Use core words and fringe folders, rather than creating activity boards for everything.
We are starting Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). We have begun personalizing the vocabulary. Now we also need to think about other ways to set up the vocabulary for activities.
For many years, activity-specific boards for communication have been developed and used with AAC users.
An activity-specific board contains the specific words that may be needed for a particular activity. They are often printed out as a light-tech board. They might be used in place of a full AAC system. They include quick phrases, as well as single words. Teams may spend many hours creating folders of different activities.
Many AAC tools include some example activity boards. Proloquo2Go includes a few examples within the Crescendo Vocabulary. PODD - both digital and print variations within the simPODD app - contain some activity boards.
Using some activity communication boards can be appropriate in some activities. But it should not replace use of the full AAC system.
And here is why.
There are 5 main limitations of using activity boards with AAC users.
Firstly, we can only talk about those things included on the activity board. At bowling, we can use this board to talk about the game. However, how can we speak about other topics? Will we only talk about bowling during our bowling trip?
Activity boards may limit language opportunities.
Next, often activity boards are printed as paper boards. They are brought out during the activity and then put away again. AAC users may learn how to say things on the board. But they are not learning where they can find these words in their AAC system. An AAC user may learn the word “horse” on their horse riding board, but they cannot find “horse” in their communication device to talk about their cousin’s horse.
Activity boards may limit learning of words in the AAC system.
Activity boards, may or may not have included some core words. If core words were used, they may not have been placed on the boards, in consistent locations, from one board to the next. Different locations of words on boards can make it harder to develop a strong motor plan, to find words quickly and easily.
Activity boards may not support core word learning and motor planning.
Activity boards give a person very specific words to use in a specific situation. Therefore, they may not get the chance to see those words used in different places, for different activities. How can they learn about the power and flexibility of language? For example, perhaps an AAC user has learnt to point to “blow” and “pop” on an activity-board for “bubbles”. What if they need to learn to use the word “blow” when they want to blow out the candles on the cake? Or they need to use the word “pop” to describe the sound the balloon made?
Activity boards may stop language generalizing from one situation to another.
Teams can spend time making activity boards. Making one board for every activity that will be done, can take time.
Making activity boards is time consuming.
Consider how we can use this vocabulary, rather than just activity boards.
We can focus on teaching and modeling words in the AAC system, during any activity! We show where words can be found and how to combine them to communicate real messages in any situation. We can focus on communicating different messages for different reasons.
We do this, rather than creating specific folders or boards for all the different activities we might do.
By using a balanced vocabulary, AAC users have far more words at their fingertips! More words gives them more opportunities to build language.
By using a balanced vocabulary, AAC users can learn where words are, so they can use them later. Try adding extra words to existing folders rather than creating an activity folder.
There are times and places where activity boards can be very useful. There are many AAC users who may get their first start at communication using an activity board. This may be before they have their own AAC system.
When you decide to make an activity board, you may wish to consider a few of these ideas:
Download Proloquo2Go Crescendo Core word boards from the AssistiveWare Core Word Classroom.
Here are some example situations when activity boards might be useful.
Using your balanced vocabulary to build language is powerful for AAC users. Use activity boards in specific situations but not for everything.
Follow the links below for more strategies to get communication started:
