I thought folks in this discussion might be interested in a volume that I edited entitled Community Partnerships published by TESOL (available through the TESOL website).  The volume includes chapters about partnership projects from many parts of the world and involving many ethnic groups.  It also has a chapter which I wrote that discusses factors that characterize 'successful' partnerships, putting findings from the participating projects into a theoretical framework.  This volume has wonderful examples of a range of project types.
 
Elsa Auerbach
________________________________

From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of David J. Rosen
Sent: Wed 6/27/2007 12:21 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 381] Re: Improving Literacy for IndividualswithSignificant Disabilities using AAC to Speak!



Mary, John and others,

Thanks for raising awareness about disability issues, but in this 
discussion let's focus on community literacy, not the technical 
aspects of teaching people to read.

Thanks.

David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.ent

On Jun 27, 2007, at 12:05 PM, John Nissen wrote:


>

> Hello Mary,

>

> You raise many important questions of a political nature, but I may 

> be able

> to help on the technical and pedagogical side, as I have worked on 

> assistive

> technology and special educational needs for the past ten years.

>

> AAC users cover a spectrum of disabilities, ranging from speech 

> impairment

> to quadriplegic, but often disabilities associated with cerebral 

> palsy (CP).

>

> I have come to the opinion that the best way to teach people to read,

> regardless of age and disability, is through synthetic phonics, as it

> teaches the association between letter or letter combinations 

> (graphemes)

> and sound or sound combinations (phonemes), which is the basis of our

> writing system.  For example: 'c' is associated with /k/ in 'cat';  

> 'ch' is

> associated with /t,sh/ in 'church'; 'xc' is associated with /k,s/ in

> 'excel'.

>

> Typically with AAC, the user does not use text-to-speech, but 

> either selects

> from pre-written messages represented by pictures, or constructs 

> sentences

> from words represented by symbols (e.g. PCS).  Either way, it is 

> not going

> to help them to become literate.

>

> The first step in literacy is to recognise the individual sounds in 

> words,

> such as /k,a,t/ in 'cat'.  Then what is needed is that the user can 

> select

> from phonemes, represented by graphemes, which, when concatenated, 

> produce

> the sounds of words.  This effectively allows the user to write.

>

> In order to read, the user has to reverse the process.  So the user 

> has to

> learn to construct words from sounds.  This is called 'blending'.  

> Then the

> user has to recognise graphemes, and use the learnt association 

> between

> graphemes and phonemes, together with pronunciation rules, for 

> decoding

> words.

>

> In typical AAC, the user selects from representations on a computer 

> screen,

> using a pointing device or a switch device (where the 

> representations are

> scanned, and the switch operated when the focus is on the picture/

> symbol to

> be selected). This could work for selecting graphemes, and I have 

> written a

> program for this, operated by mouse.  However if the user can use 

> some kind

> of keyboard or keypad, the input can be much faster.  I have an 

> invention

> called the tactaphone that allows the user to produce words at 

> almost a

> talking speed, assuming they have reasonable manual dexterity.

>

> Cheers from Chiswick,

>

> John

>

>

>   ----- Original Message -----

>   From: Mary McAlpine

>   To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

>   Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 4:57 AM

>   Subject: [SpecialTopics 375] Improving Literacy for Individuals

> withSignificant Disabilities using AAC to Speak!

>

>

>   Thank you for the opportunity to seek professional assistance.

>

>   I am writing on behalf of our adult daughter and other adults using

> augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in Nebraska.  It 

> is very

> important that adults relying on high tech devices gain access to

> educational materials.  Their struggles are magnified once 

> graduating from

> the Department of Education services.  Please know we will be 

> honest and

> straightforward in our reporting.

>

>   How can we improve literacy and reading skills for individuals using

> Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to speak?

>

>        1.  Many AAC users have never had equal access to electronic

> educational materials, testing tools, adapted curriculum, adapted 

> computer

> classes, etc.

>        2.  During the Dept. of Ed. years, physical needs not 

> intellectual

> needs were met.

>   Segregated classroom and pull out services started the 

> educational gap.

>        3.  AAC technology gains, overcoming access issues for 

> persons with

> significant physical disabilities took time away from learning.

>        4.  Low tech didn't work for us.

>        5.  Emerging high technologies helped to level AAC user's 

> playing

> field by gaining a limited voice for needs and wants with Bliss, 

> Rebus and

> MinSpeak symbols.

>        6.  Para professionals and direct care staff were instructed to

> assist with classroom activities for AAC users with the least 

> amount of

> training and pay.

>        7.  Educational materials were never accessible for people 

> needing

> their curriculum adapted or programmed into their speech device so 

> they

> could study a lesson.

>        8.  Speech language pathology support was spent mostly on 

> programming

> needs and wants rather than teaching them to read.

>        9.  At a conference here in Nebraska, a presenter asked a 

> room filled

> with over sixty SLPs how many had taken any literacy classes.  Only 

> three

> ladies had this experience.

>       10.  Literacy lessons and conversational speech needs to be 

> developed

> for these AAC end users who are not fluent.  We have tried to 

> individualize

> these preprogrammed messages without identifying learning styles, 

> cognition

> or user's preferences or their future goals.

>       11.  Low expectation is the bigger challenge than equal 

> access.  These

> AAC users have difficulty in controlling their muscles thus causing

> frustrations and motor control errors not necessarily cognition 

> errors.

> These muscle control issues do not go away after graduation.  They are

> lifelong.  Support and services should be birth to death.

>       12.  My husband's career transferred us several moves all 

> across the

> United States.  We would begin with one technique and then have to 

> move to a

> new city and start over with a new strategy.

>

>   Here are some of the challenges we face in Nebraska:

>        1.  We have a speech language pathology shortage.  The Dept. 

> of Ed

> hires the best SLPs trained in AAC.  Hard to gain funding access to 

> serve

> adults unless significant progress is obtained.  These AAC users 

> must show a

> steep learning curve when they do not have electronic lessons to 

> practice

> when they are alone.  Many AAC users don't meet that curve.

>        2.  Not all SLPs specialize in augmentative communication.

>        3.  Nebraska is a rural state.  There is little if no 

> support for

> even speech evaluations for adults with developmental disabilities 

> in the

> western part of the state.

>        4.  School districts discourage multiple disciplinary teams 

> from

> making recommendations for assistive technology devices or AAC 

> devices for

> persons needing a voice for fear the district will have to fund the 

> device.

>        5.  Outside funding sources should be developed to help 

> offset the

> cost for school districts to fund these AAC devices so children can 

> gain

> access to speech technologies and be allowed to begin their 

> educational

> odyssey at a much younger age.

>        6.  The State of Nebraska has supported funding for speech

> technologies.  We are forever grateful!

>        7.  Nebraska has restrictions on billable funding support for

> follow-along SLP services after an AAC user becomes an adult.

>        8.  The family is expected to take responsibility to do trouble

> shooting, follow-along programming, congruence, power and 

> maintenance issues

> for their child's or adult's AAC device.

>        9.  When setting up these devices, we should have literacy 

> training

> support to help AAC users learn to read and write with their 

> computers.

> Life is spontaneous.  It is impossible to program for the unexpected.

>      10.  These high tech tools come without instructions for 

> assembly when

> combining technologies.

>      11.  Follow-along training from the SLP who completed the 

> assessment

> and evaluation, will ensure the AAC device is the right tool.  

> Technology

> abandonment may result without follow-along training.

>

>   If manufacturers fail to deliver what has been promised, who is

> accountable?  We need a Federal Commission for the Speech 

> Impaired.  We need

> a Federal organization willing to take responsibility for successful

> outcomes.  What are the checks and balances for these vulnerable 

> AAC users?

> It's like the fox guarding the hen house.  In Nebraska we have been 

> informed

> that the Tech Acts are forbidden to provide on-going training after 

> the sale

> of these assistive technology tools.  The State Tech Acts are only 

> allowed

> to offer demonstration sites.  They can give information and 

> referral but no

> ongoing training support after the sale.  Where can you go to try 

> before you

> buy when combining software and hardware from different manufacturers?

>

>   We want to connect with others who believe literacy is achievable 

> for

> adults with developmental disabilities using AAC devices.  We do 

> not have

> any coalitions in place that I'm aware of in Nebraska for improving 

> literacy

> for people with significant disabilities.  Together we can make a

> difference.  We need a champion in this field.  Thank you for 

> allowing us

> this opportunity to seek assistance.

>

>   God bless,

>   Mary McAlpine

>   Omaha, NE

>   Christine McAlpine

>   York, NE

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

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> --------

>

>

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David J. Rosen
djrosen at comcast.net



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