Examples of Low Tech Communication Tools:
Low tech device: PECS
Picture Exchange Communication System, simply known as PECS is an easy to use system of communication for nonverbal students. The device is portable and can easily be adapted to meet the students changing needs. PECS teaching children to use communication as a tool to interact with their peers and ask for different items they need. PECS is typically used in a binder that can be transported throughout the school easily and can even be taken to school and used with the students parents and family.
The student learns how to communicate by taking the symbol off of the PECS board and exchanging it for the item that the would like. This teaches the student that when they communicate with someone they will say something and something will be given back to them, whether it be words or an object. When the PECS system is used within a classroom, the teacher or paraprofessional helping the student will typically say clearly the item that the student has handed them. This not only teaches how to communicate but what words and phrases sound like. Many children often try to replicate or imitate the sounds the teacher or paraprofessional is saying; the educator will encourage this behavior and the student may slowly become verbal.
There are six stages of PECS when teaching a child how to communicate with those around them. First, the student must associate an item that the would like with the symbol in front of them. The student will then give the person they are communicating with the symbol they have selected and the communicator will exchange the item for the symbol. The person communicating with the student may need to help the student recognize that the symbol in front of them is associated with the item and they will need to guide their hand to find the symbol. Soon the person communicating with the student will only help the student when they need assistance. The student will be able to exchange the symbol for an item without any aid from the teacher or paraprofessional.
In the second stage of PECS the student will go to their PECS board by themselves, pick a symbol that they wish, and give it to someone they wish to communicate with. The student will begin to be able to depend on their PECS board for communication. The student will leave the person they are communicating with to find their communication board and the symbol that depicts the item that they would like.
In the third stage of PECS the teacher will introduce other items to the child's PECS board. The student will learn to differentiate between multiple items on the PECS board and learn to ask for a specific item. If the student gives a communicator the symbol of an item that they do not want, the instructor will still give the student the item that they gave. This shows the student that each picture has meaning just as each word has meaning.
In the fourth stage of PECS will not only be able to ask for an item that they wish but also ask for the item using full sentences. Not only will the student have to hand the person they are communicating with one symbol but now they will need to hand them a sentence strip. The strip will have the phrase "I want" written on it on it, at first the "I want" picture will stay on the sentence strip but after the child understands the use of "I want" they will have to move it to the sentence strip on their own. The teacher will then mix the symbol for "I want" within the child's PECS board or book and the child will have to search for the symbol to express that they "want" something.
In the fifth stage, someone will ask the student "What do you want?" and the child will respond using their sentence strip with the symbol "I want" and an item of their choice. The student has mastered this stage when they do not hesitate to reply to the person communicating with them. Soon, the person communicating with the student will not prompt them at all but simply ask "What do you want?".
In the final stage of PECS the student will be able to respond to various question using PECS symbols. Some questions will ask what the child already has in his or her possession, what they see, how they feel, and again what they would like.
The student learns how to communicate by taking the symbol off of the PECS board and exchanging it for the item that the would like. This teaches the student that when they communicate with someone they will say something and something will be given back to them, whether it be words or an object. When the PECS system is used within a classroom, the teacher or paraprofessional helping the student will typically say clearly the item that the student has handed them. This not only teaches how to communicate but what words and phrases sound like. Many children often try to replicate or imitate the sounds the teacher or paraprofessional is saying; the educator will encourage this behavior and the student may slowly become verbal.
There are six stages of PECS when teaching a child how to communicate with those around them. First, the student must associate an item that the would like with the symbol in front of them. The student will then give the person they are communicating with the symbol they have selected and the communicator will exchange the item for the symbol. The person communicating with the student may need to help the student recognize that the symbol in front of them is associated with the item and they will need to guide their hand to find the symbol. Soon the person communicating with the student will only help the student when they need assistance. The student will be able to exchange the symbol for an item without any aid from the teacher or paraprofessional.
In the second stage of PECS the student will go to their PECS board by themselves, pick a symbol that they wish, and give it to someone they wish to communicate with. The student will begin to be able to depend on their PECS board for communication. The student will leave the person they are communicating with to find their communication board and the symbol that depicts the item that they would like.
In the third stage of PECS the teacher will introduce other items to the child's PECS board. The student will learn to differentiate between multiple items on the PECS board and learn to ask for a specific item. If the student gives a communicator the symbol of an item that they do not want, the instructor will still give the student the item that they gave. This shows the student that each picture has meaning just as each word has meaning.
In the fourth stage of PECS will not only be able to ask for an item that they wish but also ask for the item using full sentences. Not only will the student have to hand the person they are communicating with one symbol but now they will need to hand them a sentence strip. The strip will have the phrase "I want" written on it on it, at first the "I want" picture will stay on the sentence strip but after the child understands the use of "I want" they will have to move it to the sentence strip on their own. The teacher will then mix the symbol for "I want" within the child's PECS board or book and the child will have to search for the symbol to express that they "want" something.
In the fifth stage, someone will ask the student "What do you want?" and the child will respond using their sentence strip with the symbol "I want" and an item of their choice. The student has mastered this stage when they do not hesitate to reply to the person communicating with them. Soon, the person communicating with the student will not prompt them at all but simply ask "What do you want?".
In the final stage of PECS the student will be able to respond to various question using PECS symbols. Some questions will ask what the child already has in his or her possession, what they see, how they feel, and again what they would like.
Low tech device: Gotalks
A Gotalk is similar to a PECS board as it has easily distinguishable symbols. A Gotalk device is also portable and very durable like the PECS system. However, when using Gotalk there is no picture or symbol exchange with someone. A Gotalk can be purchased with a set number of symbol options as seen in the picture. The number of symbols cannot be modified or changed in the future. The teacher or parent can however change the symbols that are being used within the Gotalk.
Once the teacher determines which symbols to use in the Gotalk he or she can record their voice so that when the student presses the button associated with the symbol. The student will then be able to hear how the word is pronounced and can replicate the audio that they hear. A Gotalk can create sentence if the user creates an "I want", "I have", "I feel", and other symbols. However the Go talk will not allow the student to create a dialogue similiar to the PECS board as they do not have many options when interacting with others.
Once the teacher determines which symbols to use in the Gotalk he or she can record their voice so that when the student presses the button associated with the symbol. The student will then be able to hear how the word is pronounced and can replicate the audio that they hear. A Gotalk can create sentence if the user creates an "I want", "I have", "I feel", and other symbols. However the Go talk will not allow the student to create a dialogue similiar to the PECS board as they do not have many options when interacting with others.
(Dell, Assistive technology in the classroom: enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities, 2012)
Images found using the search engine Google.