Robin Hurd

Literacy for Children who use AAC
Part I

by Robin Hurd

Reading is one of the basics our kids are supposed to learn at school, but it’s also one of the key things a parent can help with at home. For most of us with verbal children, reading to them was pretty straightforward. We read bedtime stories, we read assigned homework from school. We listened while our child read to us, sometimes helping with a word here and there.

But for our children who are unable to speak, the whole thing changes. First of all, there is no speech for our kids to read out loud. Most of our children are learning to use AAC at the same time as they are working on reading skills, so our children are not fluent enough to read out loud to us on their AAC system, either. Many of our children aren’t able to turn the pages of a book by themselves, which limits chances to explore books independently. Add in positioning problems, and we may wish we were an octopus, to be able to juggle a child who needs physical support to sit with us, an AAC system, and a storybook!

So what’s a parent to do?

In this month’s article, I hope to offer some suggestions to other parents that I have gleaned from helpful experts in the field of literacy for kids with disabilities, other parents, and my own trial and error experiences. There are two main areas I will cover. First, positioning hints to help make reading together possible, and second, ways to support reading skills for kids who use AAC.

Positioning, positioning, positioning! Before we can read with our children, or they can read to themselves, we must have good positioning. Many of us have memories of reading with our parents as a snuggly time on the couch or sitting in bed, and we want that for our own kids, too. Trial-and-error is the key here, since each child’s needs are different. However, here are some suggestions. A couch or chair with high arms may be a good place for your child and you to enjoy a book together. We put the boys up against the high arms, and then sit next to them. A tight fit helps, too. Then your body serves as a support on one side, the high arms of the chair on the other. Pillows can be used for extra support, as well. I have also had good success calming wiggly bodies by sitting on a capsule ball (a cigar shaped ball used for yoga, etc.) next to a child. As we read the story we rock back and forth rhythmically, which seems to keep involuntary motion to a minimum. (We also do homework this way, on days when the bodies are hard to keep still.) Sitting in a special supportive chair, such as the child’s wheelchair, is also a good option. It may not feel as snuggly, but the added support may allow your child to focus on the book, without worrying about controlling the body. It is also a great place to allow use of the mounted AAC system or computer generated stories (which we will talk about next month).

Another key to positioning is to do what you can to free up your arms. A great way to get the book out of your hands is to use a music stand. Folding music stands can be found at your local music store for a reasonable price, and most include little wires that hold the pages open, so the book doesn’t shut while you are in the middle of the story! You might consider setting the book on a low table near you (especially if you are on the ball). It may even be possible to put the AAC system on the table, if you child can access well with an extended arm.

Once you find a good place to sit and read with your child, what are some specific things you can do to encourage your child’s reading skills?

The first thing to remember is that while your child learns to read, the path he or she will take will be different than that of a speaking child in one key way. Reading out loud will not be the first step. Let me explain. When a child learns to read, the goal is for a child to glide effortlessly from word to word, not stopping at each word to think about it, but moving fluently from word to word while understanding the whole sentence. Children who can speak fluently are able to learn to do this while they read out loud. An AAC user, however, must move his eyes from the book to the AAC system after each word, if reading aloud. This disrupts the flow of understanding and reduces the child to focusing on individual words, instead of the meaning of the whole sentence. In order to help our kids who use AAC to read for understanding, we must help them read in such a way that the flow of ideas is not interrupted. Our goal with a young AAC user is silent reading with comprehension.

Two key ways to encourage a child to read silently and understand what is read, are to encourage the child to hear her “voice in her head” as she reads, and to read with a specific focus.

Even children who cannot speak can learn to hear a voice in their heads as they read, or are read to. For some readers, this voice will be the voice of their AAC system, for others, it may be the voice of a parent, or their own special internal voice. All fluent readers, including those who can speak, hear this “voice in their head” as they read. When your child is beginning to read some words, show her a simple sentence and read it aloud. Then have the child read it with the voice in her head. Nod your head in time to the imaginary words you are hearing in your head, to demonstrate how you are listening to your own internal voice.

Reading with a specific focus is another way to encourage comprehension. Children must read a book 14 times in close succession to get all the good out of a story. This bit of research trivia explains why kids love to read the same story over and over, and then suddenly move on to something different! Each time you read that favorite story, you can focus on something new. Your child can predict what will happen next (never mind that he knows the story by heart!), make up a new ending, tell you whether or not he likes a character and why, tell you key words from the story on her AAC system, tell you how each of the characters in the story feels, etc. You can also spend time after the story having the child sum up what happened. Another fun idea if your child is a ham is to have them help you act out the story. My boys love to act out any story that has to do with a spinning wheel. Using our spinning wheel in the living room, they will choose who is to be what character, and act out the story with mom narrating as needed. If your family enjoys charades, this can be a good way to involve your child. Re-telling the story to another family member is also a great way to work on comprehension.

Some good books for kids are:

Trashy Town, by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha This rhyming book repeats the words, no, stop and yes. Great for a new user to practice on an AAC system.

How are you peeling? By Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. Carved veggies show emotions. Very cute!

Storm is Coming, by Heather Tekavec, illustrated by Margaret Spengler. The farm animals think Storm is a wild animal, and hide from it. A funny book about weather. Cute, bright illustrations, repetitive text.

Things that are the Most in the World, by Judy Barrett. A book about –est words. Silly drawings, fun ideas, and geared so that older kids will enjoy it, too, even though it is a picture book. (My 4th and 6th graders thought it was great!)

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems This one is great to encourage interaction and outbursts about the story! This is another book that repeats the word no.

References:
Information in this article came from a variety of sources, including conversations with other parents of children who use AAC. I have listed below some of the articles that I have found helpful, as a starting place for other parents who are looking for more information about literacy for children with special needs.

Dix, D. (2003, February/March) Balanced literacy for emergent readers, Closing the Gap, Vol. 21, No.6.

Erickson, K. (2003, June 24). Reading comprehension in AAC. The ASHA Leader, Vol. 8, No. 12, pp.6-9.

Rush, L. and Williams, G. (2003 June/July) Adapt, Accommodate and Integrate AAC into the Curriculum, Closing the Gap

Sturm, J. (1998). Literacy development of AAC users. In Augmentative and alternative communication: Management of severe communication disorders in children and adults (second edition). Buekelman, D. R. & Mirenda, P. (editors). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Sturm, J. (2003, September 9)Writing and AAC, The ASHA Leader online.

I hope you enjoy reading with your child this month. If you have any book suggestions, send them to me at parents@aacinstitute.org. I will print your list next month, as we talk about using computers for independent reading and literacy support.

As always, I invite your contact with comments or suggestions. E-mail me at parents@aacinstitute.org.