Struggling to include learners and develop AAC in school?

Posted by Gillian McNeill on the 11th April, 2023

Category AAC Symbols

Children and young people with communication difficulties can have a wide variety of needs and teachers may need support on matching needs to AAC.   This blog reflects the guidance and resources I often share when I'm out in schools, to help teachers develop use of AAC with early communicators, and create communication activities and opportunities for using AAC throughout the school day.

1. We start with feature matching, which follows assessment of skills, used to identify which features of an AAC system are needed to meet the needs of the pupil. I like this particular Feature Match Comparison Chart which provides a detailed breakdown of required vs wish list features and covers simple to more complex AAC systems, categorised helpfully into key features. Other similar resources can be also found on the web.
2. Next we look at AAC systems, both low (mostly printed) and high tech (mostly voice output devices). CALL Scotland has various sources of information, including our Symbols for All curricular and Bookbug symbol resource downloads, website information on equipment and software, and posters - A Guide to Single and Multi-Message Devices and iPad Apps for Complex Communication Support Needs. All helping to make sure that the AAC is set up appropriately and often differently for each pupil.
3. Finally, we discuss communication activities and opportunities, which is usually about recognising a balance between using AAC in existing opportunities occurring each day at school and creating new activities for introducing and practising AAC. Whether arriving at school, the cloakroom routine, art, storytelling, baking or play, there's plenty of ideas for activities on the above mentioned Symbols for All site. Also here's an example of an activity from our Keep Talking book and how to set it up so that pupils with different needs are all included. 

Example activity - Going on a Treasure Hunt

• The game - there are two treasure hunts in the book, a Mini Treasure Hunt (2 players) and full-Scale Hunt and of course there can be many variations on this game.
• The play - the basis of the all being - player 1 (the hider) hides an object(s) in the room and uses AAC to direct player 2 (the finder). Player 2 uses AAC to ask questions and make comments when finding the treasure.
• The resources - there are many options for treasure hunt vocabulary, symbols and devices, here's some suggestions...

(1) core words (used most frequently in day-to-day conversations)

(2) fringe words (specific to a place, event, thing or person) of the hidden items , choosing motivators, such as items that can be used/played with, can work well.

These symbol resources all created with Picture Communication Symbols using Boardmaker software can be downloaded either as PDF format (you won't need Boardmaker software for this) or in BPF format (this is a Boardmaker 7 file and can edited in the software if you wish).

For low tech resources, print out the symbols for the repeated phrases, core or fringe words and use as they are, or cut them up to re-position on an tray or mat, re-size if you need a larger symbol and if the pupil finds pointing difficult, attached to an etran (eye pointing) frame. 

If using high tech, attach the symbols to a LITTLE or BIGmack or similar single message or 2/4 message device. Print and make overlays for using in your Go Talk 9+ device. Recording in the phrases/words before play.

Go Talk 9+ .pdf overlays x2 to print.

Go Talk 9+ .bpf overlays x2 to edit in Boardmaker 7.

BIG & LITTLEmack .pdf overlay to print.

BIG & LITTLEmack .bpf overlay to edit in Boardmaker 7.

If you would like more ideas on Communication activities and opportunities for using AAC in School, please join me at my CALL Scotland online course at 4-5pm on Thursday 27th April.

See you there!