Assessment

of Communica/ve Behavior

9/15/2014

Purposes and Modes of

Communication
ES SPED 5722

Purposes of
Communication
Dr. Matthew Brock

Categories of Purpose: Regulation

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Categories of Purpose: Social Interaction

desire to meet ones own needs

desire to regulate actions of others for own comfort

Social or interactive; extends beyond meeting own

needs or controlling actions of others

Purpose or Desired Outcome

Purpose or Desired Outcome

Wants tangible object.

Examples
Desires cheese. Stands by refrigerator and unconsciously
assumes Mom will know his desire.

Wants action, event, or activity.

Wants push on swing. Signs more.

Wants attention.

Wants permission.

Wants help. Turns persons face to him.

Wants approval to go watch TV; holds up the remote for
1 second.

Wants information.
Wants reason/clarification.
Wants stop/avoid/refuse.
Commands, directs, demands any of the
above.

Wants to know if time to go home. Gets jacket ready.

Why no grandma? Bites self; screams.
No blue shirt. Hits, screams.
Jon-Jon go. (away from me). Pushes child away.

Examples created by Beverly Vicker, Indiana Resource Center for Autism

Example

Calling
Greeting
Requests interaction/interactive
activity

Says, Mom to get her attention.

Says Hi or waves to neighbor.

Comment/statement

Says hot to Mom as he touches his car-seat.

Naming (if not for personal

enjoyment)

Says Mario to parent when he sees familiar Wii game in store.

Provides information/report

Tells teacher Sara hurt so teacher can provide assistance to the child who is crying.

Agree

Gives positive head shake when asked if he likes cheese.

Express feelings

Says Sad. No more Grandma as Dad helps him get into his car-seat after her
funeral.

Social routines

Says Thank you when given an apple to eat.

Answers question

Points in a direction when Mom asks Wheres your brother?

Assertiveness

Says Mine when peer attempts to grab his toy.

Exclamation

Says Uh-oh. or Oh, no! to his teacher when he drops his pencil for the 10th time

Hits peer so he might chase the child with ASD (i.e., bid for chase game).

Examples created by Beverly Vicker, Indiana Resource Center for Autism

Assessment of Communica/ve Behavior

What do clinicians often focus on?

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Requesting and Making Choices

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What purposes of communication are most

common for people without disabilities?
} Conversations
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Answering Questions
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Harnessing motivation, building opportunities for choice and

shared control
A fantastic starting pointbut a terrible stopping point

9/15/2014

Necessary for assessing knowledge

Useful for conversations
Far more emphasized then asking questions

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Following Directions
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Greetings
Small Talk
Storytelling
Procedural Descriptions
Content-Specific Conversations
Wrap-up Remarks and Farewell Statements

Necessary to navigate school or work environment

Verbal directions and prompting often overemphasized for
students with disabilities

Context

How well do AAC systems handle purposes

and context?

} Age

Group

Person

Partner/Context

} Gender

1,9

20 year-old young man

Grocery store check-out clerk

2,10

} Culture
} Setting
} Familiarity

with conversational partner

} Feelings about conversational partner
} Positions of authority
} Time of day

3,11,17

Potential employer at job interview

13-year-old girl

4,12
5,13

School principal in the hallway

13-year-old boy

6,14
7,15
8,16

Best friend on the phone

Girl that you like whose locker is next to yours
Mom when you get home from school

6-year-old boy

Twin brother when you first wake up in the

morning (you share a bedroom)
Your first grade teacher when you walk into the
classroom

Greeting (1 example)
Small Talk (1 example)
Storytelling (3 examples of relevant statements about 3 different topics)
Wrap-up/Farewell (1 example)

Assessment of Communica/ve Behavior

9/15/2014

Unaided Communication
} No

equipment needed
} Examples: speech, vocal approximations, sign
language, gestures

Modes of Communication

Aided Communication

Picking Graphic Icons

} Equipment

} Translucency

needed
} Categories based on use of technology
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No tech
Low tech
High tech standalone devices
Apps for tablets or computers

How easy is it to learn?

} Transparency
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How easy is it to understand?

} Accessibility
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Physical disabilities are no longer a barrier to

communication

Assessment of Communica/ve Behavior

9/15/2014

The myth of the hierarchy

} People

used to advocate working up a hierarchy

} We know now this isnt always the best approach
} Example
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of hierarchy:

Written text
Representational drawing
Photograph
Partial object
Real object