Let's talk about angry birds: digital and analog!

Angry birds is a game that we probably all recognize by now. You know it, right? That game where some green pigs steal eggs from some birds, different colored birds, who become very angry and try to knock the pigs off various structures. Thats the one! It was probably one of my first apps I ever purchased. Lucky for us all, after all these years, it is still a wildly motivating game for students. And lucky for me, there is not only the app, but there is also the board game. Any student would be over the moon to be able to play angry birds (analog or digital) in a speech therapy session. I used to leave it for the "reward time" at the end of a session because I wasn't able to find a way to incorporate language. So, I created this  core word based topical communication board  to accompany the board game to help get us talking while we played together, but I have also found it useful for when using the digital app as well. Find the board on boardmakeronline here. 

To play the board game, there are a few set up steps. First, you pick a card to decide which structure to build. Then, you need to get all the pieces in order to construct the structure. I keep all the pieces by me. This opens up loads of opportunity to communicate. (Note: there is no construction while playing the app.) Here are some of the target phrases I work on while preparing the  board game focusing on the use of core words with a few topically related fringe words: 

I want that

I want more

I want different 

I do it

Help me

You do it more

Turn it there

I get it

Where it go?

It go there

I want 2 triangle/square

I want big rectangle

I want do different

Then, once the structure is completed, the different color birds can be slingshot towards the structure to knock it down. It's actually a little harder than it looks!. Here are some phrases I model and expect from my students while the birds try to knock down those pesky pigs! Many of these phrases can be used while using the app as well: 

I want that bird

I do different bird

Where is small/big bird?

I do it

Help me

You do it

Where is it? (When the bird flies too far away)

It is there.

It go over (when the bird doesn't hit the structure)

It go down (when the structure falls down)

It no go down (when nothing gets hit)

You help do that (I use this phrase a lot when students need help holding the slingshot)

Help there (I also use this phrase when students need help holding the slingshot). 

I'm sure there are even more phrases as well. Hopefully, these phrases can provide some core word inspiration for an "older" and highly addictive app and board game!  If you think of other core word phrases, please feel free to share! Now, playing angry birds can be a motivating way to generalize the use of core words into an everyday game!

The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2011 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.

Boardmaker® is a trademark of Mayer-Johnson LLC.

Build a Train

In a few weeks, I will be presenting at ASHA 2014 in Orlando, FL.  I’m very excited because, let's be honest, I love sharing and I will be talking about a lot of the information I write about on this blog.   Even though this particular app is not a new app to my collection, I thought I might post about it since I will be talking about it and showing videos of students using this app during my upcoming presentation.

 Build a train is a great free app that allows for kids to construct virtual trains and then set them out onto a choice of tracks.  As soon as you start the app, the building begins.  Even the very get go, there’s tons of opportunity to use descriptive language while building the train: "Blue train with yellow", the "red caboose," "the green engine."  Students tap on each train, or swipe through trains to see more choices.   You can select a location (winter, volcano, island… NOTE: some are for purchase) and off you go!

Once the train in on the track, we have to “make it go.”  There is a dial on the side that can be used to make it “go fast,” or “go slow.” But! A key step in this process is that I require a communication exchange before allowing the student to have access to the iPad to control the train.  I use this topical board to help facilitate language use for my students that have difficulty initiating the use of novel sentence structures. 

If you are interested in more information about how I use board like these, you can find it here. This one in particular was one of my earlier boards.  In a nutshell, here is how I use it. I have the app on the iPad in one hand. On the table in front of the student and myself  I leave this topical communication board.  I might ask a general question to the student such as “what should we do now?”  If the student does not answer, I might prompt the answer by pointing to some reasonable words such as “I + choose+ train” or "train + go."  I will model the phrase verbally as well.  I expect the student to attempt a similar phrase (with or without my pointing).  Once they do, I praise and allow them to play with the train in the manner they described. Sometimes I have kids that say one thing and reach for a different area on the iPad. In this case, I pull the iPad back and redirect them to the board and model the phrase they are attempting to do (e.g. "Oh, it looks like you meant to say 'horn go,'" (with pointing to each word as it is said).  "Let's do the horn," (while point to horn icon).  

Eventually, I fade my gestural prompts with the boards and the student can use the visuals (with or without pointing) to help him/her respond more independently. I find boards like these particularly helpful when working with kids with autism when trying to use novel language outside of "I want train please."  They provide visual support, limit the vocabulary so that it is on topic (and less overwhelming) and help guide the student to use new sentence structures.

Some of the other key phrases I target while using this app include both core and fringe words. Examples are:

• Make horn go
•  Do bell
• Make train go fast/slow
• Different track
• Do different track
• I choose track
• I play more
• I choose more train
• I/you change train/track

My favorite core word to use with this board is “turn” because it can be used with two distinct meanings:

• My/your turn
• Turn on/off light

My friend developed her own board based on her student's motivations. Although the concept was the same, her board contained different vocabulary. Her particular student was motivated by pick up boxes.  She also preferred to focus on the vocabulary for "night" and "day" rather than referring to the "lights."

For free, I highly recommend you give it a try. Then you can tell me all about how it works for you at ASHA! Hope to see you at there!

The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2011 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.

Boardmaker® is a trademark of Mayer-Johnson LLC.

ClassDojo

If you don't already know how wonderful Class Dojo is, I highly encourage you to sign up for this FREE service to experience first hand how it can shape the lives of students with autism.   ( www.classdojo.com )

Class Dojo is a service that I use to provide visual feedback to my students about their behaviors during speech sessions. My students with autism are visual learners and the "tallying" of behavior "points" helps motivate them to use more "expected" behaviors across our sessions. Class Dojo is an easy way to keep track of the behaviors as they happen and provide instant feedback without saying a word! 

Most of my students love the avatars.  They seem to also feel very empowered and in control of their own behaviors when using Class Dojo.  I have one student that is so motivated to use Class Dojo that he asks for it as we start our individual speech sessions. 

What's great about this website is that you can customize the positive and negative behaviors to meet the specific needs of a student or class. For example, with one of my students, the green/ positive points are given for "whole body listening" and asking questions (his targeted speech goals).  The red/ negative points are given for when he is "moving too much" or when he is taking all the "talk time."

When I run groups, I also use Class Dojo to motivate the entire class to meet my goals of good group participation including: seated with the group,  looking at the speaker, quiet  listening and safe hands.  If the group is doing all this, I can give everyone positive points all at once. If someone breaks from our group plan, then I can also give individual points (positive or negative). 

At the end of sessions, I can show the class or student a graph of how much positive vs. negative behaviors they used. Even better than that, I can show students exactly which behaviors they are great at, and which they need to improve on. 

I mostly use it on my computer or iPad. If using it on an iPad, it seems you have be connected to the Internet. In addition, it is a good idea to set up the targeted behaviors from a computer or laptop.  If working with a class, I can see how using it with apple TV would work perfectly! 

I don't even use Class Dojo to its fullest potential. There are options to print or email reports to parents and have student and parent logins. 

I know Class Dojo is designed for classroom management, but as a speech therapist, I love it in my individual sessions too!