Students who use augmentative communication devices must be active participants inside the classroom. I have never had a student in my classroom with an augmentative device. However, teachers need to model effective ways to invite them to actively participate in an activity, lesson, or special event. Some students have developed what is known as learned helplessness. This simply means that this particular population of students are sometimes more and likely accustomed to others doing things for them or speaking for them. They need to be taught that they now have a voice. Teachers can implement specific strategies to help students overcome learned helplessness.
Specific Strategies for Overcoming Learned Helplessness:
- building expectations for communication (especially during activities throughout the day)
- Daily home and school communication through the student
- Give room for natural consequences
- Allow opportunities for choice making that require students to use their device
- Give students autonomy by creating a powerful phrase to use
Janell,
ReplyDeleteI too have not had a student with a augmentive communication device. I think your overview is clear and your tips are dead on. I think with increasing numbers of students coming into the regular education programs, we will likely see students with these devices sometime in the future.
Gabriela