How many of you take the simple act of communication for granted? From the moment you get up in the morning you begin to communicate. Whether it is in the form of verbal communication, gestures, facial expressions, written, body language, or technological, you are blessed with the ability to communicate. The ability to communicate is important in developing relationships, communicating needs and desires, getting help, and so much more. That is why we work a lot on developing communication skills with our students. Since the majority of our students with severe disabilities lack verbal communication skills, implementing alternative forms of communication for our students is very important to their overall growth and development. The ability to communicate is also an essential skill for access to curriculum and to be able to participate fully in the educational process.
There are a number of ways to develop communication skills: pictures, communication books, sign language, technology, communication devices, and more. Often times in developing communication skills, we use several different forms with our students. After all, none of us rely on just one form of communication to interact with the world around us. We work and work and work on the skill, and hope and pray that one day, our students get it.
Well, my boy Josh, got it!!! And here is how he showed us he gets it!
One of the tools we use with Josh is a communication binder. In the binder is communication pictures specific to Josh’s school day. His picture schedule will show leisure time, and his binder gives him picture choices of his favorite leisure activities. One in particular is a picture of this musical guitar that Josh absolutely LOVES!!!!!!
On this particular day, Josh had not seen his guitar all day, because we were working on academics. We were done with our second toileting, nearing lunch time, and Josh knew that the window for playing with his favorite toy was closing (he understands his daily routine very well). Having already gone to the bathroom, I allowed Josh to chill on the classroom floor rug area while waiting for me to clean his potty chair. As I am headed to the bathroom, I see Josh scoot to the table of toys and pull himself up on his knees to survey the toys on the table. I stop to see what he does.
Josh does not see his toy, so he falls back on his knees with the utmost look of disappointment on his face. He looks towards the toy closet (which is where his toy is at) and realizes there is no way he is getting in there without some help. Josh sits there, looks around the classroom, focuses his attention on the counter that divides the classroom from the kitchen, then looks back at me. I tell Josh to sit tight, I will be right
back. As I turn to walk into the bathroom, Josh takes of crawling across the classroom floor at breakneck speed. Where is he going?
Needless to say, I turn back around to focus my attention on Josh. What is he doing now? Josh crawls to the counter, pulls himself to a stand, and looks around. What is he looking for? When he spots what it is he is looking for, his face lights up and he reaches out to grab it… his communication binder! Standing there at the counter, Josh opens up the binder and starts going through the pages. When he finds what he is looking for, he pulls the picture off of the page. Josh then turns towards me, with picture in hand, and starts vocalizing his pleasure in having accomplished what he had set his mind to do. I walk over to Josh so he can hand me his picture, his way of telling me what he wants. I’m pretty sure you guessed it by now, Josh found the picture of his favorite guitar! And yes, I went to the cabinet and exchanged the guitar for the picture!
It is one thing to engage in communication and picture exchange with our students when we control the learning environment and they respond independently. But it is another when they independently initiate communication and successfully follow through with it! Way to go Josh!!! Way to go Josh! Way to go!
