Session 11 Reading

BASIC CONCEPTS OF COMMUNICATION

Communication is interaction, the means by which people of all cultures socialized with each other, instruct their children, and share information. There are two important elements in any interaction between two people: receptive communication and expressive communication. Expressive communication is what one person tries to convey to another by gesturing, speaking, writing, or signing. Receptive communication is what a listener or reader receives from a speaker, singer, or rider and understands. People who work with deaf-blind children, who frequently need special assistance to learn communication skills, in general need a fundamental understanding of communication and how it develops. Since communication is the basis for all other skills and for interaction between student and teacher and student and all others, it is fundamental concepts are the first point of focus in this module.

The fundamental concepts

Preintentional -- Intentional communication

Preintentional behaviors can still serve as powerful clues to the needs and desires of your students. Intentionality is an essential concept and communication, and it is discussed again later in the module.

Presymbolic -- Symbolic communication

The earliest forms of communication that young children use our presymbolic parentheses also called preverbal or prelinguistic) because they do not involve symbols. In presymbolic communication there is an erect, often physical relationship between the person who is communicating and the messages that are being sent.

Presymbolic behaviors -- Preintentional communication

general body movement (for instance, stiffening nobody)

arm, leg, and hand movements

facial expressions (such as grimacing).

Presymbolic behaviors -- Intentional communication

approaching and avoiding people or objects

touching things

pushing things away

extending objects

smiling, pointing, kissing, and hugging.

Symbolic communication

Symbolic communication is less direct, but much more flexible and careful way to communicate. Without symbols you are limited to communicating about the here and now -- about things that are physically present and about topics that are in the present. Communication through symbols opens up a potentially limitless scope of topics -- both present and absent -- occurring in the past, present, or future. A symbol is something that stands for or means something else (the referent). When considering communication systems for students who are deaf-blind, it is essential to determine whether the students currently communicate symbolically or presymbolic. To determine if a student is ready for symbolic communication, it is important to observe him or her carefully. Some behaviors you can observe that suggest a student could use symbol symbols (either concrete or abstract) are:

In play situations or other interactions, a student will use objects to represent other things. For example, the student will use pots and pans or a stone and able to act out cooking or will use a concrete symbol like a cop to indicate a desire for a drink.

In play situations or other interactions, the student will imitate a movement of a favorite or preferred activity, like rocking, to indicate a desire to play on a rocking horse or stepping, to indicate the desire to exercise on a step climber.

In interactions, the student will use conversational gestures that people typically use, like pointing or waiting appropriately.

In interactions, the student will guide an adult to an activity or an item that is desired, like a swing or a water fountain.

Children with limited mobility may not be able to guide you to a desired item or activity and may not be able to make conversational gestures in ways that you expect. Therefore, you may have to use some creative observational techniques. With a child who has limited or no vision, you can read facial expressions or body language when you guide his or her hand to touch each choice.

Receptive -- Expressive communication

Most forms of communication may be used for both expressive and receptive communication expressive communication is the way your student conveys information to you or other people. Receptive communication is the way you or your student receives information for others.

Factors in the development of communication

The early development of communication is influenced by many factors, among them the quality and characteristics of the interaction of the communication partners. Communication develops and a sequence, from preintentional to intentional, that generally leads to the acquisition of language. Some children who are deaf-blind may remain at the earlier level of intentionality.

Preintentional actions

Certain concepts, such as responsiveness, attention-getting, reciprocity, repetition and consistency, predictability and anticipation, and receptive and expressive roles, are important in understanding how infants moved to the levels of preintentional actions. Initially, infants behaviors (such as smiling, grimacing, vocalizing, crying, and moving arms and legs randomly) are not directed communication, but reactions to pleasant and unpleasant sensations.

The repetition and consistency not only of these games, but of the sequence of events, activities, and experiences within daily routines (for example, the order in which close are put on after bats, which always are given after lunch) and the people, objects, and actions that define these daily routines, increased the infants sense of order and stability in what may initially seemed to be an unpredictable world.

Intentional actions

Although intentional actions often resemble communicative actions, at this stage, infants denied use them specifically for this purpose. Therefore, caregivers should selectively provide opportunities for the infants to choose among appropriate options.

Intentional communication

Purposeful actions or vocalization

Communication is intentional when children recognize the other serve as intermediaries in achieving goals and one day select forms of communication that have a desired effect on the recipients.

Reference

Intentional communication requires the ability to use actions to refer or two something, not just achieve something.

Emergence of First Words

The number of stages may be involved as children began to use words to communicate with others.

Convention, Scope, Comprehension, Context.

Communicative Purposes of Behavior

Even with structured routines and other adaptations that caregivers can make, some children who are deaf-blind do not develop strong communication skills. Because of sensory isolation, multiple disabilities, or a number of other factors, these children may experience significant delays in acquiring formal language (both receptive and expressive) and use a wide range of behaviors other than language to interact, such as pointing to a desired object, pushing away and unwanted one, leading a caregiver to another room, vocalizing wide and physical distress, or gaining attention by hitting. Any behavior can serve a significant communicative function. Therefore, it is important for offer or involved in the education of deaf-blind child to examine the child's communicative behavior and behavioral patterns with various people in different settings to obtain the desired outcomes.

Communicative Intent

Not all behaviors are necessarily communicative

Functional analysis

Educators and other team members can examine an assess students behavior for potential communication functions and then design instruction to support the development of positive, productive communication skills. One systematic approach to the assessment and treatment of behavior is functional communication training.

It is helpful to establish the pattern of responses if one or more of the following classes of stimulus events are associated with a behavior:

Attention: behaviors may be used to gaining attention of others under specific circumstances, for example went to people are talking.

Escape: behaviors may be used to make demands or two and unpleasant situations or difficult tasks, as if the person were saying, "leave me alone" or "I can't do this without help."

Tangible consequences: behaviors may be used to obtain specific tangible rewards, such as food, music, or the opportunity to jump on a trampoline.

Sensory consequences: behaviors, such as clicking the hands between the eyes and sources of light, may be used to provide sensory feedback that is reinforcing -- that feels good or stimulating.

Multiple outcomes: behaviors may be used and maintained for more than one reason. In such cases, the behavior and setting in which it occurs need to be redefined more precisely to determine the consequences under which the behavior may be more clearly seen.

Instructional design can be adapted to accommodate the student's preference and behaviors. For behaviors that are motivated by a desire to avoid or escape unpleasant situations, consider

making the task more pleasant

making the task shorter induration

dropping the task if it is not a crucial activity for present instructional needs

retaining the task in teaching the student to ask for "help" if it is too difficult, to indicate "I don't understand" or a new task, or to request "break, please" for a long task.

For behaviors that are motivated by tangible outcomes, consider

offering the student opportunities to request desired items spontaneously on a regular basis and granting such requests

incorporating rewards (toys, food, or choices of activities) into the instructional routine

To maximize sensory consequences that the student enjoys, consider

finding ways to use pleasant sensory stimulation to reward the student for completing other tasks

encouraging the student to communicate his or her desire for activity that provides enjoyable sensory stimulation.