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aac: content - words, phrases, sentences

"The infinite use of finite media distinguishes the human brain from virtually all the artificial language devices we commonly come across, like pull string dolls, cars that nag you to close the door, and cheery voicemail instructions - all of which use a fixed list of pre-fabricated sentences" Steve Pinker, The Language Instinct. From just 26 letters or an AAC symbol set - 1,000's of words...

There are good reasons for using pre-stored messages sometimes, but you can only make it up as you go along if you have access to individual words.

Children with language and physical difficulties express themselves through behaviours, eye-pointing, and whatever gestures they are able to make, at first.

As soon as you realise what is meant by a child's glance, behaviour or gesture, it's time to teach the child that word on its AAC system, and give it in print.

Some children start with real objects and progress to photos then single meaning pictures, more iconistic symbols, and words.

We all use the same 250 words for 80% of what we say. A three year old uses these words, and the AAC child derserves access to the same.

NOthing against noUNs, but

'Can we just focus on NOUNS and adjectives?'

 

'What? To the exclusion of

CORE WORDS?

NOt on Ur Nelly...'

One way to learn vocabulary selection skills on behalf of an AAC user would be to choose words from Gail Van Tatenhove's 36-word early communication board and move up in stages to using all the words from her NLDAAC and Starter Vocabulary articles, or her Colour Word Board, divided, linked and paged according to your encoding arrangement and space constraints. Brown's Stages gives examples of 9 word types in the order that children first use them. Language development, and core words lists from language samples here.