EMC Follow EMC Follow UpUp

April 23, 2007April 23, 2007

EMC Follow EMC Follow UpUp

April 23, 2007April 23, 2007

Using Sensory Modality Information to Using Sensory Modality Information to Support Programming for Students with Support Programming for Students with Severe/Profound Cognitive DisabilitiesSevere/Profound Cognitive Disabilities

Our thanks to Chrissy Cowan, M.Ed., TVI, & Athena Oden, Physical Therapist,

Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired,

who prepared this presentation.

As you watch, be thinking….

• What modality(s) does the student enjoy?

• What activities could we design for this modality?

• How would we create an activity routine for one of these activities?

Instruction should be based on two fundamental

Promising practices:

Natural Contexts and

Frequent Practice

Quote from June Downing, Teaching Communication Skills

to Students with Severe Disabilities:

When students with severe disabilities do not or cannot use speech, teachers (and parents) may feel pressured to supply these students with a replacement symbolic system, yet these students may have a fairly efficient system of non-symbolic communication modes that merits attention.

One way to provide Natural Contexts and Frequent Practice is through an Activity Routine

• Within each activity routine, you will be teaching:– A bank of signals that represent an activity– Signals to communicate continuing an

activity or ending an activity– Signals to indicate a choice of activities or

choice within activities

An Activity Routine Provides:

• Predictability: “I know what is going to happen from start to finish.”

• Consistency: “I know what I am supposed to do.”

• Anticipation: “When you do that, I know to get ready for it.”

• Practice: “I remember what I did last time and I can try to do more this time.”

An Activity Routine must have:

• A clear signal to the student that the activity is starting

• The steps of the activity occur in the same sequence

• Each step is done the same way• Assistance is given the same way each time

until student is ready for lower level of prompt• Precisely maintained pacing• A clear signal that the activity is finished