Why?

As our students (the senders) interact with an ever expanding world of people and things it’s possible that their ability to recognize and differentiate between them also grows. Often this is demonstrated through specific movements associated with specific physical interactions (rocking or back and forth to indicate more row-row), producing a sucking motion to indicate a desire for more to drink, or perhaps grasping a towel to express a desire for more peek-a-boo). This is vocabulary for our early communicators long before they have symbols they are creating associations to express themselves ever more clearly (Bruce, S. 2005), (Bruce, S. et. al, 2007). 

Transdisciplinary IEP Goal Examples

Student will increase specific behaviors associated with interactions to reinstate the movement or object interactions by repeating the movement or acting on the object, for 3 new activities, as measured by PT, OT, teacher.

Student will improve ability to access communication switches and toys in order to indicate preferences by using a variety of motor movements such as pulling, squeezing or maintaining pressure to activate voice output or cause and effect toys, as measured by OT documentation.

While interacting with a partner, student will demonstrate improved hand strength and communication skills by actively grasping and releasing a graspable item with his left hand to explore/manipulate the item for up to 20 seconds, and then indicate he is done with it by releasing it 4 out of 5 opportunities as measured by  OT documentation.

During a variety of classroom activities when not given an immediate response, student will repeat a behavior or change behavior to gain attention or reinstate interaction, in 80% of opportunities,  as measured by teacher and SLP.

Demonstrate decreased latency when activating switches for cause and effect activities and for gaining attention, 50% above baseline as measured by teacher and SLP.

When preferred activity is paused, student will gain a partner’s attention (vocalizations or voice output) within 20 seconds (decreased latency) to reinstate, as measured by SLP.

Video Examples