It’s hard to stay ‘big picture’ when working with students with
Complex Communication Needs. All too often we pursue a series of small, quick
fixes’ as opposed to planning long range systems that are building toward a
‘bigger something’. Ideally we need to
be putting in place logical, ‘big picture’ systems that ‘chip away’ at the challenge
over time and achieve long lasting results by virtue of the relentless
consistency with which these strategies are applied across activities. Whether
we realize it or not, we’ve all signed up for the marathon … not the hundred
yard dash.
The Animated Step-by-Steps Approach is definitely a marathon
approach targeting pre-kindergarten through Grade four across a broad range of
classroom activities: recipes, crafts, poems, songs, stories and science
projects. The implementation of a few
Animated Step-by-Steps each week, e.g. a song or poem during circle time, a
craft or recipe every Wednesday can go a long way toward reinforcing a
teacher’s existing literacy, language and AAC agenda.
I’m excited about doing a workshop on the topic of Animated Step-by-Steps™ for the staff
at the Imagine Academy for Autism
located in Brooklyn New York. The Imagine Academy is a unique program that
successfully integrates two commonly used approaches: Applied Behavioral
Analysis (ABA) and DIR®Floortime™.
To ensure the long-range success of their workshop
investment, the school will be receiving a full library of symbol-supported Animated Step-by-Steps™. Over 70 titles thus far! That number is sufficient in
variety to successfully ‘jump start’ implementation! With more titles being
added weekly, the Imagine Academy for
Autism is assured of offering their students a consistent long-range plan.
By design, the Animated Step-by-Steps™ are well suited for
‘playing to the strengths’ of children on the autism spectrum. Regardless of
whether you are presenting a recipe, craft, poem, song, story or science
project, the format is strikingly consistent across activities. For children on
the spectrum ‘sameness’ is good … ‘sameness; with just enough variation to keep
it interesting is even better as it helps nurture a willingness to accept
change within an overall framework that feels familiar. In addition to ‘cutting
across’ activities, the Animated Step-by-Steps™ allow educators to
simultaneously ‘cut across’ several classroom agendas: literacy, receptive language,
expressive language, English as a second language and of course last but not
least Augmentative/Alternative Communication. Animated Step-by-Steps always
provide simple text that is clearly supported with animated photos reflecting good
figure-ground differential, realistic sound effects and the picture symbols that
can help to familiarize students with the symbol set they need to master for
successful communication. In addition, as mentioned in a previous
post, there is a lot of incidental learning incorporated into the roster of
titles: pattern prediction, counting, skip counting, addition, subtraction,
fractions, multiplication, colors, clothing names, to list a few.
In addition to supporting a range of classroom activities, Animated Step-by-Steps™ can also accommodate
a range of display options. An
Animated Step-by-Step™ can be presented large on an interactive whiteboard
(allowing teachers to capitalize on the use of the pen tools), or they can be
displayed on a laptop for a smaller more intimate grouping of students on the
spectrum. With the advent of the Microsoft
PowerPoint app, they can also be presented on an iPad at a classroom
activity center or can be used by a speech-language pathologist or occupational
therapist to ‘prep’ a child in the therapy room for an upcoming group activity in
the classroom!
The Animated Step-by-Steps ™ were designed to capitalize on
the strengths of children with special needs, with children on
the spectrum being no exception. Given the fact that the Imagine
Academy likes to think ‘outside-the-box’, I’m looking forward to seeing
‘their therapeutic spin’ on using the existing library of Animated
Step-by-Steps™ to nurture academic growth in their students.
…’til the next post …
(new posts every Monday; become a follower)
© 2015 Carol
Goossens’, Ph. D.
Augmentative Communication Consultant
Speech-Language Pathologist
Special Educator
