AAC Coaching Strategies Toolkit for Professionals Working with Latin/x Families
Toolkit Created By:
Gloria Soto, PhD, Jennifer Vega, Lisa Rodriguez and Emily Alayan
San Francisco State University
Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences
Department of Special Education
About the Toolkit
What is AAC
Wait Time
What is Coaching
Modeling
Prompting
Caregiver Feedback
Responsivity
Environmental Arrangement
Click here:
Table of contents
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
About the Toolkit
What is AAC?
What is Coaching?
Modeling
Prompting
Caregiver Feedback
Responsivity
Environmental Arrangements
Wait Time & Expectant Delay
1. About The Toolkit
About the Toolkit
The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Coaching Strategies Toolkit for Professionals is a collection of free AAC resources in Spanish to be shared with families at the start of their AAC journey.
Coaching families to integrate AAC at home is a career-long commitment—new techniques emerge, children grow, and the strengths and needs of each family evolve. With each change comes the opportunity for ongoing learning.
The toolkit includes articles, videos, and worksheets describing six common AAC facilitation strategies (i.e., modeling, prompting, caregiver feedback, responsivity, environmental arrangements, and wait time/expectant delay) in Spanish.
How to use the Toolkit & Learning Objectives
Learn About AAC
You will review the definition and components of AAC.
Define Coaching
You will review the definition of coaching and why it is essential with families who use AAC.
Coaching Strategies
You will review the definitions of six coaching strategies
Select Your Resources
Under each coaching strategy section you will find a variety of resources (i.e. handouts, videos, articles) to select from.
2.
What is AAC?
What is AAC?
AAC includes a variety of tools, strategies, and methods that provide access to communication. With AAC, there are unaided and aided forms of communication.
Resource: DrawntoAAC https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/drawn-to-aac
Aided AAC
Unaided AAC
Sign Language
Gesture
Facial Expression
Eye-gaze
Tablet / Text-to-speech
Paper based AAC
The AAC Continuum
Forms of AAC:
Enhances Quality of Life
Provides access to communication
Facilitating Communication
AAC provides access to a variety of tools and strategies to support interactions.
AAC provides the child with more opportunities for social interactions and increases their independence with the support of their team.
AAC helps provide children and families with access to communication that go beyond requesting. Children are able to express their needs, ideas, and thoughts.
What’s the Purpose of AAC?
Know the Components to your Child’s AAC
1. Persons
A part of AAC is ensuring that the the child and family feel supported. Professionals and families should be aware of who to contact if you have any questions regarding the child’s AAC (e.g., personalizing, coaching, troubleshooting etc).
2. AAC System
Make note of the child’s AAC system. This includes type of device, application, vocabulary, case or password.
3. Symbols & Cultural Representation
Identify if the symbols on the device incorporate a representation of objects, pictures, written words, videos or word search. This will be helpful in identifying any symbols that need to be changed to fit your family and culture.
The components to AAC vary but these are the 5 components that every caregiver should be familiar with as a communication partner for their child with AAC
Some Components to AAC Cont’d:
5. Vocabulary, Languages, & Voices
Become familiar with the collection of vocabulary such as words, symbols, languages and voices that are programmed into the child’s AAC that are used for communication.
Check for bilingual options that represent the home language.
SLP, personalization , and families should work closely to identify individualized needs for the AAC.
4. Access
Describes how the child is accessing or selecting on their AAC. This may include the child selecting with their finger, hand, eye, head, feet etc. Access also refers to having the AAC system available at all times in a location that is accessible.
However, the possibilities are endless! To find the best access method for the child work collaboratively with the Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), caregiver, technology specialist, and child.
Summary
In short, AAC can be broken down into augmentative and alternative.
Augmentative: Adding to the child’s current communication abilities.
Alternative: Through tools, strategies, and access to aided or unaided forms of AAC, the person will then build onto their communication skills.
Communication: Includes all modalities and languages the child uses and understands. To help encourage interactions. With AAC, the role of both communication partners are important as we are also considering the role of the person who is using AAC and the role of the supporting communication partner.
AUGMENTATIVE
ALTERNATIVE
AAC
COMMUNICATION
Now let’s go over
Six AAC Facilitation Strategies
In the following sections of the toolkit you will have access to six AAC facilitation strategies for coaching families with resources that are FREE! These materials can be viewed at your own pace.
These 6 coaching strategies are typically included in parent training programs in AAC. They are meant to help encourage communication between you and your child who uses AAC. The coaching strategies include AAC:
AUGMENTATIVE
ALTERNATIVE
AAC
COMMUNICATION
3.
What is Coaching?
What is Coaching?
Learning how to communicate with a child with CCNs who uses AAC is not intuitive and requires caregivers to acquire skills that go beyond and above those required in communicating with a speaking child (Romski & Sevcik, 2005; Senner et al., 2019; as cited in Soto & Vega, 2024).
Parent coaching by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) has become an essential part of AAC intervention for children with CCNs (Nordlund & Fäldt, 2023; Romski et al., 2010, 2023; Shire and Jones, 2014; as cited in Soto & Vega, 2024).
Coaching is a partnership between clinicians and families that supports the cultural and linguistic needs of the individual child and the family, which enhances and strengthens communication.
Child
Family
SLP
AAC
Coaching
Why Coaching and AAC?
Children with CCNs who use AAC, requires caregivers to acquire skills to support their communication within the home environment.
Coaching provides opportunities for both families and SLPs to strategize on ways to model, prompt, and communicate with their child using AAC.
Coaching is personalized to address individualized family needs and goals.
Coaching can take on a variety of formats: group, individual, online, etc. Clinicians should communicate with families to determine what format is best for their individualized needs.
Child
Family
SLP
AAC
Coaching
4. Modeling
How to use the Modeling Section
& Learning Objectives
Learn about AAC + Modeling
Review Resources
Select Your Resources
COACH!
AAC Modeling
AAC Modeling refers to when the communication partner speaks while simultaneously pointing to a word or word combination on the child's AAC system without expectation (e.g., Allen et al., 2017; Biggs et al., 2018; Sennot et al., 2016).
Modeling is also referred to augmented input," "natural aided language," "aided language modeling," "aided language stimulation," "point talking," or "speaking and pointing," however they all refer to modeling language on the AAC to your child.
Simplified:
By modeling on your child’s AAC device, you are showing where the words are and how they can be used in interaction. You do this by pointing to some key words and speaking as you normally would.
Handouts
Bilingue AAC “Free Bilingual Español/English Handout Bundle
"Modelar sin expectativas es..." Modeling without expectations looks like - Spanish Translation by Claudia Marimon - The AAC Coach
"Estrategia: Referencia Verbal - Di lo Que Ves" Verbal Referencing - Spanish Translation by Claudia Marimon.pdf The AAC Coach
Videos
Parents Helping Parents: “Comunicación aumentativa y alternativa, aprenda a hablar CAA”
YouTube Sarah L “Spanish Bilingual AAC modeling”
YouTube lcpsat: “SPANISH Aided Language Stimulation Explained
YouTube Virtual Webinar Training by Tobiidynavox “Cómo enseñar la CAA: La magia del modelado (2021)”
Blog Articles
ArSHA: “Bilingual AAC Resources to Promote Family Buy-In”
Assistiveware “Empezar a Modelar”
Assistiveware “Los SÍ y NO de la CAA: Modelado”
“Modela la CAA” by Hablo con CAA
5. Prompting
How to use the Prompting Section & Learning Objectives
Learn about Prompting
Review Resources
Select Your Resources
COACH!
AAC Prompting
AAC Prompting: Communication partners encourage or elicit a response from the child by asking questions, offering contingent comments on what the child is doing, or presenting them with choices between possible responses (Biggs et al., 2018; Biggs et al., 2019; Cooper et al., 2021; Simacek et al., 2018)
.
Simplified: AAC prompting is providing the individual with supports to help encourage communication through verbal, visual, tactile, or physical prompts. These prompts are slowly faded to increase independence.
Handouts
"CAA: Cómo lo hago... Indicaciones y pistas" Prompts-Cues - Spanish Translation by Claudia Marimon - The AAC Coach
TpT Prompt Hierarchy (English and Spanish) by Deanna Johnson
"Còmo lo hago... Enseñar a Comentar" Teaching Commenting - Spanish Translation by Claudia Marimon - The AAC Coach
Principios de las Buenas Prácticas y de los Sistemas de CAA Principio 3 CAA
Videos
Tobii Dynavox: Hacerle preguntas a Manuel y ofrecerle opciones
Comunicación sin barreras. Sistemas aumentativos y alternativos de comunicación.
Blog Articles
Hablo con CAA: “REPENSAR LA JERARQUÍA DE PETICIONES EN LA CAA (AAC PROMPTING HIERARCHY) EN LA APRAXIA SEVERA” �
Assitiveware: Los SÍ y NO de la CAA: Preguntas
Habla con CAA: Más que pedir. Una semana de rutinas para incrementar el uso de la CAA en las comidas
6. Caregiver Feedback
How to use the Caregiver Feedback Section & Learning Objectives
Learn about Caregiver Feedback
Review Resources
Select Your Resources
COACH!
AAC Caregiver Feedback
AAC Caregiver Feedback: includes adding to what the individual has said. This is done through verbal and visual feedback, recasts, and expansions with AAC.
�(Binger et al., 2008; Douglas et al., 2017, 2018, 2022; Pilesjö & Norén, 2021).
Simplified: Acknowledging that the individual has made a communicative intent using their AAC and multi-modal modalities and then providing feedback to facilitate language and expansions.
Handouts
"Estrategia: Lenguaje Declarativo" Declarative Language - Spanish Translation by Claudia Marimon - The AAC Coach
"Implementación de CAA Estrategia: Repetición con Variedad" Repetition with Variety - Spanish Translation by Claudia Marimon - The AAC Coach
"CAA y Comentarios que Retroalimentan" Informative Feedback - Spanish Translation by Claudia Marimon - The AAC Coach
Estrategias Para La Estimulación De Lenguaje - Bilingüe AAC
Videos
Youtube: “Método alternativo de comunicación SAAC” - Walker Center
Youtube: “Modelado por pares-conversando con Clara” -Clara habla con CAA
Instagram: @ comunicandoconoriol
“Multimodalidad al poder💪” -
Blog Articles
“Desarrollar las habilidades del interlocutor” - AssistiveWare�
“Cómo ser un buen compañero o compañera de comunicación” - Begoña LLoréns Macián
“Estrategias y trucos” - COMUNICÁNDOME CON ORIOL
7. Responsivity
How to use the Responsivity Section & Learning Objectives
Learn about Responsivity
Review Resources
Select Your Resources
COACH!
Responsivity
Responsivity: The manifestation of sensitivity and attentiveness to the child's communicative signals, and responding to them promptly and appropriately (Ainsworth et al., 1978, cited Koren-Karie et al., 2002).
Simplified:
Noticing when a child communicates and responding quickly in a helpful way.
Handouts
“Funciones de la comunicación y la CAA: Enseñanza de comentarios” -NWACS
“Metedo MUECAA” pdf Carla Bernat Borrega
Página 32
“El taller de consejos básicos para la implementación de SAAC”
Página #20-21- Qinera/BJ Adaptaciones�
Videos
YouTube: “¡Aprendiendo a usar mi SAAC!” - Amelia Gonzalez
Responde a los intereses del niño
EMT en Español Taller 2
YouTube: Paso a Paso con la CAA: De la Teoría a la Práctica [13:13-14:46]
Blog Articles
AssistiveWare “Participar e interactuar”
“Intervención para fomentar la comunicación en un aula de infantes con necesidades complejas de la comunicación (NCC) mediante sistemas aumentativos y/o alternativos de la comunicación (SAAC)” - Carla Bernat Borrega | Página 50.
8. Environmental Arrangements
How to use the Environmental Arrangements Section & Learning Objectives
Learn about Environmental Arrangements
Review Resources
Select Your Resources
COACH!
Environmental Arrangements
Environmental Arrangements: Modifying the physical environment to promote interaction, create opportunities, and encourage the child to communicate within the context of everyday routines and with familiar materials (Kaiser & Wright, 2013; Sack & McLean, 1997).
Simplified:�Setting up the space and materials around a child to help them communicate and interact more easily during daily activities.
Handouts
“Participó activamente de mi entorno” - Aprendo en Casa; Ministro de Educación Perú
"Implementación de CAA: Estrategia: Siga el liderazgo de su alumno" Follow Their Lead Spanish Translation by Claudia Marimon - The AAC Coach
“24 CAA Actividades Español” por Amanda Hartmann
Videos
YouTube: “Implementar CAA en entornos Naturales” by ADIPA
YouTube: “Implementación de la CAA en la vida cotidiana” by
Tobii Dynavox® en Español
Facebook: “Enseñar al entorno del usuario de CAA a integrar, normalizar e incluir el uso del dispositivo en el entorno natural…” by La Fábrica De Palabras
Blog Articles
“Sistemas alternativos y aumentativos de comunicación (S.A.A.C.)” - ConecTEA
“Barrera: diferentes SAACs en un mismo entorno” - AssistiveWare
"Tener acceso constante a CAA" - AssistiveWare
9.
Wait Time and Expectant Delay
How to use the Wait Time & Expectant Delay Section & Learning Objectives
Learn about Wait Time & Expectant Delay
Review Resources
Select Your Resources
COACH!
Wait Time and Expectant Delay
Wait Time: Pausing to provide extra processing time for the child to respond and navigate through their AAC system (see Sun et al., 2023 for an extensive review on wait time).
Expectant Delay: Pausing with an expectant look which can signal an opportunity for communication and an expectation for a response (e.g., Binger et al., 2008).
�Simplified:
Pausing to give the child time to respond with their AAC system, while showing that you're waiting for their reply.
Handouts/Presentations
“Los Sistemas Alternativos y Aumentativos de Comunicación” pdf
Pagina #6 - Edka.es
“El taller de consejos básicos para la implementación de SAAC”
Página #6- Qinera/BJ Adaptaciones�
Presentation: “APOYOS PARA LA EXPRESIÓN” Plena Inclusion; Laura Velayos
“ÍNDICE DE CONTENIDOS” pdf
Pagina #15-16 -
comunicación
Asociación del Síndrome de Angelman
�
Videos
Tobii Dynavox: Cómo ser el mejor compañero comunicativo para una persona que usa CAA
(16:41-20:30)
Estimulemos el lenguaje: Autismo l ACTIVIDADES DE LENGUAJE l Mi terapia con Ximena
Tobii Dynavox: Estrategias de enseñanza y CAA 2023 - Modere las ayudas (21:40-24:05)
Blog Articles
Padlet: Principios de las Buenas Prácticas y de los Sistemas de CAA by Jenny Reyes
Assistiveware “SÍ y NO de la CAA - Tiempo de espera”
Instagram -Comunicacionnatural
“Hoy te traemos 5 estrategias de #assistiveware para ser un buen compañero de comunicación para personas que usan CAA (Comunicación Aumentativa y Alternativa)! 💬✨”
Assistiveware “Barrera: no te rindas antes de tiempo”
Thank you!
Do you have any questions email?
Dr. Gloria Soto gsoto@sfsu.edu
Some images and icons were available from Canva and Pexels.com/@nicola-barts
CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik
References
Allen, A. A., Schlosser, R. W., Brock, K. L., & Shane, H. C. (2017). The effectiveness of aided augmented input techniques for persons with developmental disabilities: A systematic review. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 33(3), 149-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2017.1338752
Biggs, E. E., Carter, E. W., & Gilson, C. B. (2018). Systematic review of interventions involving aided AAC modeling for children with complex communication needs. American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 123(5), 443-473. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-123.5.443
Biggs, E. E., Carter, E. W., & Gilson, C. B. (2019). A Scoping Review of the involvement of children’s communication partners in aided augmentative and alternative communication modeling interventions. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 28(2), 743–758. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_AJSLP-18-0024
Binger, C., Kent-Walsh, J., Berens, J., Del Campo, S., & Rivera, D. (2008). Teaching Latino parents to support the multi-symbol message productions of their children who require AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 24(4), 323–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434610802130978
Cooper, B., Soto, G., & Clarke, M. T. (2021). Prompting for repair as a language teaching strategy for augmentative and alternative communication. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 37(4), 251–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2021.1979648
*Douglas, S. N., Nordquist, E., Kammes, R., & Gerde, H. (2017). Online parent training to support children with complex communication needs. Infants & Young Children, 30(4), 288–303. https://doi.org/10.1097/IYC.0000000000000101
*Douglas, S. N., Kammes, R., & Nordquist, E. (2018). Online communication training for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 39(3), 415–425. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525740117727491
Douglas, S. N., Dunkel-Jackson, S., Sun, T., & Owusu, P. (2022). A review of research related to the POWR intervention: A communication partner intervention to support children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 9(2), 45–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-022-00244-6
References
Kaiser, A., & Wright, C. (2013). Enhanced Milieu Teaching: incorporating AAC into naturalistic teaching with young children and their partners. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 22(1), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.1044/aac22.1.37
Koren-Karie, N., Oppenheim, D., Dolev, S., Sher, E., & Etzion-Carasso, A. (2002). Mothers' insightfulness regarding their infants' internal experience: relations with maternal sensitivity and infant attachment. Developmental psychology, 38(4), 534-542. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0012-1649.38.4.534
Pilesjö, M. S., & Norén, N. (2019). Facilitators' use of a communication device following children's aided turns in everyday interaction. Journal of Interactional Research in Communication Disorders, 10(1).
Sack, S. H., & McLean, L. K. (1997). Training communication partners: The new challenge for communication disorders professionals supporting persons with severe disabilities. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 12(3), 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1177/108835769701200303
Sennott, S. C., Light, J. C., & McNaughton, D. (2016). AAC modeling intervention research review. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 41(2), 101-115. https://doi.org/10.1177/1540796916638822
Simacek, J., Pennington, B., Reichle, J., & Parker-McGowan, Q. (2018). Aided AAC for people with severe to profound and multiple disabilities: A systematic review of interventions and treatment intensity. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 2, 100-115.
Soto, G., & Vega, J. (2024). Designing cultural adaptations of caregiver-implemented interventions for Latinx caregivers of children who use augmentative and alternative communication: Key considerations. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 33(5), 2266–2279.
https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_ajslp-24-00101
Sun, T., Bowles, R., Douglas, S. N., & Plavnick, J. (2023). Response time of young children with complex communication needs following a communication opportunity. Exceptional Children, 90(1), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/00144029221146574
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