A
communication notebook may be used for autistic people. A
communication notebook can be used in separate ways. One,
it can be a way of documenting an autistic child's medical
tests, therapies, etc. Two, it may also be a mechanism to
communication between the home and school. Third, it can
also be used for the student to use as an actual communication
device. You may want one for each of these uses. For
any of these uses they should be personalized for the
individual. communication notebook + autism
Notebook
between home and school Untangle
Autism Organization has several sample pages that you can
edit. Notebook
Used as a Communication device My
son had a notebook before he had an electronic communication
device. My son's teacher made it from an old day planner
notebook. It initially had three categories. I
believe they were food, activities and social categories
(restroom, etc.). She cut down three colored file folders
(one for each category) and laminated them. Then she put
strips of Velcro on the pages. After that she printed out pictures or icons
from Boardmaker. The front cover of
the book was used for him to display his wants (via the
pictures) and to build sentences. At that stage, he did
very little sentence building. Here
are some great resources to give you ideas or to buy a notebook
for your child, adult or student to use to communicate with
others. Talk,
Learn and Communicate, Inc. has an excellent article by Vola
Marriner, Ph.D. about setting up Visually
Cued Instruction which gives details as well as providing
pictures. The
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill TEACCH Center,
Recommendations For Students with High Functioning Autism, scroll
down to number eight which deals with schedules
and gives excellent detailed examples. Harcourt
Assessment, Inc., Fall 2005 InSight Article Helping
Children with Autism Communicate Through Visual Augmentative
Communication Different
Roads to Learning has several different visual schedules and
notebooks that you can purchase. Language
goals should be individualized and can include learning to use
various alternative communication systems or specific
communication strategies. Alternative
communication strategies may include learning to use the
Picture Exchange System (PECs), a communication notebook, sign language or an Augmentative
& Alternative Communication (AAC) Device. Language
strategies vary greatly from basic muscle strengthening to more
specialized skills. Oral motor skills are essentially to
strengthen oral muscles which is sometimes needed for autistic
children. Receptive and expressive language, verbal
behavior, auditory processing, social language, visual
strategies, verbal reasoning (Wh questions), sequencing,
teaching literalness, generalizing, following directions,
scripting, understanding
and using nonverbal communication, using
verbalizations to express themselves, pragmatic language, i.e.
beginning and ending conversations, or topic maintenance are
other skills that should be worked on with a speech
therapist. Applied
Behavior Analysis (ABA) and discrete trials are still my
favorite therapy. My son speaks only rarely, but one day
during a session he said 12 different words or phrases.
Unfortunately, we lost the therapy time with the Autism
Consultant. Quality, including timing of the trials, is
very important when it comes to ABA. Great
Ideas for Teaching is a catalog for Speech- Language
Pathology and Related Communication Disorders. They have
books, information and curriculums to assist with assessments,
auditory processing, Autism, expressive language, oral motor
therapy, receptive language, etc. This company sells
proactive materials which can help to give you ideas for
communication goals! P.O.
box 444 Wrightsville
Beach, NC 28480 (910)
256-4494 Phone (910)
256-4493 Fax info@greatideasforteaching.com
e-mail
There are a few
more great (and free) articles and
specific communication ideas located at the TEACCH
website.
Autism
E-News Autism
and Communication Article by
Karen Berlin, M. Ed., and Vicky G. Spencer, Ph.D. http://www.ttac.odu.edu/ENewsArchives/Autism/autism_e_January_2004.htm
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