Presentation from AGOSCI 2022 around implementing 3D core vocabulary symbols with a student who uses AAC

1. CORE VOCABULARY & TANGIBLE SYMBOLS:
A CASE STUDY
LEE MURRAY, SALISBURY PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
JANE FARRALL, JANE FARRALL CONSULTING

2. SALISBURY PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
¡ Mainstream School in northern Adelaide
¡ 188 students from diverse cultural backgrounds
¡ Low socioeconomic urban area
¡ Significant numbers of students on One Plans in every classroom
¡ Jacaranda Unit setup to support students with disabilities

3. AAC @ SALISBURY PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL
¡ Large number of students with Complex Communication Needs (CCN)
¡ Majority of students have a PODD Communication system – electronic and non-electronic
¡ Small number of students with Proloquo2Go
¡ Staff have had significant training in PODD and AAC, including alternate access
¡ High level of AAC expertise in school when Ryder started
¡ Have been working with Jane Farrall for 8 years
¡ Implementing comprehensive literacy instruction and robust AAC for all students

4. RYDER
¡ Teen with severe vision impairment (blind), autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability
¡ He also has complex communication needs
¡ Ryder uses a few words, very inconsistently.
¡ He also hums the tunes of top 40s hits – not interested in children’s songs!
¡ Ryder has worked out a system of navigation through clapping and auditory feedback
(echolocation)

5. RYDER ON THE MOVE

6. RYDER PRE-SALISBURY PARK
¡ Ryder attended Kilparrin Teaching and Assessment School for his early primary school years
¡ Kilparrin is a specialist school for students with sensory impairment (vision impairment and/or
Deaf or Hard of Hearing) and additional disabilities
¡ During this time Ryder also worked with a speech pathologist, Janelle Sampson, from Two Way
Street, who developed an auditory only partner assisted scanning system (PAS) for him
¡ Also in the early period of this implementation, Jane was working with Kilparrin and supporting
this system
¡ Kilparrin already had a number of students using PAS
¡ Ryder had the best possible team supporting him with his system J

7. RYDER’S AUDITORY ONLY PAS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
System is double sided Front Back

8. PARTNER ASSISTED SCANNING
¡ As part of learning partner assisted scanning, Ryder’s school team also agreed on a yes/no
response for him to use
¡ Included tactile yes and no symbols
¡ Staff wore these on a lanyard

9. RYDER @ SALISBURY PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL (SPPS)
¡ Ryder moved to SPPS in 2019
¡ Auditory only PAS communication system still being used (3 years of modelling)
¡ Ryder wasn’t using the system expressively
¡ Was able to use his yes/no symbols for high interest, routine based responses e.g. “do you want
a drink?”, ”do you want to go on the swing?”, ”do you want to go outside?”
¡ He gave minimal or no response to speech from others in most situations

10. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT CORE
¡ Grant directed by the Centre for Literacy and Disability Studies
¡ Aims to “empower teachers and classroom professionals to deliver access to a Universal Core
vocabulary and communication instruction during the naturally occurring academic and daily
routines of the school day.”
¡ Also aims to “improve the academic achievement of students with significant cognitive
disabilities as evidenced by gains in their communication and literacy skills, and ultimately in
their end-of-year assessments.”
¡ Not aimed to replace a highly customised individualised AAC system – but instead to provide a
system for students who don’t have one, or who don’t have a well-designed system
www.project-core.com

11. PROJECT CORE
¡ Uses “Universal Core”
¡ 36 single words that can be used alone or in combination to communicate
¡ Available in several formats with different symbol sets:
¡ Direct pointing
¡ Eye gaze selection
¡ Partner assisted scanning
¡ High contrast versions available for students with visual impairments and 3D symbols for
students who are blind
www.project-core.com

12. PROJECT CORE
Some of the options available from
https://www.project-core.com/

13. UNIVERSAL CORE VOCABULARY – 3D SYMBOLS
¡ Remove some of the historic problems with tangible/tactile symbols
¡ In the past, once a symbol was developed it was very difficult to replicate it in the same way –
needs to have same weight, size, feel and details
¡ 3D printing removes that difficulty
¡ 3D printed symbols sized to eliminate choking risk as well
Example tactile symbols from
https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/using-tactile-symbols-support-communication/

14. RYDER & 3D UNIVERSAL CORE SYMBOLS

15. SYSTEM VERSION #1
¡ Started with the first three symbols as recommended
¡ The symbols had a hook at the top so hung them on a
lanyard
¡ Were concerned about ease of printing and strength of loop
¡ In the end – no problems!
¡ Printed in white because... that was the only colour filament
Lee had left
¡ Later printed in fluoro yellow

16. WHAT WE LEARNED FROM VERSION #1
¡ Need a long trial to determine if they are working – third school term of trial before he started
responding
¡ Symbols were floating in space when used with lanyard
¡ Difficult to find and manage the symbols in a timely manner
¡ Motor planning???

17. SYSTEM VERSION #2.1
¡ Glued symbols onto black Coreflute board
¡ Symbols now presented in a static arrangement
¡ This offered consistent motor planning and location for each interaction
¡ Added a tactile cue at the bottom for finding/navigating to the starting position
Version 2.1

18. SYSTEM VERSION #2.2
Version 2.2

19. WHAT WE LEARNED FROM VERSION #2
¡ Much easier for staff to manage a solid board rather than necklace of symbols
¡ Faster to model and guide the use of the symbols
¡ Made communication faster and more efficient
¡ Ryder was beginning to demonstrate intentional movements towards certain symbols
¡ Moved hand towards the right when wanting more swing
¡ Did not move hand when communicating refusal.
¡ Did not take long to learn to slide his hand/finger across the tactile cue at the bottom then move up to
the symbols
¡ Starting to see increased receptive language when using the symbols.
¡ Ryder began to position his hand ready for the communication system when adults began
talking to him

20. RYDER & VERSION #2

21. RYDER & VERSION #2

22. SYSTEM VERSION #3
¡ Ryder now responding to all three of the original symbols
¡ Reprinted in recommended colours to be consistent with original design (universal system)
¡ Increased his system to four symbols

23. SYSTEM VERSION #3.1

24. SYSTEM VERSION #3.2
¡ Project Core website suggests to add the most useful symbol so……
¡ Team discussion about adding the symbol for “more” as we felt that gave the system more
flexibility
¡ Added to the same row as original three

25. SYSTEM VERSION #3.2

26. UNIVERSAL SYSTEM – KEEP IT UNIVERSAL
¡ Don’t modify the symbols!
¡ Modifications may make the symbols difficult to replicate
¡ Colours didn’t assist Ryder but assisted staff
¡ New versions of symbols have a channel rather than loop

27. 2020 & 2021
¡ Increased to 8 symbols, two rows of four
¡ Added second row of symbols
¡ Team discussion about which symbols to add
¡ Based on what we thought would provide most opportunities to model
¡ Also based on what we felt would give him the most expressive language for the future

28. SYSTEM VERSION #4

29. 2020 & 2021
¡ Second row very successful receptively
¡ Ryder began using system expressively in highly structured and/or familiar situations
¡ Staff attributed meaning to his use of system
¡ Lots of use of expectant pauses to encourage use of system
¡ COVID interfered with us getting all the videos we wanted to L

30. SYSTEM VERSION #4 IN ACTION

31. SYSTEM VERSION #5
¡ Didn’t happen due to COVID
¡ Plans were:
¡ Add extra pages
¡ Speak with Dr Karen Erickson & Project Core team about possibility of flattening symbols
¡ Recent conversation with Karen:
¡ Now working with American Printing House for the Blind to create sets that teachers in the U.S. can
access as part of their national system supporting kids with VI and Deafblindness
¡ They are using injection molding instead of 3D printing, which improves the Braille quality, but will mean
design changes to the textures on the perimeter

32. WHERE TO FROM HERE?
¡ Ryder has now finished at SPPS
¡ Lee is staying in contact with his mum
¡ Ryder’s mum sent a photo of him using it at his new school

33. AAC & RYDER– FUTURE THOUGHTS
¡ Once Ryder understood how the first three symbols worked, he was able to expand to more
symbols much more quickly – which is why we already had plans for version #5
¡ We’re very aware that 3D symbols currently not available as a robust system
¡ Discussions are happening in the US about how to print a tactile system that’s more
manageable and portable with more symbols
¡ As Ryder’s receptive language develops, there’s potential for him to return to using PAS or to
use a combination 3D and PAS system