Communication and Visual Strategies for Nonverbal Students

and Students with Autism within the Classroom Setting.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg SchoolsDiane Drakulic, MA CCC-SLPCindy Monroe, MS CCC-SLP

Disclosure: Ms. Drakulic and Ms. Monroe have no relevant financial or nonfinancial relationships to disclose.

Educational Objectives

1. Participants will be able to describe various strategies to support communication.

2. Participants will be able to select appropriate visual supports to use in the classroom.

3. Participants will be able to identify various communication systems.

What are Visual Supports? Visual supports provide a way to increase

understanding of language by taking verbal information and making it concrete. When spoken, verbal information is only present for a short period of time and then it is gone. Visual supports add a fixed component so the user can see the meaning of the message.

Who uses Visual Supports? We all do!

• We use calendars.

• We make grocery lists.

• We write notes.

Why use Visual Supports with our Students?

Many students, especially those with autism spectrum disorders, have stronger visual skills than auditory skills. Providing visual supports gives them a way to use their visual strengths to process, organize and remember information. This helps them understand verbal information. When they understand what is said to them, their stress level decreases as well as their inappropriate behaviors.

Room Arrangement Strategies(How to set up your room to enhance student success)

● Physical boundaries○ carpet time - hula hoop, carpet square, duct

tape, shapes on carpet, bumpy cushion

● Physical boundaries○ desk/table arrangement - work area

Room Arrangement Strategies(How to set up your room to enhance student success)

Video of workstation in the classroom

Work Time Strategies(How to get your student to sit down and attend to a work task)

● Timer - placed on student’s desk

● Color/Number Countdown Card (red = work, yellow = almost done, green = done)

Work Time Strategies(How to get your student to sit down and attend to a work task)

● First - Then Visual Cue

Work Time Strategies(How to get your student to sit down and attend to a work task)

● Bumper Sticker - positive directives, pretaught, located on desk, gestural prompts replace verbal prompts

Work Time Strategies(How to get your student to sit down and attend to a work task)

● Incredible 5 Point Scale - provides visual representation of social behaviors, emotions and abstract ideas

Work Time Strategies(How to get your student to sit down and attend to a work task)

● Work Baskets/Tubs/Folder - organize work material

Work Time Strategies(How to get your student to sit down and attend to a work task)

● Fidgets - Koosh Ball, Theraband on legs of chair

Video of fidget bags

Work Time Strategies(How to get your student to sit down and attend to a work task)

● Quiet/Sensory Area - bean bag chair, rocking chair, noise blocking headphones

Transition Strategies(How to get your student to from one activity to the next, one classroom to another, school to home, unexpected activities )

● Schedules○ Sequencing the day - picture order of large

activities, can do AM and PM

Video of various schedules

Transition Strategies(How to get your student to from one activity to the next, one classroom to another, school to home, unexpected activities )

● Schedules○ Sequencing an activity- picture order of each

step to a task

Transition Strategies(How to get your student to from one activity to the next, one classroom to another, school to home, unexpected activities )

● Change card - teach student what the card means before a real change in the schedule

Transition Strategies(How to get your student to from one activity to the next, one classroom to another, school to home, unexpected activities )

● Pictures on a ring -receptive cue cards

Transition Strategies(How to get your student to from one activity to the next, one classroom to another, school to home, unexpected activities )

● Wait Card - “Waiting Chair” by the door

Communication Strategies(How to increase receptive and expressive communication)

● Choices - two handed, objects, pictures, text

Communication Strategies(How to increase receptive and expressive communication)

● Activity based communication boards

Communication Strategies(How to increase receptive and expressive communication)

● Communication Systems - light tech, high tech

Do you want more info about AAC?

ncaca.info$25 membership fee

Resources and Referenceswww.icontalk.com - trifold visualswww.ocali.org - resources, learning modules, incredible 5 point scalewww.boardmakershare.com- premade visuals, core/fringe bookwww.mayer-johnson.com 1-800-588-4548www.paulakluth.com - inclusive schooling resourceswww.praacticalaac.org - Carol Zangari’s blog. Awesome!http://cmatt.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/Notebook+Comm+Systems - core/fringe flip bookwww.ncaca.info - NC Augmentative Comm AssociationVisual Supports for Students with Autism - Eastern Upper Peninsula Autism Grant Team January, 2005

Questions?