A Total Communication Environment
Communication in the Classroom
As a Speech and Language Therapist and a Qualified Teacher, establishing a total communication environment in the classroom is important to me.
To communicate is the ability to exchange information. Total communication is a term adopted in special education which refers to a combination of Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC) approaches that facilitate the exchange of information between educators and their pupils.
When children start school for the first time, we often do not know what their communication potential is and it is our role as educators to recognise their level of understanding and to identify their preferred methods of communicating. A total communication environment helps us to identify the communication strengths and challenges of each pupil, allows us flexibility in using the most appropriate communication method with each pupil and to make informed therapeutic and educational decisions regarding the communication methods that will support their lifelong learning. So, how can we make this work in the classroom?
As with typical development, the understanding of language comes first. Pupils need to be consistently exposed to the use of objects, photos, symbols, sign and speech to communicate within the context of meaningful activities before they will understand what they mean and before we can expect them to use them expressively. Educators need to consistently model communicating using a combination of speech, objects, photos, symbols and signs all day everyday.
A good place to start when introducing a total communication approach is with a sensory and visual timetable to support pupils to make sense of what is expected of them throughout the day. A timetable represents the routines and the activities that you take part in during the day. In addition to using speech, Objects of Reference and TASSELS provide additional sensory cues to facilitate a pupils understanding and are particularly important if there is a visual impairment. Photos and symbols of activities provide a permanent visual representation of language and Makaton Signing provides an additional visual cue but it is transient and quickly disappears.
A visual timetable keyring of routine photos and symbols.
Make it easier to differentiate your use of photos or symbols depending upon the needs of each pupil by laminating the photo and the symbol back-to-back.
Organise them on the keyring in the order of your daily routine to access them easily throughout the day.
Keep them with you all day by wearing a traders belt! The easier the access, the more consistently they will be used.
Carousel Play and other activities provide opportunities to develop communication within motivating and meaningful contexts throughout the day. Activities will include a range of objects that can be used as objects of reference. In addition, facilitating communication with single keyword symbols, a communication board and a PODD book will support use and understanding of language and meet a variety of communication needs and preferences. By making sure that you have a range of communication methods available to you, you will be able to consistently differentiate your communication at each activity to support each pupil to engage and move beyond their current level of learning.
The photos below are an example of how 1 carousel play activity can be supported by objects of reference, actions, single symbols and communication boards. We will discuss in future posts about how to present these, what language to choose and what influences the communication method we choose to use with different pupils.
Boardmaker Symbols: PCS and Boardmaker are trademarks of Tobii Dynavox LLC. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
How to Organise your Total Communication Environment:
Always use single words and key word phrases alongside the use of objects, photos, symbols and signs.
Combine communication methods relevant to each unique pupil. Say, Sign and Show!
Every activity set up throughout the day will naturally have meaningful objects that you can use for an Object of Reference. As you get to know your pupils, the objects that are most meaningful to them will become apparent. Grab it before transitioning to the next activity.
Create a keyring of routine symbols that happen everyday. At the preschool, we organise these in order of our timetable to make them easy to find. The symbols we include in our routines are; physical and sensory, carousel play, toilet, bucket (attention autism), snack, playtime, dinner time, circle time, bus because they happen everyday. Create another keyring of activity symbols that happen each week. At the preschool, we include art, music and movement, storytelling, travel training, parachute games. We laminate the symbol and the corresponding photo back to back to be able to differentiate for different pupils.
Make it easy to keep your symbols together and available to you at all times by wearing a traders belt with pockets! Of course make sure that all educators wear theirs too.
Facilitate communication at each activity throughout the day by making communication boards.
This pupil had observed his educators use communication boards at activities for several months before using them himself to communicate.
Communication is such a complex skill that can easily be taken for granted. There is so much more to be discussed and shared that will make your school day more effective and efficient and provide your pupils with opportunities to develop meaningful and spontaneous communication.
If you are enjoying our content, The Springboard Curriculum is available to buy here as an immediate digital download. You can follow the link to view sample pages before you buy. The reason we decided to share our work? To allow educators to use their time creatively to maximise play and tailor the learning activities to the strengths and challenges of each pupil.
£1 of every sale goes to the school’s charity to give back to the educators and pupils who inspired the curriculum.
