the most appropriate for an individual.

8 – 10 message devicese.g. MiniMessage Mate, TechTalk 8, TechScan 8, TechScan 8 Plus, Tash Ultimate, GoTalk 9,VoicePal Max.

16 – 20 message display devicese.g.Chatbox, VocaFlex, adVOCAte, Message Mate 20.

32 message display devicese.g.TechSpeak 32, TechScan 32, TechScan 32 Plus, Macaw 3, Macaw 3+.

40 – 64 message display devicese.g. MessageMate 40, Portacom, Springboard, Digivox, Eclipse.

(For Sources see Appendix 9)

COMPLEX VOCAS

These are the most powerful devices which can offer a full (or at least an extensive range of)vocabulary.

You will need to make lots of decisions when you go down this path!

Will you want to use a dedicated communication aid? If you use a computer it can run anyother software such as word processing or curriculum programs, as well as running a specialcommunication program

You will also need to decide whether the device will be accessed by letters and words or bysymbols (with the option to use letters and words).

Advantages of using a dedicated communication aid■ Longer battery life■ Quicker to start up■ Less vulnerable to damage and software crashing.

See Hardware for Complex VOCAs for further information.

Advantages of using a computer as a communication aid■ Can run additional software.■ The individual has the opportunity to swap between programs (dependent on access

method).■ Can have access to e-mail and the Internet

By thinking of the comparison with a fruit machine, it is possible to look at eachcomponent that makes up these devices. All communication aids are made up of four partswhich can be likened to the four wheels of a fruit machine:

■ Hardware – the expensive box with all the electronics inside it.■ Software – the brains of the system which controls (amongst other things) the access

options, flexibility of the display (range of colours, number of symbols or words that can bedisplayed on the screen) ease of programming.

■ Symbol system – letters & words, Picture Communication Symbols (PCS), Rebus Symbols,Bliss Symbols, Makaton Symbols, (or others which are more typically used in other countries).

■ Vocabulary – The structure of the language available to the user which affects how easy it isfor users to find the words or phrases that they are looking for, and if well designed, can speedthe process of putting together what they want to say.


A few years ago a choice of any one of the above components would have fixed all the rest.Nowadays we are very close to the stage where each component of the system may bechosen independently. This makes it possible to choose each component to suit the individualand therefore to put together a system which will best meet the needs of each individual user– e.g. to hit the jackpot on the fruit machine! This is exciting but also demanding as we have toget to grips with all the separate possibilities of hardware, software, symbol system andvocabulary. These are discussed in turn below or in other modules as indicated.

NB. There is one big caution which must be highlighted to anyone thinking of putting togetherthese separate components. Do not get into the position where if something goes wrong theperson selling you the hardware says it’s the fault of the software and the person selling youthe software says it’s a hardware fault! Try to get the hardware retailer to load the softwareand take responsibility for it even if you need to get support from the software company in howto use features of the software.

It is helpful to further categorise these high-tech devices in two ways:■ whether they are devised to be mainly accessed by letters and words or whether the user will

mainly be using symbols (with the option to use letters and words).■ dedicated communication aids (just talking boxes) versus computers which can also run any

other software such as word processing or curriculum programs, as well as running theirspecial communication program.

The choice between a dedicated communication aid and a computer is not a simple one.

Advantages of using a dedicated communication aid■ Simple to use.■ Less vulnerable to damage and software crashing. Repair warranties are available for 3 years

and longer.

Advantages of using a computer as a communication aid ■ Can run additional software.■ The individual has the opportunity to swap between programs (dependent on access method).

Hardware for complex VOCAs

Hardware can be divided into four groups:■ High-Tech Dedicated Communication Aids with dynamic displays – Symbols and text

e.g. MT4, DV4,For further information see below.

■ High-Tech Dedicated Communication Aids with static displays – Texte.g. Lightwriter, Dynawrite.For further information contact see below NB WRITE SOMETHING

■ Windows Computers specifically prepared for use as communication aids (Symbols or Words)e.g. Cameleon, Tellus.For further information see below.

■ Windows CE Computers (Symbols or Words)e.g. Palmtops running ChatPC, Portable Impact, Say-IT-Sam, The Grid Pocket version.For further information see below.

(For Sources see Appendix 9)

30 Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 8 31Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 8

SpringBoard/Springboard

Plus

Vantage/Vantage Plus

Vanguard II Supervoca Lexicon DynaMo MightyMo MiniMo DV4 MT4

22.9 x 17.8 x5.08

9 x 7 x 2

22.7 x 17.5 x 59 x 7 x 2

32 x 25.8 x 812.5 x 10 x 3.2

23.5 x 19.5 x 8 9.25 x 7.75 x 3

33 x 26.5 x 913 x 10.5 x 3.5

20 x18 x 5 8 x 7 x 2

31 x 23.5 x 812.25 x 9.25

x 3

21 x 15.5 x 5.58.25 x 6 x 2.25

31 x 23.5 x 812.25 x 9.25

x 3

21 x 15.5 x 5.58.25 x 6 x 2

1.5 kg/3 lb 6oz

Size(cm/inches)

1.36 kg/3 lbs7oz

1.53 kg/3 lbs9oz

2.7 kg/3 lbs9oz

1.6 kg/3 lb7 oz

2.99 kg/6 lb7 oz

0.8kg/1lb 8oz 2.75 kg/5 lb 6 oz

1.5 kg/3 lb 6oz 2.75 kg/5 lb 6 oz

Weight(kg/lbs)

16 cm / 6.25”19.1 cm / 7.5” 21.4cm / 8.4” 30.3cm / 12” 21cm / 8.4” 31cm / 12.1” 14cm / 5” 31 cm / 12” 16 cm / 6.5” 31 cm / 12.25”Screen size

TFTColour, touch Colour, touch Colour, touch Colour, touch Colour, touch Mono TFT TFT TFTScreen type

5 mins peravailablegigbyte

59 minutes 59 minutes 59 minutes 128 minutes 128 minutes 25 minutes 100 minutes 100 minutes 5 mins peravailablegigbyte

DigitisedSpeech

DectalkVeriVox

No DecTalk DecTalk DecTalk DecTalk No No No DectalkVeriVox

SynthesisedSpeech

8 hours8-10 hours6-8 hours

8-10 hours6-8 hours

8-10 hours6-8 hours

8-12 hours 8-12 hours 12 hours 12 hours 8 hours 12 hoursBattery life

PCS, Rebus,Dynasyms

PCS, Minsyms PCS, Minsyms PCS, Minsyms PCS, text PCS, text PCS,Dynasyms

PCS,Dynasyms

PCS,Dynasyms

PCS, Rebus,Dynasyms

Symbols

CALLTalk,Chailey CS,

Communicate,EDL, Gateway,

IDV,WordPower

Cameleon

31 x 25 x 13 cm

3.6 kg

10.4” TFT

Resistive

Yes

DecTalk

12 hours

Bliss, PCS,Rebus,

PersonalCommunicator

: IDV

Tellus

32.7 x 245 x 40 cm

2.5 – 3.2 kg

10.4” TFT

CapacitiveResistive

No

RealSpeakDecTalk

3.5 hours + 8hours withElectrovaya

battery

Bliss, PCS,Rebus,

MindExpress:ExpressTalk

CALLTalkIngfield Vocabs

WordPower

Powerbox

35 x 23 x 9 cm

4.4 kg

12.1”

Resistive

Yes

Any speech orDecTalk

10 hours

Bliss, PCS,Rebus,

The Grid:Adult

VocabulariesCallTalk

Chailey CSIngfield Vocab

PragTalkWordPower

Mercury

30.2 x 7 x 4 cm

2.72 kg

30.5/12 LCD

Resistive

36 hours

DecTalk

5 + hours

Bliss , PCS,Rebus,

Libsyms(depending oncommunicationsoftware used)

ViP:Copperhead

MambaRattler

SideWinder

Vocab+

Mini-Merc

22 x 18 cm8.75” x 7”

1.59 kg

21.3/8.4 LCD

Resistive

36 hours

DecTalk

5 + hours

Bliss , PCS,Rebus,


ViP:Copperhead

MambaRattler

SideWinder

Vocab+

Talkout

30.5 x 24 x6.3cm

4.5 kg

12” TFT

Resistive TFT

unknown

DecTalk

10 hours

Bliss , PCS,Rebus,


ViP:Copperhead

MambaRattler

SideWinder

Vocab+

LLL, Unity(4,8,15,32)

LLL, Unity(4, 8, 15, 45,

84)

Wordcore (45, 84)

LLL, Unity(4, 8, 15, 45,

84)

Wordcore (45, 84)

ViP (later in2005)

Vocab+

ViP (later in2005)

Vocab+

None Gateway(simplifiedversion)

Gateway(simplifiedversion)

CALLTalk,Chailey CS,

Communicate,EDL, Gateway,

IDV,WordPower

Vocabulary

High-Tech Dedicated Communication Aids with dynamic displays: Software

Symbol software packages for computer based systems

For details on this software see Appendix 8 (For Sources see Appendix 9)

Word and letter based software packages for computer based systems

For details on this software see Appendix 8 (For Sources see Appendix 9)

Windows Windows CE

Clicker 5 Chat PC

Icon Speak

Portable Impact

Pocket Grid

Touch Speak

Say-IT Sam

Dyna Vox 3100

MindExpress

Personal Communicator

Speaking Dynamically Pro

Talking Screen

The Grid

ViP

Windows Windows CE

Clicker4 + Penfriend Portable Impact

Say-It-SamEurovox Suite

EZkeys

The Grid

Vocab+


SymbolsThe person for whom you are thinking about a VOCA will probably already be using symbols ifthey need them, and it will normally be unwise to change the symbol system that they arealready using. Some of the symbol systems – Beta, Beeldezen, Picto – are used in Europebut not generally in the UK. Rebus is seldom used outside the UK. Blissymbols and PictureCommunication Symbols (PCS) are used throughout the world, PCC tend to be the morepopular graphic symbol system because it is available in both colour and in black and white.

Symbol Systems available for each communication software package

For more information on symbol systems see Section 4 and Appendix 2.

Software Symbol Systems available

Windows

Clicker4

Dynavox 3100 / Series 4

MindExpress

Personal Communicator

Speaking Dynamically Pro

Talking Screen

The Grid

ViP

Windows CE

Chat PC

Icon Speak

Portable Impact

The Grid

Touch Speak

Say-IT-Sam

PCS, Rebus

Dynasyms, PCS / Dynasyms, PCS, Rebus

Beta, Bliss, PCS, Picto, Rebus

Beta, Beeldezen, Bliss, PCS, Picto

PCS

Bliss, PCS, Rebus

Bliss, PCS, Rebus

Libsyms, PCS

PCS

PCS, Rebus

PCS

PCS

PCS

PCS

Section 9

VOCABULARIES FOR VOCAS

When VOCAs were first available, each device was programmed with a vocabulary specificallyfor each individual. Sadly there is rarely anyone available who has both the time and expertiseto program a device for each specific individual. What typically happens is an existingvocabulary package, which most closely matches the needs of the intended user, is selectedand then personalised to the specific language needs of that user – the user’s family andfriend’s names; the things they like and dislike doing and eating; places they enjoy going to,etc. More time is then spent with the user helping them to learn what vocabulary is available tothem and how to use the device as effectively and efficiently as possible rather than thetherapist, teacher or parent being shut away in a darkened room programming the device!Purchasing an established vocabulary is generally agreed to produce a VOCA which mostclosely meets the needs of the user in the shortest possible time.

Some vocabularies are designed with levels or stages so that the user can start with a simplescreen but progress to increasingly wide vocabularies without having to start from scratcheach time (ExpressTalk, Gateway, IDV/Quickfire).

So when choosing a vocabulary package you first need to identify the package that is mostsuitable for your user. The table below, shows the type of people each vocabulary packagewas originally written for. Secondly you need to check that the vocabulary is available in thesymbol system with which the user is familiar and then finally check that it is available for thesoftware and hardware you wish to use. Many people who are knowledgeable in this field willargue that the vocabulary is more important than the hardware or software.

If your user has difficulty accessing the cells then the number of cells that need to be selectedin order to make a sentence will be an important consideration. Subsequent charts identify thenumber of item selections and new pages that need to be selected in order to produce one ofthe two test sentences used for the purposes of illustration. This information may providefurther pointers as to which vocabulary may be most beneficial for the user you are trying tohelp. (Note that communication software for Windows CE usually has only samplevocabularies provided with it.)


IDV

Quickfire

Say-IT-Sam

Children with physical difficulties in a conductive educationenvironment, KS 1&2. 4 levels of complexity (A to D), 24-63 cells, 16-71 pages (levels C and D are likely to be too have too many cells forthe Say-It-Sam display)

PragTalk Pre-schoolers – designed on pragmatic rather than topic features 18cells per page with 12 pages

Copperhead From 6 years of age, 16x8 symbolic keyboard remains unaltered allowingthe learner the continue making selections without losing sight of afamiliar page using cycling. Access to over a 1000 words and phrases.

Mamba 45 From 4 – 9 and less able adult. 9x5 symbolic keyboard adaptsautomatically to allow the learner to continue making selections. Otherpages available for a greater range of verbs, prepositions and adjectives.

Rattler From 4 years and for the less able adult. 16x8 symbolic keyboardadapts automatically with a limited number of cells changing when a‘topic’ cell is selected.

Sidewinder From 6 years to adult. 16x8 symbolic keyboard adapts using anintelligent grammar feature to automatically adjust words to suit tenseand aspect where possible.

Unity (dedicated device) From 3 years of age (expressive vocabulary). 4, 8, 15, 45, 84 cellgrids available. Over 3,000 word vocabulary at upper levels. Earlystages focus on teaching Minspeak which is transferable to largergrids. Uses mainly three icon selections to access a word/phrase.

Word Power People, with some literacy skills, needing rapid communication with(90 cells, 85 pages) and without (71 cells, 39 pages) a keyboard andspecifically designed for efficient scanning.

Language Learning and

Living (LLL) (dedicated

device)

From 3 years of age (expressive vocabulary). 4, 8, 15, 45, 84 cellgrids available. Early stages focus on teaching Minspeak which istransferable to larger grids. Uses mainly two icon selections toaccess a word/phrase

Gateway Children with conversational ability 4-12 years with good access. 7 levelsof complexity, 12-75 cells and 37-90 pages

What ages of user are the various vocabularies suitable for?People vary enormously in their abilities and needs and therefore the chart below canobviously be only a guide. It may appear odd that some options appear in all/many agegroups. This indicates that it is still appropriate to start an older user on the basic level of thevocabulary – hopefully they will progress more quickly to higher levels than would a youngeruser. In many instances the basic level teaches patterns and approaches that it is simplest tolearn before proceeding to higher levels.Vocabularies available for each symbol set widely used in the UK

Vocabulary 3-5 Years 4-7 Years 6-9 Years 8-11Years

10 toadult

less ableteen/adult

Adult SS

CALLtalk

Chataway

Chailey CS

Chataway

Communicate

EDL

ExpressTalk

Gateway

IDV/Quickfire

PragTalk

Sidewinder

WP + KB

WP – KB

WP scanning

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Junior

12

A

Yes

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Junior,

Intermediate

12, 20

A, B

Yes

–

–

–

–

–

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

–

–

Intermediate

20, 36

A, B, C

Yes

Yes

–

Yes

–

?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

–

–

Intermediate,

Senior

36, 40 ,54

A, B, C, D

–

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Intermediate,

Senior

54, 75

Yes

–

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

?

–

Yes

Yes

Yes

–

Yes

Intermediate

30

C

LLL Yes Yes Yes Yes

–

Mamba45 – Yes Yes – – Yes

Rattler – Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

–

Unity – Yes Yes Yes Yes –

–

Yes

–

Vocabulary

Adult SS

CALLtalk

Chailey CS

Chataway

Adult users with extensive vocabularies 48 cells, 990 pages

Children with good literacy potential in mainstream schools, 35 cells perpage, 217 pages

Children with physical difficulties, designed for auditory scanning andhas a rigid organisation. 24 cells per page, 280 pages

Community based vocabulary for children’s social interaction 30 cells perpage, 154 pages

Communicate Adults requiring access to a large community based vocabulary 63 cellsper page, 350 pages

EDL Teenagers with some learning difficulties and a curriculum basedvocabulary. 48/55 cells and 251 pages

ExpressTalk Able people requiring speedy access to a large vocabulary. 3 levels ofcomplexity. Junior with 8 cells 17 pages; Intermediate with 32 cells, 33pages; Senior with 72 cells, 45 pages, each with 3 levels

Target Users

What sort of people were the vocabularies, which are available, written for?


NB. It is not a good idea to change a user’s symbol system without a great deal of thoughtand discussion between the user themselves (if they are old enough), teachers, therapistsand parents.

Vocabulary PCS

Adult SS

CALLtalk

Chailey CS

Chataway

Communicate

EDL

ExpressTalk

Gateway

IDV/Quickfire

PragTalk

Unity

Word Power

–

Yes

–

Yes

Yes

–

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Rebus

Yes

–

Yes

–

–

–

Yes

–

Yes

–

–

–

Bliss

–

–

–

–

–

–

Yes

–

–

–

–

–

Dynasym(classic /

new)

–

–

–

–

–

Yes

–

Yes

Yes

–

–

Yes

Minsyms

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Yes

–

Libsyms

–

–

–

–

–

Copperhead Yes – – – – Yes

–

–

–

–

LLL Yes – – – Yes –

Mamba45 Yes – – – – Yes

–

Rattler Yes – – – – Yes

Sidewinder Yes – – – – Yes

–

–

Vocabulary

Adult SS – – –

–

–

–

–

–

Yes

–

Yes

–

–

Yes

– – Yes –

– Yes –

– – –

– – –

– – –

– – –

– – –

– – –

Yes Yes –

– Yes –

– – Yes

– Yes –

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Yes

–

–

–

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

–

Yes

Yes

–

–

Yes

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Yes

–

–

–

CALLtalk

Chailey CS

Chataway

Communicate

– – – Yes–––Copperhead

EDL

ExpressTalk

Gateway

IDV/Quickfire

– – – ––––Mamba45

PragTalk

– – – Yes–––Rattler

Sidewinder

Word Power

Clicker4 Dynavox3100

MindExpress

PersonalCommunicator

TalkingScreen

The Grid VIP

Software

Vocabularies available for each Windows communication software package

Test SentencesSome users find touching the specific cells very difficult or maybe they need to use switchscanning to access the required locations – if this is the case the number of locations thatneed to selected in order to put together a sentence is an important consideration.

The IDV/Quickfire vocabularies specifically set out in levels A to C to minimise the number ofpage changes a user must make in order to construct a sentence. This is done by providingsentence starters and a range of vocabulary on each topic page. In the context of thisvocabulary the user can make less selections and page turns for each sentence if they areflexible about the precise wording of the sentence. In the charts below, however, the specificwording of the test sentence needed to be constructed.

The charts below record the number of item selections and pages that are required to speaktwo child oriented test sentences – “I’m sad because my cat is dead”; and “Can you come totea at my house tonight?”


Vocabulary

Adult SS 20 10 No “I’m” - “I am” used

CALLtalk 18 10 No “I’m” - “I am” used

Chailey CS 28 21 Rigid structure: 4 selections and 3 page turns per word

Chataway 21 10 No “dead”, needed to spell

Communicate 22 12 Scrolled to “cat”. Need to start to spell“dead”, completed by prediction

Copperhead 13 0 Uses static dynamic display – screendoesn’t change. Needed to use ‘cycle’ tofind “because” (1), “cat” (3) and “dead” (2)

EDL 15 9 No “I’m” - “I am” used. Bereavementpage available. No “dead”, but “died” soomitted “is”

ExpressTalk 15 8 No “I’m” – “I am” used

Gateway 54 18 6 “I am” used. No “cat” or “dead”. Neededto start to spell then completed byprediction

Gateway 75 15 5 No “I’m” – “I am” used. Need to start tospell “dead”, completed by prediction

IDV – D 15 10 No “dead”: “sick” used. 16 selections and6 page changes if “dead” is spelt.

LLL (45 cells) 19 8 NB NB 8 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons. 9 Activityrow changes.

LLL (84 cells) 18 8 NB NB 8 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons.

Mamba 8 2 2 page changes and 3 topic changes (+3)changes back to the top page.

Rattler 9 4 Page changes were topic changes not fullpage changes

Selections Page changes Comments

Test Sentence: I’m sad because my cat is dead.

Unity45 15 7 NB Had to spell dead’. NB 7 page changesby setting text and white out of un-neededicons. 6 Activity row changes.

Unity 84 15 6 Need to spell ‘dead. ‘NB 6 page changesby setting text and white out of un-neededicons. 4 Activity row changes.

Wordcore 45 20 8 NB NB 8 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons. 12 Activityrow/prediction changes. Needed tospell/begin to spell the following sad,because, cat, dead. Frequency ofprediction will change.

Wordcore 84 17 8 NB NB 8 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons. 12 Activityrow/prediction changes. Needed tospell/begin to spell the following sad,because, cat, dead. Frequency ofprediction will change.

WordPowerPictures –keyboard & directaccess

18 6 Need to start to spell “because” and“dead”, completed by prediction

WordPowerPictures +keyboard & directaccess

15 6 Need to start to spell “dead”, completedby prediction

WordPowerPictures –keyboard &scanning

14 3 Need to start to spell “dead” completedby prediction


Vocabulary

Adult SS 25 15 No “tonight” – “today” used

CALLtalk 22 14 No “tonight” – “today” used

Chailey CS 42 30 Need to spell “come”. No “tonight”therefore “to” “night” used. If just “night”used, selections=38 and page turns=27

Chataway 31 22 No “tonight” so “to” and “night” used.Only “tea” the drink is available and used

Communicate 27 20 “come”, “tea” and “house” neededscrolling

Copperhead 18 0 Uses static dynamic display – screendoesn’t change. Needed to use ‘cycle’ tofind “tea” (1), “my” (1), “house” (1) and“tonight” (5)

EDL 19 10 Leisure page used. “tea” used from drinkspage

Gateway 54 19 8 “tea” used from drinks page -scrollingnecessary. “tonight” from extra time words- scrolling necessary

Gateway 75 19 8 “tea” used from drinks page -scrollingnecessary. No “tonight” so “to” + “night”used

IDV – D 22 14 No “tonight” – “today” used

NB 8 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons. 8 Activityrow changes.

Mamba 13 10 2 page changes and 4 topic changes (4)changes back to the top page.

Rattler 9 4 Page changes were topic changes not fullpage changes

Unity 45 16 8 NB NB 8 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons. 8 Activityrow changes. Predicted “to” in theActivity Row.

Unity 84 17 8 NB NB 8 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons. 4 Activityrow changes. Predicted “to” in theActivity Row. No ‘house’ only ‘home’.

Wordcore 45 21 8 NB NB 8 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons. 10 Activityrow/prediction changes. Needed tospell/begin to spell the following come,tea, house, tonight. Frequency ofprediction will change.

LLL (45 cells) 18 8 NB

NB 9 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons. 9 Activityrow changes.

LLL (84 Cells) 18 9 NB

ExpressTalkSenior

17 6

Select icons Page changes Comments

Test Sentence: Can you come to tea at my house tonight?

The things to notice are:-■ Some packages support the more relaxed speech style ie “I’m” rather than “I am”.■ Several packages do not provide the vocabulary to talk about death.■ Some packages require the user to have spelling abilities.■ Some packages require the user to scroll to find a specific word – this would be challenging

for a user with perceptual difficulties and would require a switch user to be able to hold thepressure on a switch to maintain the scroll.

■ Some packages require considerably more selections and page changes than others – pagechanges will again be particularly challenging for users with perceptual difficulties.

■ American packages do not consider “tea” an important drink!

Wordcore 84 18 8 NB NB 8 page changes by setting text andwhite out of un-needed icons. 10 Activityrow/prediction changes. Needed tospell/begin to spell the following come,tea, house, tonight. Frequency ofprediction will change.

WordPowerPictures –keyboard & directaccess

14 5 Need to spell “tea”

WordPowerPictures +keyboard & directaccess

13 5 Need to start to spell “tea”, start to spell“house” and completed by prediction

WordPowerPictures –keyboard &scanning

15 6 Need to start to spell “tea”, start to spell“house” and completed by prediction

Vocabulary ProgressionsHaving selected a vocabulary for a user to start on, how do you choose the vocabulary theyprogress to? If they have started on a vocabulary system with levels or stages, the user willprobably progress to the next stage of that vocabulary. For other users the search procedureused to select the initial vocabulary begins again, except that you will probably have a cleareridea about the user’s abilities and speed of progression. The diagram below suggestsvarious realistic progressions and may help limit the search of vocabularies when progressionis being considered. The vocabularies increase in complexity from left to right across thepage. The vocabularies to the right of the vertical dotted line are those that are suited to lessable teenagers and adults.


Section 10

PERSONAL COMMUNICATION PASSPORTS

Personal Communication Passports (or just ‘Passports’) are a practical and person-centredway of supporting children and adults who cannot easily speak for themselves, and helpingthem to have some control and to share important information.

Passports aim to:■ Be simple, honest, direct and attractive.■ Present the person positively as an individual (not as a set

of disabilities).■ Provide a place where the person can have a voice and

record their views and preferences.■ Reflect the person’s character and sense of humour.■ Describe the person’s most effective method(s) of

communication and how others can best communicatewith and support the person’s communication efforts.

■ Draw together key information from past and present, andfrom different contexts, to help staff and conversationpartners understand the person and have successfulinteractions.

■ Place equal value on the views of all who know the personwell, as well as the views of specialist professionals.

Passports are particularly important for vulnerable people who are facing a transition from asetting where people know them well to a new setting and new people. The concept ofmaking and using Personal Communication Passports was introduced in 1992 by Sally Millar,from the CALL Centre in Edinburgh. Since then, the idea has taken off in a big way andPassports are now very widely used in many settings (2), especially with children and adultswith complex needs and those who use augmentative communication.

Sally Millar has recently (2003) published a comprehensive book on Passports (1). The bookprovides guidance not only on the practicalities of how to set about making and usingPassports, but also guidelines to ensure that an ethical approach is followed, qualityassurance is carried out, and appropriate policy and management procedures are put inplace. The book is in full colour and includes many illustrations and example pages fromdifferent Passports that should help to provide ideas to get others started.

Some of the key Passports issues are outlined below:

Passport OwnershipA Passport belongs to the person it is made for (and/or their family), not to the professionals.The more a person has been involved in creating – or at least being made aware of – theirown Passport, the more likely they are to see it as ‘theirs’, to view it positively and for it to beused positively. At the very least, this might involve choosing colours or pictures for a booklet.For some people, it can mean determining page topics and content; creating the Passport canbecome a central focus of curriculum work (personal and social development) and/orcommunication work (“This is how I communicate; Things I like to talk about”) or part of theprocess of preparing for a transition.

TeamworkPassports are coordinated by one person but created by a team (which should include thechild and parents / family) so that all the pieces of the jigsaw are put in place, not just oneperspective.


Passport Pages In general, a Passport should be around 10-15 pages (or less). 20 pages should be anabsolute maximum. Any more than that and it ceases to be easy and quick, so probably willnot be used as intended. Different people need a different selection of pages, and differentforms of wording for page titles – in fact this is vital, otherwise Passports would all have thesame ‘assembly-line’ feel about them, which is the opposite of what is intended. Thefollowing list may be a useful starting point for ideas; not everyone needs all of these, and theycan be altered, added to, shuffled into a different order and so on (also alter wording to suit):

■ Title/Cover page (usually with photo)■ Contents/Index page with page numbers■ Introduction to person (“All About Me!”)■ If you only knew three things about me these are the most important three! (“You need to

know…”)■ Important people in my life (including pets!) (“My Family”; “My Friends”)■ Toys and Games, or, for older people, My Interests and Hobbies (“These are a few of my

favourite things”) ■ How you can help me to be the best I can be (“This is how I work best!”)■ My communication system (s): you need to know ...■ Details of my communication system (may need more than one page to cover all the details)

including How you can help me/How you can be a good communication partner■ My strengths (“Things I’m good at”)■ Things I like (to do) (“Fun things to do”)■ Things I don’t like (to do) (“Ugh!”)■ Eating and drinking (“Helping me to eat and drink”; “I like/ don’t like”)■ My sight (“What can I see?”)■ Listening and hearing■ Things I like to talk about, Things I can tell you about■ Things I can do for myself (“Don’t help me please – I like to be in charge!”) ■ Things I can do with help■ Keep me safe – I need someone else to do these things for me■ Things I’m not supposed to do – and how to stop me…■ Things I’m working on (from individualised/educational programme)■ Specific information (e.g. videos I watch, computer games I play, sweets I like to buy at the

shop, how to set up my bike for me etc.)

For older teenagers and adultsGive or take a few, the page topics of a Passport for an adult maybe similar to those for children – it’s largely the style of the wordingand the ‘look’ of the pages that will make it age-appropriate. Clip-art or scanned-in images of favourite celebrities/ programs/products etc. may be preferred to symbols and photos forillustrations. The style of language used in page titles can hit theright note effectively. For example -

■ Things I like to do in the day time (“My perfect day”)■ Stuff I like (“Cool Stuff”)/ “This does my head in!”■ Things I like to do at evenings and weekends (“Chilling”)■ Lifelong Learning (school, college or other course details)

For adults with acquired difficulties, include:■ My job/career (including education / qualifications, title/rank and what I did)■ My family history: marriage, children, in-laws, grandchildren etc.■ My home (where born, brought up, house moves etc)■ Interests, past holidays and travel, hobbies etc

Making PassportsA Passport is primarily a concept and a process, not a‘product’, so it can come in any shape or form. (Someschools use sheets on the classroom wall for easyreference, or laminated sheets as table mats for eatingand drinking guidelines). The most common form is alittle booklet. (Although A4 size are easier to make,smaller A5 or FiloFax size ones are most popular withPassport holders.) Ring binders or albums with plasticpockets that let you easily slip pages in and out are best.

Passport TemplateYou can download and use a template for an A5 sizePassport from the CALL Centre web site(www.callcentrescotland.org.uk). This has been createdin Microsoft PowerPoint which is ideal software for makingPassports because most people have access to it, it iseasy to use, it prevents you writing too much on eachpage, and it handles photo and graphics well (insert or cutand paste e.g. from BoardMaker).

Another big plus about PowerPoint is that as well asprinting out a paper Passport, the holder could also use it(single switch operated) as a multimedia presentation(e.g. to ‘introduce’ him or herself and his/her views ‘live’ ata Transition review meeting). Mind blowing!Other software can be used (e.g. BoardMaker, Clicker 4, Writing with Symbols, Publisher);don’t forget that lovely Passports can also be made ‘by hand’ using felt pens, photos drawingsand cut out pictures etc.

Pictures in PassportsAll Passports will include photos and hopefully also symbols and other pictures (for example,images of favourite TV / video characters etc. downloaded from the Internet). This is topersonalise the Passport, help to motivate the child who owns it, and just to make it easilyreadable and attractive.

Passports and Technology Videos and Multimedia Passports are useful, but wouldbe in addition to, not instead of, a simple booklet typePassport (imagine an emergency admission to care –hospital ward or respite care staff will not have the timeor the technology to view a video or computerpassport!).

Simple technology can work really well with Passports,for example the cheap and cheerful Talking Photo albums (approx. £25 from some cheapshops or Christmas catalogues etc. or £32 from Liberator). Or you can make a Passportbooklet switch accessible and talking by putting it into a ‘Book Worm’ (£149 from InclusiveTechnology).

UpdatingPassports need to be updated at least every six months or yearly. Make updating official andongoing – build it in to the schedule of review meetings (e.g. IEP or Statement of Needsreview). Think about future updating as soon as you first start designing and drafting thePassport.

Jamie is keen to choose hispreferred colour of book

4746 Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 11 | Appendix 1Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 10

■ Date each page separately so it can be seen at a glance when the information was lastupdated.

■ Leave out information that is short-term and is bound to change rapidly (this can go in homeor school diary).

■ Leave space for addition of new material.

If you have any further queries or wish to discuss Passports, please make contact.

Sally MillarJoint CoordinatorCommunication Aids for Language and Learning (CALL) CentreUniversity of EdinburghPaterson’s LandHolyrood RoadEdinburgh EH8 8AQEmail: [email protected]: www.callcentrescotland.org.uk

References & Further Reading(1) Millar, Sally (2003) Personal Communication Passports: Guidelines for Good Practice, CALL

Centre, University of Edinburgh ISBN 1 898042 21 7

(2) Millar, Sally (1997/2002) Personal Communication Passports Information Pack (5), CALLCentre, University of Edinburgh

Section 11 Appendices

Appendix 1

MANUAL SIGN SYSTEMS

British Sign LanguageThe Royal National Institute for Deaf People

1. BSL is the sign system used by the hearing impaired community.2. It is a living language in that it grows and changes as spoken languages do.3. BSL has its own language structure which is different to spoken and written English, so users

may find it difficult to transfer to reading and written English.4. BSL contains a limited number of constituents, i.e. components of a sign, such as location,

hand shape, movement and orientation and facial expression, body positions and postures, allof which can occur simultaneously in a signed utterance.

5. BSL signs can be adapted for single-handed use.6. Finger spelling is an intrinsic part of BSL.

Signed EnglishMr Derek Baker

1. Signed English uses signs from BSL with finger-spelling and specifically generated signs andgrammatical markers.

2. It mirrors spoken language exactly. This is useful for teaching children to read and write, asthey have a manual representation for all the otherwise ‘meaningless’ words.

3. Additional signs for vocabulary development are available from BSL.

Signed Supported English Refers to signs from BSL used to support spoken English. Only key words are signed. TheMakaton Vocabulary, Signalong and Communication Link are examples of signed supportedEnglish.

Makaton VocabularyMakaton Vocabulary Development Project

1. There are symbols to accompany all the signs within the Makaton Vocabulary.2. The Makaton Vocabulary consists of:

– a core vocabulary (approximately 350 items)– the national curriculum (approximately 600 items)– Animals, Transport and Vehicles (approximately 400 items)– People, Buildings and Places (approximately 700 items)– Growth and Development, Emotions, Feelings and Relationships (approximately 1200items)

3. The signs are based on BSL, but are used to support spoken English, so only key words aresigned.

4. The Makaton Vocabulary has grammatical markers (from Signed English).5. There are no strategies for expanding symbol use without creating new signs for each lexical

item.6. It is possible to use one-handed signs.

SignalongThe Signalong Group

1. There are approximately 1600 signs currently available in the core vocabulary.2. Additional vocabularies include:

Signalong at the Table (approximately 256 items) Signalong by the Sea (approximately 233 items)We’re Going to the Zoo (approximately 400 items)

49Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 11 | Appendix 148 Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 11 | Appendix 1

What Shall I Wear Today? (approximately 300 items)Learning Through Exploring and CreatingLearning through the SensesScience Key Stage 1: Signs for Life Processes and Living Things (approximately 1500 items)National Literacy StrategyPersonal and Social Education (approximately 161 items)Dental Care (approximately 140 items)Signalong at Work: An Introduction to the Workplace (approximately 229 items)

Hotel and Catering (approximately 600 items)General Retail (approximately 400 items)Horticulture and Animal Husbandry (approximately 600 items)

It’s My Life (approximately 870 items)3. The signs are based on BSL, but are used to support spoken English, so only key words are

signed.4. There are no strategies for expanding symbol use without creating new signs for each lexical

item.

Communication LinkBeverley School For The Deaf

1. Approximately 1700 signs.2. BSL signs are used.3. Alphabetically organised book.4. Stress the variability of signs depending on the individual, the context and the region.

Other Sign Systems

Paget-Gorman Signed SpeechMr Bob Newey

1. PGSS is a specifically generated language, with topic based signs.2. Meaning is changed by adding identifying features to the basic signs.3. The system is based on 21 standard hand postures and 37 basic signs used in different

combinations.3. Very complex and exact finger and hand positions are used.4. PGSS mirrors spoken language exactly; it has a one-to-one sign-to-word reference

Cued SpeechNational Centre for Cued Speech

1. Cued Speech is an oral language tool for use with and by the hearing impaired.2. It may aid the development of language development, speech reading, speech and reading

skills.3. It uses eight hand shapes and four hand locations combined with speech to make lip-reading

clear.3. It can be learnt by children or adults of any age.4. Cued Speech can be learnt in 15-20 hours.

The following chart is taken from:Hazell G. & Cockerill H. (2002) “Communication Resources” In: Cockerill H. & Carroll-Few C.(Eds) “Communicating Without Speech: Practical Augmentative and AlternativeCommunication”; Mac Keith Press

British SignLanguage

SignedEnglish

MakatonVocabulary

Signalong CommunicationLink

Home

To go,advance

To want

To tease

Tired

Noisy

Because

But

As BSL

As BSL Pic Neededhere

As BSL As BSL

As BSL As BSL

As BSL As BSL As BSL

As BSL

As BSL

Appendix 2

GRAPHIC SYMBOLS

Picture SetsColour Communication Stickers (Imaginart)Imaginart or Winslow Press

1. There are 840 stickers available.2. Categories cover a wide range of vocabulary.3. There is no text accompanying the pictures.4. They are quite clear and simple to understand.

Picture Communication SymbolsDon Johnston Special Needs, Winslow Press

1. There are approximately 5,000 symbols.2. PCS consist of simple drawings.3. There are no symbols for grammatical markers.4. There is an excellent selection of vocabulary for all ages.

PIC/PictogramsThe Lodden School,

1. There are approximately 700 Pics (UK) / Pictograms (Norway) 2. They are white outlines on black backgrounds which is supposed to be easier to perceive than

the traditional black on white.

Symbol SystemsWidget Rebus SymbolsWidget Software

1. There are about 7,000 Rebus symbols available now.2. Rebus symbols have been recently redesigned to give a much clearer grammatical foundation3. Rebus symbols were devised originally to help develop reading skills.4. A combination of symbols and letters was used historically.

Makaton VocabularyMakaton Vocabulary Development Project,

1. There are symbols to accompany all the signs within the Makaton Vocabulary.2. The Makaton Vocabulary consists of:

– a core vocabulary (approximately 350 items)– the national curriculum (approximately 600 items)– Animals, Transport and Vehicles (approximately 400 items)– People, Buildings and Places (approximately 700 items)– Growth and Development, Emotions, Feelings and Relationships (approximately 1200 items)

3. The Makaton Vocabulary now provides grammatical markers (taken from Signed English),although these are visually complex and arbitrary.

4. There are no strategies for expanding symbol use without creating new signs for each lexicalitem.

PicsymsWinslow Press

1. There are about 800 Picsyms, with approximately 2000 available as Dynasyms in the DynaVox.2. The symbols can be pictographic or as abstract as needed.3. The shape or manner of representation of a symbol provides a clue to the semantic category

that item belongs to, e.g. action is represented by an arrow indicating the direction of the action.4. There are guidelines for creating new vocabulary.5. As yet the system is not widely used in this country.6. Many of the symbols look very visually 'busy'.


BlissymbolsBlissymbol Communication UK

1. Blissymbols uses nine basic shapes to represent 3,500 vocabulary items.2. New vocabulary is constantly being developed throughout the world.3. Many symbols are highly abstract, in order to sustain as consistent an inherent logic as

possible.4. The size orientation and position of the shapes determines the meaning.5. There are symbols to mark all parts of speech.6. “Special Symbols” enable users to create novel words and utterances without substantially

adding to the total number of items in a user’s communication system.7. Blissymbols are visually and cognitively more demanding, but less ‘visually busy’ than more

pictographic systems when displayed on a chart.

The following chart is taken from:Hazell G. & Cockerill H. (2002) “Communication Resources” In: Cockerill H. & Carroll-Few C.(Eds) “Communicating Without Speech: Practical Augmentative and AlternativeCommunication”; Mac Keith Press

PictureCommunication

Symbols

Pick ‘N’Stick

Pic Rebus MakatonVocabulary

Blissymbol

Home

To go,advance

To want

To tease

Tired

Noisy

Because

but

Appendix 3

OBJECTS OF REFERENCE POLICY & PROCEDURE

INTRODUCTIONTHIS DOCUMENT IS a statement of the aims, principles and strategies for theimplementation of Objects of Reference at Dame Hannah Rogers School.

IT WAS DEVELOPED during the Summer Term of 2003, through a process of consultationbetween teaching staff and speech and language therapists.

IT WAS APPROVED by the Governing Body.

THIS POLICY WILL BE REVIEWED in Spring 2006.

THIS POLICY WILL BE REVIEWED every two years. A schedule for the review of all policydocuments is set out in the School Development Plan.

AIMS■ To ensure that all Staff know what is considered good practice in the use of Dame Hannah

Rogers School ’s Objects of Reference (OOR) system.

■ To provide a consistent and uniform experience for all students in the use of OOR.

■ To help provide an inclusive environment for students experiencing Profound and MultipleLearning Difficulties (as well as for other students for whom OOR is deemed to be suitable).

PROCEDURES■ There are no prerequisites for the Dame Hannah Rogers School OOR scheme. All individuals

on the scheme will benefit from a consistent caring approach.■ The Objects of Reference are kept within an OOR bag. Students new to the scheme will be

provided with their own OOR bag containing a suitable set of OOR.■ OOR should be safe for unsupervised use.■ There are at least three ‘types’ of OOR schemes: shared, differentiated and individualised.

Shared scheme – all students use exactly the same OOR to represent a particularPOLE (Person, Object, Location or Event) within the curriculum (for example, all students usean identical cup to represent drink time).

Differentiated scheme – all students use the same object but the object itself may vary(for example, all students use a cup to represent a drink period but each student has his or herown particular cup – different styles, colours, shapes, textures are allowed).

Individualised scheme – all students have an individualised OOR to represent thePOLE (for example, one student may use a cup, another a straw, and yet another any itemutilised specifically at this time).

■ Dame Hannah Rogers School operates a shared OOR scheme. For example, all students onthe scheme use an identical blue plastic cup as the OOR to represent a drink. Sharedschemes are seen as easier to maintain and to manage. Furthermore, communication, bydefinition, is shared. In order for individuals to communicate with each other they have toshare symbol sets. Communication between peers would be impossible with individualisedsymbol sets.

■ OOR are complimented by the use of sensory cues to particular POLEs. A sensory cuediffers to an OOR in a number of key elements:– OOR are presented in the session prior to the movement to the POLE. Sensory cues are

part of the POLE experience.


– OOR of reference are self-contained entities. As such, all multi-sensory elements must be contained within the OOR itself: the cup must have a particular smell, taste, feel, shape,colour. Sensory cues provided at the POLE, however, may come from a variety of different sources: music may be played from one source and a particular smell may be provided from another.

– A single unique OOR is provided to represent the POLE. Multiple sensory cues may be provided at/within the POLE itself.

■ Individual students have individual sets of OOR.■ Initially the student’s OOR set will be limited in number. Ideally, this number will not exceed

five, (Toilet, Drink, Meal, Physio, Hydro) although three is the typical Dame Hannah RogersSchool number.

■ As students become more familiar with OOR, so more OOR may be included in their OORbag.

■ The more frequently the OOR can be reinforced, the greater the chance of individualunderstanding. Early choices of OOR should, therefore, represent frequently occurringevents (preferably more than once per day).

■ OOR should be present immediately prior to a change of POLE.■ On presentation of the OOR, staff should move with the student to the POLE. No delay is

acceptable. If there is a need to open doors to allow for the movement of wheelchair, forexample, then the door should be opened prior to the presentation of the OOR.

■ The student should be encouraged to take the OOR directly from the OOR bag. The bagshould be presented with the appropriate OOR at the fore. If the student is physicallyincapable of taking the OOR, the staff member should assist the student.

■ Students may be reluctant to acknowledge the OOR (Stage One development). This typicallytakes one of two forms: The student ignores the OOR or the student drops or throws the OOR.If the latter occurs, staff should pick up the OOR and repeat the activity. This should happenapproximately three times. At this point, the staff member should carry the OOR him/herselfand accompany the student to the new POLE occasionally displaying the OOR for the studentto see. Where students ignore the OOR (typically this may occur with a few students who arenot ambulant), staff should attempt to get the student to acknowledge the presence of theOOR and then place it (preferably) in line of vision (on the student’s knee for example) beforemoving to the POLE.

■ Staff should always accompany the presentation of an OOR with simple language andsign where applicable. Encourage the student to interact with the OOR’s sensory aspects. Ifthe student has physical problems in interacting, staff may assist with this process by, forexample, gently rubbing the OOR on the student’s skin (where the tactile aspect of the OOR isseen as important).

■ Where possible, especially with ambulant students, staff should allow the student to lead theway to the POLE on presentation of the OOR. Does the student demonstrate anunderstanding of where s/he is going? If the student is obviously ‘lost’ then the staff membershould guide the student to the POLE allowing the student to lead taking the final fewsteps into the room.

■ At the POLE entrance (where the POLE has a marked entrance) staff should encourage thestudent to match the OOR with the OOR on the door. This is best achieved by removing thedoor marker from its housing and holding it next to the OOR together in a position that thestudent can easily see.

■ When the POLE is reached, the student should return the OOR of reference to the bag.Sensory cues may be utilised within the POLE to further reference the forthcoming activity.Students must never return from a POLE clutching the OOR for the POLE as thispresents a very confusing message.

■ Staff should present the OOR consistently at every appropriate opportunity. Staff shouldnever declare unilaterally that they consider the OOR to be inappropriate and decidenot to go ahead with the presentation. Should staff feel strongly that a particular student’sneeds are not being properly met with any OOR then it is the individual staff member’sresponsibility to raise this matter and a meeting can be held to discuss whether a changeshould be made.

■ It should be realised that it may only be after many thousands of presentations that a studentmay begin to make an association between the OOR and the POLE. Therefore, it isessential that staff are consistent and diligent in their efforts with the OOR scheme.

■ Where possible, the OOR may itself be labelled with the symbol for the POLE. While thereshould be no focus on the symbol when presenting the OOR to the student, the fact thatthe two are paired allows every opportunity for future progression.

■ When students indicate a need for their OOR bag or present an OOR to a member of staff,staff should immediately react to this presentation as if it were intentional. That is, theyshould move to the POLE or provide the requested object or event. The OOR should then bereturned to the bag, as is normal procedure.

■ While Stages of Development are outlined in the table below, it is expected that:– development will not be commensurate for each object in the set. That is, development may

be faster on some objects than on others.– not all students will enter at Stage One and leave at Stage Five. Some students may enter

the scheme at Stage Two or even Stage Three. Some students may never reach Stage Five. Some students may leave the scheme before they reach Stage Five because they areready for symbol use and OOR is no longer seen as appropriate.

– students will develop at different rates.■ Quality assurance of the OOR scheme is provided by Learning Support Staff and by the Speech

and Language Therapy Department. At the beginning of each day a designated member of theteam should check the contents of the OOR bag before presenting it to the student to ensurethat the appropriate items are present (a list should be contained in each bag). If an item ismissing or damaged, the team member should seek a replacement from the Speech andLanguage Therapy Assistant. Likewise, if ‘alien’ OOR have somehow found their way into theOOR bag, these should be returned to the Speech and Language Therapy Assistant.

■ At the end of the day, the staff member designated to check OOR bags should ensure that thebag is removed before the student leaves for home. While, ideally, the OOR set should be inuse at home, it is the experience of other establishments that too many have not returned andthe scheme becomes very difficult to manage. Duplicate sets of OOR are to be madeavailable to families in at cost.

■ Staff may wish to develop their own OOR for use to reference POLEs within a specificsession. This should always be done in close liaison with the Speech and LanguageTherapist.

■ Staff may wish to use OOR developed (as in the above point) to provide choices within thesession. In this instance, two objects of reference are used to provide a choice: the studentindicating a preference. This should not be undertaken with students operating at Stage Oneand Stage Two levels of development (see chart below). If in doubt consult the Speech andLanguage Therapist.

■ Students will take their OOR sets with them when they move on from Dame Hannah RogersSchool.


EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS OF THE DAME HANNAHROGERS SCHOOL OBJECTS OF REFERENCE SYSTEM

■ To develop anticipatory skills.■ To reduce confusion and apprehension.■ To promote inclusion for individuals experiencing Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties.■ To develop early ‘emergent’ communication skills.■ To develop cognitive/early thinking skills.■ To work towards the student being able to express preferences, communicate needs, make

choices, make decisions and choose options that other people act on and respect.■ To promote self-advocacy or the use of a range of systems of supported advocacy.■ To prepare students for an adult life in which they have the greatest possible degree of

autonomy.■ To increase the student’s awareness and understanding of his/her environment and of the

world.

EVALUATION■ All students experiencing Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties have an Objects of

Reference bag with appropriate OOR.■ Students carry OOR to POLE.■ Students match OOR to symbol on door on reaching specific POLEs.■ Student’s IEP targets make specific reference to OOR.■ Occasionally, a student reaches developmental Level Five with a specific object.

Stage Descriptors Characterised by

Stage 1 IntolerantDifficult to reachDependentMeaningless

Individual shows little tolerance of OOR.Ignores, drops, or throws it

Stage 2 Tolerant Hard to reachDependentMeaningless

Holds/carries OOR but demonstrates littleunderstanding

Stage 3 TolerantReceptiveDependent More Meaningful

Individual begins to show understanding ofmeaning of one or more OOR

Stage 4 Tolerant ExpressiveDependentMeaningful

Individual will correctly select from a range ofOOR on prompt from staff

Stage 5 IndependentMeaningful

Individual selects and uses OOR independentlyto express a need


Appendix 4

FACILITATED COMMUNICATION TRAINING

Children with disabilities affecting communication and movement benefit from a range ofapproaches and techniques. Facilitated Communication Training (FCT) is one of thetechniques, within a wide range of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)strategies, that may benefit some children with a wide range of disabilities where they arehaving difficulty with movement as well as with speech. FCT provides physical and emotionalsupport to those who need to access communication aids but do not have the motor skills tosuccessfully do so independently.

Within the technique a range of specific Neuro motor issues are identified each of whichrequire specific physical strategies to compensate for the access difficulties that result. Theaim of FCT is to support the communication aid user in developing their motor skills graduallyover time so that they can eventually learn to independently access an aid. Not everyone isable to achieve independence but they should not be excluded from FCT on this account norshould efforts to help them achieve the goal of independence be abandoned.

It is an essential part of an FCT programme to identify independent access strategieswherever possible. In some situations the FCT user will be able to independently accessmultiple choice boards, grids on computer or a strategy such as PEC’s, whilst needingphysical support for more complex or detailed access such as typing on a keyboard. Thisenables the FCT user to independently verify that what has been typed was not influenced bythe facilitator. Anecdotal evidence of novel utterances on the part of the young person beingfacilitated should be sought. These may be utterances that the facilitator has no knowledge ofbefore the young person communicates. Other examples of anecdotal evidence include:Consistent vocabulary across facilitators, typing phrases that would be very unusual for afacilitator to guide, using vocabulary that is common in the family and which the facilitator isunaware of.

FCT is useful for developing the ability to point independently to symbols or objects of choice.A properly managed FCT programme will always emphasise and focus on independentaccess wherever possible. However, a key criterion for using FCT is where someone withsevere communication impairment is having difficulty with accessing a communication aidindependently. In addition to this an FCT programme emphasises the importance ofdeveloping literacy skills where possible so that the aid user can learn to spell. Not all users ofFCT will be able to develop literacy skills. For this client group FCT may still support theiraccess to object, picture or symbol based communication systems.

For more information about Facilitated Communication Training (FCT):www.contactcandle.co.uk

Appendix 5

PICTURE EXCHANGE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM (PECS)

The following information is taken from Frost & Bondy (1994) ‘PECS Training Manual’.

PECS “…is a unique AAC training package developed for use with young children with autismand other social-communication deficits.” (p1)

PECS was initially developed for use with early years children who had autism. Frost andBondy describe these children as those who do not speak, who are echolalic or speak in a‘self-stimulatory’ manner. They continue by describing the communicative disabilities of thesechildren as being “socially-related in that they do not routinely approach others tocommunicate, actively avoid interaction with others or only communicate in response to adirect verbal cue to do so.” (p2).

There are six phases in a PECS programme and it is recommended by Frost and Bondy thatthe child should progress through all six phases.

Phase 1Objective: on seeing a desired item, the student will pick up a symbol and give it to anappropriate person:This can require two adults, one to stimulate the child by holding the target item and the otherto physically help the child pick up and exchange the picture/symbol for the desired object.

Phase 2Objective: Student to find communication board, pull picture off and to find the appropriateadult to give the symbol to. The child is able to independently pick up the picture/symbol andexchange it for the target item without additional adult input.

Phase 3Objective: student will request desired items by going to communication board (developingdistance between the pictures/symbols and the target item) selecting the appropriate picturefrom an array, going to a communication partner and giving the picture.

Phase 4Objective: the student requests present and non-present items using a multi-word phrase bygoing to the book. This includes using the phrase ‘I want’ + picture/symbol and exchangesthis for a target item. For example, the process would include:

■ picking up a picture/symbol of ‘I want’,■ putting it on a sentence strip,■ picking our the picture of what is wanted,■ putting it on the sentence strip,■ removing the strip from the communication board,■ approaching the communicative partner ■ and giving the sentence strip top him/her

By the end of this phase, the student has 20-50 pictures on a communication board and iscommunicating with a wide variety of partners.

Phase 5Objective: the student can spontaneously request a variety of items and can answer thequestions “What do you want?”

Phase 6Objective: The student appropriately answers the above questions and similar questionswhen these questions are asked randomly.

Introducing Additional Language ConceptsObjective: The student uses a wide range of vocabulary concepts in a variety ofcommunicative functions.

The important points in PECS include:■ Working from the individual’s motivators i.e. favourite toys/objects. You need to assess which

are the most to least motivating items for the individual.■ Teach the staff, parents and child how to use the system before expecting any symbol

discrimination■ You will need to engineer situations to encourage the child to request■ You should work through the PECS stages.


Appendix 6

VOCABULARY FOR SENTENCE STRUCTURING

The aim of communication is to transfer information from a speaker to a listener. This can beachieved by using facial expression, body movement, gesture, sign, graphic symbols, andspeech. For the listener to understand an AAC utterance easily and quickly, it is necessary forthe person using AAC to be able to create utterances that have an internal structure i.e.grammar.

When we speak, words follow each other in a set order e.g. “I saw the boy” or “I am going tothe shops” are examples of simple sentences. People using AAC may be able to createutterances in the word order appropriate to the language spoken around them. Others maynot have access to the vocabulary to do so. It may be that the child is using language at asimpler level and is linking key words together e.g. “boy look” or “me shop” at an earlierdevelopmental level.

The challenge is to provide the opportunity for all those using AAC to have access to thevocabulary they need to develop language. Children need to see us using theircommunication systems to speak to them, particularly when repeating back and elaboratingwhat the child has just said.

The ideas below may help you to think of many other opportunities to teach vocabulary todevelop sentence structure.

■ People

■ Objects

■ Verbs to enable children to acquire language through action. Verbs should be included in theearly stages so that symbols are not merely 'labels' for items but vehicles for expression e.g.

go, come, swim, playjump, run.

■ Adjectives will allow the AAC user to express themselves more fully and understand the worldaround them more clearly. e.g.

– expressing emotion:angry, bored, excited

– physical state:ok, tired, sleepy

– surroundings:noisy, quiet, light, dark

– size:big, little

The Blissymbol strategy of “opposite meaning” can be a useful tool when teaching and usingadjectives.

■ Prepositions, by actively involving the AAC user, spatial concepts can be more easilyunderstood. For example, the child can be encouraged to hide in a box/cupboard. She canthen be asked to hide an object in a box/cupboard. The next step would involve tellingsomeone else to hide in something. A user may enjoy hiding something that belongs toanother person for that person to then find.


■ Questions are asked by children about the world around them. In order to learn they need tobe able to ask questions. The AAC user needs to have the opportunity to ask questions ase.g.

what?where?why?when?who? how?

■ Negation. It is important to remember to include negative words, e.g. not/no, don't/won't, toenable the AAC user to refuse something in a socially acceptable manner; e.g. spitting one’sfood out is socially unacceptable, but if the AAC user has no other way of refusing food, it isthe only effective means of communication open to her.

■ Social vocabulary should include some colloquial language, e.g. how are you, get lost, chillout, as well as the more conventional language hello, thank you, sorry.

Appendix 7

USE OF LANGUAGE

When developing a communication system for a child who will be using AAC, it is importantnot only to choose vocabulary carefully to ensure it meets the child’s needs, but equally toensure the child has access to a range of ‘communicative functions’. This very grand termsimply refers to the way in which we actually put the words (the vocabulary) together toexpress ourselves in sentences. We are able to reply to questions, ask for information,express our feelings and desires, describe events past, present and future, ask for clarificationand repair any misunderstandings. We take all this for granted, but the non-speakingindividual who uses AAC, who uses telegrammatic utterances, may find many of these thingsextremely difficult.

The following are necessary for fluent two-way conversation:■ Social exchange (e.g. greetings, farewells, insults):

hello; good-bye; please; thanks; how are you?; sorry; get lost.

■ Attention directing:look at me; see that horse over there.

■ Requesting information / objects / assistance / recurrence /actions:please; can I...; I want......; help me; do it again.

■ Asking questions:for information, for personal needs, actions or objects: ‘wh’ words.

■ Transferring information:about nouns; people, places; time; verbs; feelings.

■ Responding:yes; no; lots of nouns.

■ Self-expression / assertion expressions of emotion e.g. I’m fed up; asserting independence e.g. Me.

■ Negation:no; not; don’t want; don’t like; can’t; won’t; wrong; didn't.

■ Self-expression:feelings, humour.

■ Communication breakdown and repair:I agree; what did you say?; could you explain; rubbish!; forget it; ignore that; I’ll start again.


Appendix 8

SOFTWARE

Symbol software packages

The GridAvailable from: Sensory Software International Ltd.

1. Provides communication with text or symbols, and complete access to a Windows computersystem.

2. Picture Communication Symbol, Rebus symbols and Blissymbols are available for purchaseand use with it.

3. Uses switches, pointing devices or a keyboard.4. Works with a wide range of speech synthesizers.5. Auditory scanning is available.6. Offers the facility for word endings.7. Uses a hierarchical system for symbol communication.8. Clip art or scanned-in images can be used.

MindexpressAvailable from: Techcess1. Provides communication with text or symbols, and complete access to a Windows computer

system.2. Blissymbols are supplied with the program and Picture Communication Symbol, Rebus

symbols are available for purchase and use with it.3. Can be accessed by a number of input devices.4. Works with a wide range of speech synthesizers.5. Clip art or scanned-in images can be used.6. Auditory scanning is available.7. Offers the facility for word endings.8. Up to 3 levels are available per screen.

Speaking DynamicallyPro Available from: Don Johnson Special Needs

1. Picture Communication Symbols are used.2. Uses an index page leading to other pages in a hierarchically organised system.3. Pages containing different numbers of symbols can be created.4. Different sized areas can be used on a single page.5. Keyboard, mouse, trackerball and single switch access are available.6. Symbol magnification, auditory scanning and “dynamic fishing” are available.

Talking Screen For Windows /Symbols for Windows- Personal CommunicatorAvailable from: Cambridge Adaptive Communication

1. A hierarchical structure with an index page system linking to other pages.2. Picture Communication Symbol, Rebus symbols and Blissymbols are available.3. Can be accessed by a number of inputs.4. Works with a wide range of speech synthesizers.5. Symbols can be created and edited.6. Clip art or scanned-in images can be used.7. Auditory scanning is an additional option.8. Symbols for Windows has additional pieces of software that can be purchased separately e.g.

Paper Chart Maker. Document Maker.

Copperhead, Rattler, MambaAvailable from: Liberator

1. Contains a core vocabulary top page 2. Multi-meaning symbols are used3. Contains grammatical and semantic prediction4. Can be access by a wide range of inputs5. Clip art or scanned images can be used.

Word and letter based software packages

Eurovox Suite Available from: TNI (Belgium); Techcess Ltd

1. Provides communication with text accessed through word prediction.2. Gives complete access to a Windows computer system and to environmental control

including appropriate telephones.3. Uses switches, pointing devices or a keyboard.4. Works with a wide range of speech synthesizers.5. Auditory scanning is available.6. Wide range of on-screen layouts is provided; others can be individually designed.

EZkeys Available from: Cambridge Adaptive Communication (Possum)

1. Provides communication with text accessed through word prediction.2. Offers the facility for word endings.3. Quick access to pre-stored phrases.4. Uses switches, pointing devices or a keyboard.5. Works with a wide range of speech synthesizers.6. Auditory scanning is available.7. Wide range of on-screen layouts is provided; others can be individually designed.8. The user can easily switch between communication and writing.

The GridAvailable from: Sensory Software International Ltd.

1. Provides communication with text or symbols, and complete access to a Windows computersystem and environmental control.

2. Uses switches, pointing devices or a keyboard.3. Quick access to pre-stored phrases.4. It offers the facility for word endings.5. A wide range of on-screen layouts is provided; others can be individually designed.6. Auditory scanning is available.7. Works with a wide range of speech synthesizers.8. Clip art or scanned-in images can be used as well as Picture Communication Symbol, Rebus

symbols and Blissymbols if required.

Vocab+Available from: Liberator Ltd.

1. Provides communication with text accessed through word prediction and word banks ofcommonly used words.

2. Offers the facility for word endings.3. Quick access to pre-stored phrases.4. Uses switches, pointing devices or a keyboard.5. Auditory scanning is available.

6564 Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 11 | Appendix 9Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 11 | Appendix 9

Appendix 9

Addresses: Sign and symbols

British Sign LanguageThe Royal National Institute for Deaf People, 105 Gower Street, London, WC1E 6AH.Telephone: 0207-387-8033

Signed EnglishMr Derek Baker, Treasurer and Information Officer, 20 Magdalen Road, Exeter EX2 4TD.Courses: Margaret Down, 9 the Mede, Ashford Road, Topsham, Exeter, EX3 0LD

Makaton VocabularyMakaton Vocabulary Development Project, 31 Firwood Drive, Camberley, Surrey.Telephone: 01276-61390e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.makaton.org

SignalongSignalong, Communication and Language Centre, All Saints’ Hospital, Magpie Hall Road,Chatham, Kent, ME4 5NG.Telephone: 01634-819915e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.signalong.org.uk

Paget-Gorman Signed SpeechMr Bob Newey, 3 Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, Oxon.

Cued SpeechNational Centre for Cued Speech, 29-30 Watling Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2UD.Telephone: 01227-450757

Colour Communication Stickers (Imaginart)Imaginart, 307 Arizona Street, Bisbee, AZ 85603 U.S.A.Fax: (800)737-1376Winslow Press, Telford Road, Bicester, Oxon, OX6 0TS.Telephone: 01869-244733

Picture Communication SymbolsDon Johnston Special Needs, 18/19 Clarendon Court, Calver Road, Winwick Quay,Warrington, WA2 8QPTel: 01223-264244 Fax: 01223-264254Web site: www.donjohnston.comWinslow Press, Telford Road, Bicester, Oxon, OX6 0TS.Telephone: 01869-244733

PIC/PictogramsThe Lodden School, Wildmoor, Sherfield on Lodden, Hook, RG27 0JDTelephone: 01256-882394

Blissymbols,Blissymbol Communication UK, C/o 92 Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7DR.Telephone: 01608-676455Web site: www.blissymbols.org

PicsymsWinslow Press, Telford Road, Bicester, Oxon, OX6 0TS.Telephone: 01869-244733

Wigit Rebus SymbolsWidget Software, 124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0ZS.Telephone: 01223-425558 x773e-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.widgit.com

Addresses: Voice Output Communication Aids andSoftware

Cameleon, Symbols for Windows (including Personal Communicator and Paper ChartMaker), Talking Screen for Windows, Say-IT SAM, EZ KeysMiniMessageMate, Message 20, MessageMate40

Cambridge Adaptive Communication,

8 Farmborough Close, Stocklake Park Industrial Estate, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1DQTelephone: 01296-461002 Fax: 01296-461107 email: [email protected] website: www.cameleon-web.com

BigMack, Little Mack, One Step, step-by-Step, iTalk2Partner 1, Partner 2, Partner 4, One Talker, 1 by 4 Talker, Talktrack, 4Talk4, 4Scan4Pocket GoTalk, GoTalk4, Go Talk9,TechTalk8, TechScan8, TechScan 8+, TechSpeak 32, TechScan32, TechScan 32+

Inclusive Technology,

Gatehead Business Park, Delph New Road, Delph, Oldham. OL3 5BXTelephone: 01457 819790 Fax: 01457 819799e-mail: [email protected] website: www.inclusive.co.uk

BigMack, Little Mack, One Step, step-by-Step, iTalk2, Partner 1, Partner 2, Partner 4Supervoca, Lexicon, ChatPC, Mercury, Mini-Merc, TalkOut, Vocabulary applications,Copperhead, Mamba, Rattler, SideWinder, ViP:

Liberator Ltd,

Whitegates, Swinstead, Lincolnshire, NG33 4PAFreephone: 0800-622457 Telephone: 0476-550391 Fax: 0476-550357email: [email protected] website: www.liberator.co.uk

BigMack, Little Mack, One Step, step-by-Step, Chipper, Talking Buddy Button, 4Talk4,4Scan4, Pocket Go Talk, GoTalk4, GoTalk9, Tash Ultimate, VoicePal Max, Macaw 3,Portacom, Digivox:

QED,

(Quality Enabling Devices Ltd), 1 Prince Alfred Street, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 1QHTelephone: 0870 787 8850 Fax: 0870 787 8860e-mail: [email protected] website: www.qedltd.com

Clicker 5Vocabulary applications: Quickfire grids:

Crick Software Ltd,

Crick House, Boarden Close, Moulton Park, Northampton NN3 6LFTelephone: 01604-671691 Fax : 01604-671692e-mail: [email protected] website: www.cricksoft.com/uk

Dynamo, MightyMo and MiniMo, DV4, MT4, Dynawrite, Enkidu devicesVocabulary applications: CallTalk, Communicate , Expressions to Daily Living,Gateway, Ingfield Vocabularies, WordPower:

DynaVox Ltd,

Sunrise Medical Ltd, High Street, Wollaston, West Midlands, DY8 4PSTelephone: 01384-446688 Fax: 01384-446568e-mail: [email protected] website: www.dynavox.co.uk

IconSpeak:

Bostock Software Development & Consultancy Ltd,

31 The Old Convent, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 3RS, United KingdomTelephone: 0870 744 1521,e-mail: [email protected]. Website: www.bostock.com/IconSpeakInternational

BroadMaker, Speaking Dymanically Pro,Vocabulary applications: Begin-IT Dynamically Pro; C-Speak Aphasia: ACommunication System for Adults with Aphasia; Language Exercises for You and Me!;Playing Dynamically; See, Hear and Say; Speaking Academically; Speak Up Pro; TalkBoards:

Don Johnson Special Needs,

18 Clarendon Court, Calver Road, Winwick Quay, Warrington, Cheshire, WA2 8QPTelephone: 01925-241642 Fax: 01925-421745e-mail: [email protected] website: http://donjohnston.co.uk/

Springboard, Vantage, Vanguard, ChatPC, ChatboxVocabulary applications: LLL, Unity:

Prentke Romich International,

Minerva House, Minerva Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FT,Telephone: 01733 370470 Fax: 01733 391939e-mail: [email protected] website: www.prentromint.com

The Grid,Vocabulary applications: Adult Dynamic Vocabularies, Chailey CommunicationSystem (CCS), Communication Overlays for Engineering Training Environments,Ingfield Dynamic Vocabularies (IDV):

Sensory Software,

26 Abbey Rd, Malvern WR14 3HDTelephone & Fax: 01684 578868e-mail: [email protected] website: www.sensorysoftware.com

Tellus 3, Mindexpress, EuroVoxVocabulary applications: ExpressTalk:

TechCess Ltd,

Unit 12 Willow Park, Upton Lane, Stoke Golding, Nuneaton, Warks., CV13 6EU,Telephone: 01455 213708 Fax: 01455 213709e-mail: [email protected] website: www.techcess.co.uk

Lightwriter, adVOCAte, Macaw 3, Macaw 3+:

Toby Churchill Ltd,

20 Panton St, Cambridge, CB2 1HP.Telephone: 01223-3566676117 Fax: 01223-576118e-mail: [email protected] website: www.toby-churchill.com

Writing with Symbols:

Widgit Software Ltd,

124 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Rd, Cambridge CB4 0ZS.Telephone: 01223 425 558 Fax: 01223 425 349e-mail: [email protected] website: www.widgit.com

66 Supporting Communication through AAC | Module 3 | Section 11 | Appendix 9

AAC Nuts and Bolts

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