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.

Classic board games: Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders

Recently, a student of mine has been extremely excited about board games. This new interest came out of no where, so I had no supports made. I quickly grabbed my generic core words board and we had such a blast playing together and taking turns playing Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. For more information on how to use these boards, click here.

Right away, we were able to put together some core word based phrases such as "my turn," "your turn," "stop it," and "I do it," "want different," "I get that," Where I go?" "help me go," rather than the usual "I want red," or the old pattern of reaching for or moving pieces without social engagement.  The boards help facilitate an opportunity for joint attention, conversation and shared experience.  Obviously, right at the top of this board, there was room for more. So, I went home later that night and created this Chutes and Ladders board and this Candy Land board. Using these boards, we used even more relevant board game phrases!

Here are some Candy Land examples: 

• I go 2 red
• you go 1 blue

Here are some examples of phrases from chutes and ladders:

• I go up ladder
• You go down slide
• I want girl
• Go down big slide
• Go up small ladder

These topical communication boards really added a nice low tech support to a new found joy in a classic turn taking activity. Hope it helps you too!

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.

Back to school means core words with BOOKS!

It's back to school time! In honor of this very exciting and frantic time of year, I decided to post some boards made specifically for books, because let's be honest, aren't they just the best? Sure, most are made with paper (*gasp!*) and are not digital (*what?!*), but we can still use technology to enhance them. Pairing the use of low tech boards with books and/or with high tech devices to talk about the books can turn fun leisure activities into more meaningful language opportunities.

Some of my first topical boards were actually for books, and I have decided to leave some of the more convenient features available that I have used since my very first boards, e.g., the "quick chat" icons for "read", "listen", "look", and "turn the page." Having these words handy for my book boards have made my students contextualize and at the same time diversify the use of these powerful core words. Although these boards are not organized with the core/ fringe words as some of my newer boards have, there is still a heavy focus on core words while allowing the content related to the book to be easily accessible.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is such a classic, isn't it? I see this book adapted at so many of the different schools I visit each week. However, most adaptations are focused on the fringe content of the food items. While exciting to talk about food, I find it more functional to repeat the simple comment "eat more" or "it eat more." So many of the pages allow opportunity for the use of this phrase, and we all know, practice make perfect.

Some other functional phrases one might focus on "it/caterpillar  big", "it/ caterpillar sick", "it is hungry", stop eat", "no eat more",  "no eat that", "eat that", "it go there" (meaning he goes to the leaf, goes through the hole in the book, etc.) and finally "look!  caterpillar change butterfly."  When excited about a page, it is always fun to throw in a "look!"

If you are unfamiliar on how to use these boards, I typically point to icons as the student learns them.  The student can either vocalize as they point or use each icon as a guide to use their talker/ AAC device.  As they get more familiar, the student can use the boards or point on his/ her own. For more information, please see the post on how to use topical boards.

A teacher today showed me "Dear Zoo," which I had never seen before. I immediately loved this book for all it's language opportunities, especially asking questions such as "what is it?" before you take turns to "open it" and say "it is frog" or more specially "jumpy frog," or "it is jumpy frog." It's fun to take turns opening each too "you open/go," "I open it," etc. Then you can comment: "no want it!"

I have also written about the "Go Away Big Green Monster" app. The same board can be used easily for the book!

So, next time you head over to the book corner with a kiddo, consider making or taking a low tech board with you to enhance the experience!

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.

Core Words Communication Board: an overveiw

These past months, I have been using Topical Communication Boards to support more independent language use with my students (be sure to check out earlier blog posts for some examples.  Here are some: 1, 2, 3) . These boards contain the specific language needed to communicate while playing with an app, book or game.  They are extremely helpful when working with AAC device users or with clients that have limited verbal output (like my students with autism who have difficulty initiating without echoing what I say). 

But, what happens when my kiddos pick a game that I don't yet have a board for? Does that mean, we just try the activity without the support?? NOT ME! I prefer to use visual supports as much as possible. Visual supports help boost confidence, set clear expectations and decrease verbal prompting.

That's why I created a Core Words communication board.  Find it on boardmakerachieve here.

If you are not sure what core words are, please be sure to check out Carole Zangari's and Robin Parker's PraacticalAAC blog  or Bruce Baker's explanation  for more information. Core words are not just "the new best thing,"  they are necessary components of every day communication. Core words make up about 75-80% of what we say each day. They are the powerful words that can be used across situations and ages.  Kids, adults, teenagers.... we all use core words. They can be used again and again and again across situations and places. Core words are highly functional: they stand in the place of more specific nouns (e.g. "it," "that," "there,") where there is no access to specific vocabulary and they represent functional actions (e.g. "do," "make," "go," "get,").

I decided to start focusing more and more on core words when making my topical communication boards. But as I did this, I found with the combination of core and "fringe" words (fringe words being the words that can be replaced with less specific words such as "that"), my core words that were repeating across boards, started to shift locations.  This made my users slightly confused and increased scanning time to find icons.

Check out these two examples:

By keeping the pronouns on the left, I shifted some available spaces and question words no longer made sense on the left hand side of the board.  While I tried to keep things the same as much as possible, each board will have a different number of verbs and nouns, making it difficult to keep things consistent. 

I decided to start keeping my most frequently used core words in the same place on each board. On top, I decided to put my less frequently used core fringe words that were specific to the activity.  (please note: my core word selection is not all inclusive, and it might still change.   I was simply limited by the 8x11 space).  

Keeping icons in consistent locations, decrease visual scanning, and increase automatic motor responses (think about how you use automatic motor responses to type on a keyboard).  Many AAC devices already use motor planning as part of its language system (e.g. LAMP, PRC, WordPower).  This past weekend, it was great hearing Patti Solomon-Rice talk about the importance of keeping icons in the same location on AAC devices.  Hearing her speak about that, validated my desire to try this new format for my topical boards.

So, when a kid asked to play angry birds the other day and I didn't have a board made, I didn't sweat it!  I used my core words sheet. Then, I quickly made the angry birds topical board after the session.  It took way less time to make a board using this new format.

Here is what I came up with (find it on boardmakerachieve here):

If you haven't read yet how I use these topical communication boards, it's pretty simple. I point to each word as I say them (making sure my client is looking at the board while I do this).  If I ask a question, I may prompt the student by immediately pointing to an icon on the board so they do not respond with echolalia.   If the person independently says something (with or without using the board), I repeat and expand by saying and pointing to each icon. Or if they are struggling to verbally find a word, I may point to the board to help them get started. 

Here are some sample phrases we might work on with this angry birds board: "you do it," " my turn," "get bird," "put it there,"  "get triangle" "it go over" "it go down."

If the student needs help learning how to use the board to vocalize, I start teaching the student by hand under hand guidance to help the student to point to each icon (only if needed).  As quickly as possible, I fade my physical prompts to gestural prompts.  I always try my best to allow the student time to respond on his own as well.  I usually find that with practice, my students start vocalizing without prompts and even without pointing to the board. In addition, they start using vocabulary that has never been used before in unique combinations. Prior to using the boards, my students may have simply used behaviors ( crying, grabbing etc.) to access a turn with a game or with the iPad.  Using the boards, most of my clients (e.g. with autism) start learning to initiate communication attempts, either by pointing or by vocalizing, while engaging in fun activities.   For my AAC users that already initiate language but are working on using novel utterances, the boards serve as a visual guide or reference to what they are searching for as they navigate the device. 

Using these boards often reduce frustration, prime the student to expected language to be used, expand utterances, and help students use language in unique word combinations not otherwise used before.  They serve as visual support to the oral language we provide and they validate icons as a communication form for my AAC users. 

Hopefully this core words sheet helps in a pinch.  It can also be modified to make new topically related boards really quickly! 

Hope you find it useful!

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.

Go Away Big Green Monster

Go Away Big Green Monster app is actually an interactive book, a really fun one that my students really gravitate towards. It can be read with or without narration or with a song. 

What's great about this book is that each page lends itself to talking about individual body parts using multiple descriptions.  With the turn of each page, the monster gains more and more parts to his face. I stop on each page to comment about each body part the monster gains by using a full sentence. Depending on the student and his goals, I use different types of sentences:  "two eyes," "he has 2 eyes," or "he has 2 big, yellow eyes."  The addition of body parts page by page allows for plenty of repetition sentences with similar sentence structure.

While I read the book or use the app, I use this communication board to enhance and support language. Most of my clients use 1 descriptor at a time, but in some cases up to 3 can be used per body part.

Then, as the book continues, each body part disappears one by one.  I use the turn of each page to practice use of the negatives such as "no hair" or "he has no nose."

I point to each icon on the topical board as I model the intended sentence for each page. The student can then either point to the icons to formulate sentences, or as in most cases, the student will point and simultaneously vocalize each sentence.  After s/he comments on what he sees, the student can touch the body part on the app, which makes a fun sound as it wiggles. As the student is first learning the app, I also have him/her find the same body parts on his/her own body as well.

To generalize the skills learned in this activity, I use the same topical board while playing with "Mr. Potato Head." Most of the time, I will play "Mr. Potato Head" directly before or after using the "Go Away Green Monster" app.  The student can use the board to request pieces (e.g "blue eyes," "2 ears") and sometimes we even comment on what the "Mr. Potato Head" is missing in order to request pieces.  For example, if the student comments, "he has no hair," or "no hair," I respond "that's right, he has no hair. Let's find some." 

I also use the same topical board with my "One-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater" doll right after playing with the app. I model how the same words on the topical board can be used to describe other monsters that look different. 

The app is one my students ask for quite often and I love that the language is so easily generalizable. There are tons of fun things to talk about in the app and book!  The visual supports appear to help student initiate the use of new comments and help add more descriptions to their language as well.

Hope you find it as fun and productive as I did!

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.

Low Tech shout out to Boardmaker ®

I had a huge reality check the other when I got to school and realized I left my iPad at home. For a second I thought: "well, how will I do therapy without my iPad?!" After my mini panic, I remembered that I had purchased Boardmaker® last year which gave me access to create endless amounts of visual supports and activities for my students with Autism.

A moment of gratitude came over me as I pulled out my schedule (you know, the laminated kind with velcro and icons), and my book with topical communication board ready to go. 

I just wanted to take the moment to thank the low tech supports for being there for when high tech user errors occur.  I've posted some of the things I have made on boardmakershare. Feel free to check out my boardmakershare profile here: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/156926/Elizabeth-Harmon

But low tech supports are more than just a back-up system. They are an important visual supplement to any activity that aids in expanding language and enhancing comprehension. 

Lately on boardmakershare I have been posting topical communication boards. I love using them along side any activity including books and ipad activities. It helps both my verbal and non verbal kids organize language and move up from using basic carrier phrases like " I want" to using core words and various 2-3 word combinations such as noun + verb ("elephant stomp"), verb+noun ("play drum"), adjective+ noun ("yellow shoes"), and novel SVO combinations ("dog eat bone"). Below is an example. 

Using low tech visual supports along side high tech educational tools has become for me a pivotal part of teaching independent communication skills. From schedules, to expanding language to encouraging social exchanges, low tech supports lead to high quality language. 

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.

I close my eyes: an interactive story

Every where I turn at work, I see another student with autism completely engaged with the interactive story app "I close my eyes."  The story walks us through Bella's imagination as she falls asleep.  On each page, Bella explains different scenarios she acts out in her dreams such as: "I close my eyes and I am flying in the clouds."

Each page has a cartoon that shows the action she describes. In addition, on most pages there is generally a funny action (such as a sneeze, an overly excited elephant or a monster that eats a fridge) that keeps most students coming back for more.
What is great about this app is that it provides a great and motivating way to talk about actions. I developed this communication board to help guide and support students as they talk about what they see as exciting!  

The app costs about $1.99 and creates an engaging opportunity to connect with a student.  There will be plenty to talk about!

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.

Touch the sound

I stumbled upon Touch the Sound by Alligator apps.  Currently finishing up a unit on the 5 senses, it has been easy to incorporate app this into my regular speech practice. (Check out the extended 5 senses  lesson on boardmakershare: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Activity/1739181/5-senses-book ) 

I like to use this app to work on the receptive identification of sounds. Then, to keep the student engaged, after about 10 attempts, I usually "step it up a notch" by asking the student to say what they hear before touching the answer. 

I encourage the student to use his/ her communication system to say "I hear" or "hear" and then point to the correct choice on the app.  If the communication system has additional nouns or if the student is verbal, I may ask the student to use a complete sentence (e.g., "I hear a ______.") to work on commenting.

With some practice, I have seen some students generalize this commenting skill to comment on what they hear in their own environment ... " I hear a jet!"

It is worth the megabite usage on the iPad to give it a whirl!