GLP meets AAC
After we’ve identified the client’s strengths by understanding why they communicate, existing language repertoire and predominant stages, it is important to see how the AAC can fit into the Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) world. Consider these questions to see if your GLP child’s AAC system is the right match!
“Are there concerns regarding their vision, hearing or fine motor skills”?
“What ways are they communicating that can be supported using an AAC software (i.e.videos, maps)?”
“Are they able to read?”
Depending on where your child is in terms of their NLA stages, their AAC software might look a little different. Let’s see some examples! If your child is mainly in
Example: “If you’re happy and you know it” could be placed in the ‘toy’ folder if it’s related to a specific activity or the “my phrase” folder if it’s used across contexts!
Stage 2: Consider adding a ‘pop up’ to model mixing and matching or model mitigations on the source page as the original gestalt.
Example: “If you’re happy and you know it” could be placed in the ‘toy’ folder if it’s related to a specific activity or the “my phrase” folder if it’s used across contexts!
Stage 3: Focus will be on nouns, attributes and location. Support referential knowledge!
Using the templated vocabulary organization location for symbols might work well at this stage. Features like Color-coded keys and single-meaning pictures can be used to support the understanding and organization for all the new ’freed’ words.
Stage 4: Use of original sentences where supports are shifting towards promoting grammar and complex sentence-formulation!
Consider the use of verb-tense markers (i.e.Sally runs), negation (i.e. Tom is not running), articles (i.e. a bus), pronouns (i.e. he loves it) and conjunctions (i.e. chocolate and caramel).
