Special Education Services
Plano Independent School District

Imagine…
Someday, every child will be able to experience The Power of Voice- because every child will have a way to effectively communicate with others...and dozens of opportunities across home and school environments to express their wants and needs, share stories and ideas, provide information and participate in learning activities along with their peers.
Making this vision a reality is the dream of parents and educators across the county, and although we have along way to go, there are some simple steps we can take to move us in the right direction.
The interview with John Costello continues…
AbleNet: When it comes to providing students with opportunities to “have a voice,” many educators tell us they experience blocks and barriers that get in the way. Do you have any suggestions for dealing with the age-old issues of time, training, resources and information?
John: While there are no easy solutions and every situation is different, there are some strategies that can make it a bit easier for everyone to have a voice.
I’ve spent some time in classrooms where an extraordinary job is done in supporting students to have a voice in a structured and predictable situation. Often this situation is morning circle/meeting or perhaps food preparation time. As you might expect, many of the students also become quite skilled at using simple voice output tools appropriately and intentionally in this structured situation as they have had many repeated learning opportunities. Yet, when the structured task is completed, the opportunity to use simple voice output is also completed. In fact often, the VOCA is put away!
One strategy to support having a voice throughout the day takes some up-front planning time, but will make the use and availability of voice output throughout the day much easier. That strategy is the message inventory.

Message Inventory
1. Complete an inventory of daily curriculum activities. You may want to first focus on morning and later on afternoon, so the task is not too big.
2. Identify what your expectation is for the student’s participation in each lesson or activity of the day.
3. If possible, observe the participation of a student who uses their natural voice. This can be interesting as how the teacher wants the student to participate might not be the same as how the student wants to participate.”
4. Identify at least one message or message sequence that is appropriate to each situation. Remember that the goal is meaningful communication and participation – not passive statements (for example: stating the schedule). In addition, create a list of three or four generic messages that may be appropriate during the day. Examples might include: ‘my turn,’ ‘thank you,’ or ‘I want some attention please.’
5. Using a Step by Step, Step by Step with Levels or another communication aid that supports sequencing single messages, record each of the communications. As described in Volume IV Number 2: The Power of Voice, the message does not always have to be ‘the right’ message for the structured task, but may well be an appropriate response for a student in that context. The generic messages may be recorded at the end of the scripted sequence.
6. As discussed in the “More to Know…” section of Volume IV Number 1, be mindful of the voice that is used to record. Make sure it is age and gender appropriate and that it is not the voice of someone who is in the same environment. Also, since you’ve done the entire recording in advance, the student will have the benefit of a consistent and predictable voice.
7. Next, create a written script of each of the messages on an index card. Number them in sequence and make sure the card is stored in a place where all instructors will have easy access to it. You can also make a copy of this card and send it home so the family has a concrete representation of the support provided daily at school. This is also helpful to have in the event the messages are erased, as you will have a written script of the actual messages AND the order in which they were recorded. Make sure you note who did the recording too, so you can be sure to use the same voice!
8. As the student enters into each situation during the day, be sure the VOCA is set and locked into the appropriate message. In addition, there will be times when one of the ‘generic’ messages will be most appropriate. To “lock” one in a series of messages recorded into in a Step-by-Step communicator, simply press the Rep/Rec button on the back of the device one time. When you are ready to have the user continue on to the next message, press the Rep/Rec button one more time).

Try This…
Making the curriculum accessible: Tweak the way instruction is provided to better support use of simple voice output:
Dual messages: “Activities using two communication aids can be helpful beyond just daily communication support. Using two VOCAs can also support academic and language goals as well as help align communication activities with local and national educational standards.”
Below is a portion of a table I developed as a handout for the Communication Enhancement Center at the Children’s Hospital. It shows examples of single message or dual message (using two different VOCAs) requests and responses. Each can be presented as a pair. However, if the purpose of the task is participation and not discrimination of messages or concepts, only on VOCA may be used. In any of the following examples, think about how the messages could be used within a functional context. For example, while participating in a science experiment, students might need to turn the lights off and on.

VOCA #1 VOCA #2
Environmental commands:
Turn the lights off Turn the lights on
Open the door Close the door
Put the doll to bed Time to feed the doll
Build a tower Knock it down
We need to water the plants We need to sweep the floor
Sensory statements (when stimuli presented)
I hear a bell I hear a drum
I see a ball I see a stuffed dog
That person is laughing That person is crying
The music is loud The music is very soft
That feels wet That feels dry
Categorization (as instructor presents object/photo/representation)
That’s an animal That’s a plant
That goes with the shapes That goes with the foods
That makes noise That is quiet
That’s a person That’s a thing
That’s a letter That’s a number
Concepts (as instructor presents object/photo/representation)
Big things Little things
Heavy things Light things
Quiet things Noisy things
Rough things Soft things
Dark things Bright things
Hot things Cold things
That was a sad story That was a happy story
You’re getting hotter! You’re getting colder!
Sequences (during a multi-step task):
Open the box Tip it up-side-down
Take the wand out of the bottle Blow the bubbles
Pour the milk in the bowl Mix everything together
Blow up the balloon Let the balloon go!
Literacy tasks (while reading or focusing on specific task such as phonemic awareness or rhyming)
Let’s read it again! Let’s read a different book!
That’s a ‘b’ word That’s an ‘m’ word
Those words rhyme! Those words don’t rhyme!
Conservation Tasks (for a math activity)
That has more That has less
That is bigger than that the _______ That is smaller than the _____
You added! You took away!
Note: Consider AbleNet’s new iTalk 2 communicator as a convenient way for students to deliver dual message communications One more thought…Leading by example: A facility I consulted with had several instructors who reported that using simple voice output was not a good use of their time as there were so many goals and objectives to address. I continued to consistently use simple voice output tools in predictable situations and provided incidental opportunities for students to experience the power of voice. After doing this for weeks, it became apparent that some students were starting to intentionally use the voice output tools. While the staff continued to be overwhelmed with all of their duties, it became clear that some students were being more intentional. Several staff members started to incorporate simple speech output in to their instructional tasks because they witnessed the power of voice. Seeing really is believing!

Visit the AbleNet website for more resources and ideas.

Permission granted 8-18-02