Moving from Talking with Pictures to Speaking with
Words and Sound
It often becomes obvious that a nonverbal
student becomes frustrated when he/she wants to convey a message and the
appropriate vocabulary is not available on his/her manual communication
board(s). Also, the board(s) become limited in the amount of information
they can convey when they are filled with pictures. Pictures are often
used to convey only a single message. Words, on the other hand, can be
strung together to form more complete sentences and complex thoughts, as
well as enhance literacy skills. I find it absolutely necessary to move
the student from pictures to words (or a combination of both) on manual
communication boards to eventually an electronic voice output device. When
the student is ready for a device that has voice output - a whole new world
has opened up for them - they can now "speak" so others can hear them.
While using manual communication boards, they have to make sure that they
have the attention of a communicative partner focused on their board. This
is not always easy to do, especially in a classroom. (Some electronic voice
output devices have the ability to change the voice in order to match that
of a speaking child the user's age as well as change to more mature voices
as the student ages.)
Goals and Objectives:
a) To determine the necessary, frequently used vocabulary on
a student's manual communication board(s) and develop an assessment tool
b) To replace Mayer-Johnson picture symbols with words on student's
c) To move the student from manual communication boards to an
The assessment process should be on-going as
the needs (vocabulary) of the student changes with time. Speech services
are provided during 30 - 45 minute intervals from 2 - 3 times per week.
It is suggested that this assessment should be done at least once during
Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills:
The student has demonstrated
ease, frequent and appropriate use and a comfort level in using his/her
manual communication boards.
Speech therapy room or classroom.
Interdisciplinary Areas: Reading, Communication, ESL
- Teacher created assessment: Data sheet created
in ClarisWorks assessing the students ability to match words and pictures
and identify words without the pictures. See attachment
- Strips of Mayer-Johnson picture symbols (without the words), laminated
and cut. [These pictures and words should be taken from the student's preexisting
manual communication board(s) so they are familiar to the student - logs
have been kept to determine the most frequently used vocabulary. Log created
in ClarisWorks. See attachment #2]. The size should
be 1 - 2 inches depending on the visual abilities of the student. Strips
of the corresponding words, laminated and cut.
- A thin strip of (hard) velcro should be placed behind each picture
at the top. A thin strip of (soft) velcro should be placed above each word
at the top.
- Ask the student to give a requested word by lifting
it off the picture. (The student is initially allowed to look under the
words at the pictures if necessary).
- Ask the student to match the word to the picture by velcroing (putting)
the word back on the picture.
- Ask the student to give the requested word. This time the words
should not be near the pictures but arranged on the table randomly.
** The therapist or teacher is recording the data throughout this activity. See
Homework: A ditto will be sent home in which the student has
to draw a line from the word to the picture using that day's assessed vocabulary.
Homework created in ClarisWorks using Mayer-Johnson picture symbols from
Boardmaker. See attachment #3
- At the beginning of the next speech
session the student will be asked to give requested words as part of a
- The speech therapist will convert the "old" communication board
to one filled of words as the student masters them.
- Once the student has developed ease with his/her new communication
board - a referral will be made for an electronic voice output device.
Most schools have programmatic devices in which students share them in
the classroom and throughout daily activities. These devices should be
used as part of the initial assessment. [An initial assessment must be
done in order to determine what type of device is appropriate. Different
states and schools have different procedures regarding referral and assessment
of devices. For helpful hints to get started you can contact me.]
It is important to have all staff members working
with the student (classroom teacher, paraprofessionals, OT, PT, coverage
teachers, and administration) as well as the student's parents and close
family members as involved as much as possible. Input from different professionals
and family members can only enhance the student's achievement and success.
When your student finally gets an electronic voice
output device don't be surprised if you find yourself telling the student
"Shh, it's time for quiet." The
excitement is overwhelming once the student learns he/she finally has
a voice and he/she wants you to hear it!
Success in learning and using these devices is also determined when
the student turns from having mostly adults as their primary communicative
partners to seeking out other students in their classes as well as peers
in the general education settings. The logs from home also help the therapist
and teacher see how their language blossoms from the usual requests for
food or toys to more socially appropriate and needed expressions. For example,
a child who has never been able to verbally tell her mother that she loves
her is now able to do so by activating one "button" or "cell" on
her device: "Mommy, I love you!" Many parents have reported that
such phrases as these bring tears to their eyes because they have longed
for their child to "speak" for so many years. That alone makes it worth
all of the time and effort that everyone involved has contributed!
A communication board
is a means of communication used by individuals who are nonverbal, unintelligible,
recovering from strokes, or those who cannot verbally convey
their wants, needs, etc. The boards usually consist of one or more of the
following: picture symbols combined with words, words alone, the alphabet, and
numbers. The individual using a communication board points to the message they
want to convey and for those physically impaired, a switch, light/head pointer,
etc. is designed to meet their needs.