Collaborative teaming to support students with augmentative and alternative communication needs in general education classrooms

Problem-and inquiry-based learning show promise as effective teaching methods designed to prepare future professionals in special education and related services to develop team skills and to work collaboratively with families. Person-focused learning (PFL), which is based on problem-and inquiry-based methods, was developed by the authors as a means of preparing future AAC professionals to work directly with family members and individuals with disabilities in collaborative teams, using augmentative and alternative communication systems. The authors applied and evaluated PFL across three different courses and university settings, using a common teaching process to implement and to evaluate PFL. The effectiveness of PFL was evaluated based on the perceptions of the participants, and included perspectives of students, family members, and individuals. The faculty who implemented the courses employed qualitative measures to explore student, family, and individual experiences. Thematic analysis showed that students in all three courses reported positive changes in their attitudes towards individuals with disabilities, as well as their knowledge about problem solving in collaborative groups, working with families and individuals, and the development of appropriate AAC systems to meet individual needs. Although the qualitative methodology limited the generalizability of the findings, person-focused learning was found to have potential as an effective method for assisting AAC professionals to develop team-based and family-based collaborative skills. Several areas for further study of PFL were identified, including the need for controlled studies, demonstration of efficient methods for family and individual involvement, and evaluation of AAC technical skills.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Person-Focused Learning: A Collaborative Teaching Model to Prepare Future AAC Professionals

Robinson

Sadao²

2005

“…One of these participants was in an inclusive educational setting and two were not. These results suggest that communication interventions for students such as those in the present study require a well-functioning educational team approach to obtain successful educational and AAC outcomes (e.g., Hunt et al, 2002;Sturm, 1998;Utley, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Outcomes have been defined as changes attributed to AAC interventions that occur under typical conditions (Schlosser, 2003). Currently, AAC interventions for school-aged children with complex communication needs typically are provided within a range of service delivery models that include local schools, (e.g., Hunt, Soto, Maier, Muller, & Goetz, 2002) specialized environments such as camps (e.g., Bruno & Dribben, 1998), and schools that provide intensive training in functional communication skills and provide supports that are critical for effective participation in everyday life. One specialized school in the United States, Bridge School, has provided intensive AAC services to students with severe speech and physical impairments for over 15 years.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Bridge School: Educational Inclusion Outcomes over 15 Years

Hunt-Berg¹

2005

In this retrospective study, Bridge School's service delivery model is described and the nature and success of participants' initial educational experiences subsequent to Bridge School are reported. Bridge School provides intensive AAC services to students with severe speech and physical impairments, with the goal of facilitating student competence with AAC technologies and then returning students to their respective local inclusive schools. Sixteen former Bridge School students participated in this study. To establish a basis for participant outcomes, archival records were analyzed to determine the instructional focus, patterns of acquiring AAC technologies, and levels of educational participation. After attending Bridge School, 13 participants made the transition to inclusive educational settings in their local schools. From an educational team perspective, participants experienced success in these environments, but not all achieved independent use of AAC devices.

“…Everyone on the team has an investment in ensuring the most effective and efficient program for including students with disabilities in general education and so must contribute relevant information (Hunt et al, 2002;Soto et al, 2001). The different perspectives of each stakeholder, whether teachers, the individual and family members, related services providers, or friends, are important to providing a holistic program that most accurately reflects the student's needs and desires.…”

Section: A Collaborative and Integrative Approach To Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Effective communication intervention, especially in inclusive settings, requires members of educational teams to work cooperatively to meet individualized needs of students (Downing, Spencer, & Cavallaro, 2004;Hunt, Soto, Maier, Muller, & Goetz, 2002). They need to understand what AAC means for individual students, how to identify learning opportunities for communication development, understand their individual roles in teaching communication skills, and learn specific strategies for teaching these skills.…”

Section: Teamingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inclusive Education for High School Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities: Supporting Communication

Downing

2005

This article provides a summary of different strategies used to support the complex communication needs of high school students with severe intellectual disabilities and additional impairments who are included in general education classrooms. The premise of this paper is that students with severe cognitive disabilities benefit from inclusive educational opportunities at the high school level and can acquire critical communication skills, given the necessary support. High school students typically communicate for a variety of purposes and use a variety of different modes of communication. This variety in purpose and mode extends to students who do not use speech and have other severe disabilities. The role that peers can play in the development of communication for high school students is described, as well as the need to critically evaluate the learning environment in order to identify communication opportunities.