Improving Communication for ESE VPK

Improving Communication for ESE VPK

Action Research Project
EDG 4936
Christina M. Berdeaux
November 2016
Florida Gulf Coast University

Statement of the Problem:

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My final internship is in a Pre-Kindergarten classroom. Its not a typical

classroom; it is a Communication Disorder Unit. The majority of the children in my
classroom are non-verbal because of being on the Autism Spectrum, but there
are some that have a limited amount of language skills and still are labeled
Autistic. On the other hand though, there are a few children that are
developmentally delayed because of other disabilities and are non-verbal in my
classroom. Thus I am posing the question, How can the use of sign language
throughout the daily routine for all children help foster communications that are
non-verbal?
Background:
Autism interferes with normal brain development, causing deficits in
verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction and play. (Block, 2006)
Thus we try to include sign language in our daily schedule, during Speech
Therapy, so it can benefit all the children in the classroom that may or may not
have Autism. The use of sign language could ideally help all the children express
themselves when they cannot verbally communicate with others.

The Speech Therapist comes into our classroom to work on

communication skills three times a week. The whole class participates in speech
therapy. The Speech Therapist takes the lead role, my lead teacher, and I help
facilitate the learning with the children. Sign language is incorporated through
songs, activities, and practicing of words provided by the therapist. However,

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some of the higher functioning children are able to participate during this time
verbally by responding to simple questions and do not use sign language.

In Speech it is the goal to have the children use simple signs such as
yes, no, please, and thank you. These words are taught so they can start
to communicate with others during the day. However, Sundberg, hypothesized
that many sign language training programs may not be successful because first
signs taught are not mands. (Braam, 1991)

Words like yes, no, please, and thank you are important for
children to learn, but they sometimes are too abstract for them to understand
especially if they have Autism or other disabilities. Therefore, sometimes in
Speech there is focus on just the simple sign for the word more instead. When
the therapist does her activities, she will pause and say, I want more, and she
will make the sign for more. Sometimes a few children will copy her and make
the sign for more, others will not. The word more is simple and the child would
be able to express what they want, but on the contrary the child signing for more
might not understand what they are wanting more of.

To supplement learning to communicate through the use of sign

language that is acquired during Speech, educational music video time is included
in the schedule. These musical song videos that are shown on the SmartBoard are
about the alphabet, colors, or numbers to enhance learning. The first few weeks

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the class listened to the videos quietly, but one week, a few Autistic children who
are non-verbal started singing along with the musical songs.

This behavior is called Echolalic and is usually separated into two

categories on the basis of the temporal Echolalic behaviors, latency between the
original utterance and its subsequent repetition. Immediate echolalia refers to
utterances produced immediately following or a brief time after the production of
a model utterance, whereas delayed echoes are utterances repeated at a
significantly later time. (Sterponi, 2013) It was during the music time that the
non-verbal children would engage in this daily behavior singing with the music,
but would still not use sign language acquired during Speech. Then sporadically
throughout the day they might recite a song they have heard.
Data Collected:
One week during my internship I observed two children, one who is
showing traits of echolalia and one that is still non-verbal. In Figure 1 is a line
graph comparing the two childrens differences of how many times per day they
could make an audible sound or pronounce a familiar word.

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Figure 1:

For
five weeks I chose two different children to be my primary focus to see if they
obtained the use of sign language or verbal communication from the time spent in
Speech Therapy three times a week or outside of the Speech Therapy. In Figure 2
is a comparison chart of the two children I observed in five weeks of
developmental improvements.
Figure 2: Five Week Comparison Chart
Week 1
Week 4
Child 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 5
Unresponsiv
e when
spoken to
and made

Still
unresponsiv
e to adults
and other

Most of the
time was
still nonverbal and

Started to
sing along
with the
educational

Continued to
sing songs
during
music time

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Child 2

noises that
werent
words
throughout
the day.
Redirection
was needed
multiple
times during
the day.

children in
the
classroom.
Sounds
made that
werent
verbally
understood.

in need of
redirection.
At lunch
when he
wanted
more he
attempted
to sign
more after
observing
an adult.

songs during
music time,
but
unresponsiv
e when
asked what
a color was
even if he
just sang a
song about
the color.

and could
recite a
letter when
shown the
letter.

Unresponsiv
e when
spoken to by
adult or
other child
in the
classroom.

Started
using signs
to song,
Wheels on
the Bus
during
Speech.

Attempted
to use sign
no and
more
during
speech and
meals.

Said no!
occasionally
to mother
when she
dropped her
off in the
morning.

Still actively
trying to
make
correct signs
for no and
more.

Would sign
more for
more food
on his own.

Unfortunately, in my classroom sometimes the need for redirection

occurs because of a childs behavior. Sometimes we have to redirect a behavior
quickly and the sign for stop is not used, but sometimes there is an opportunity
to use both the word stop and show the sign for stop. Using both the sign for
stop and verbally saying it, I feel was positive management in behavior. Thus
Figure 3 shows my observations in the three common behavior problems in the
classroom and the results of the redirection without the sign and then with the
sign language.
Figure 3: Redirecting Trouble Behavior
Behavior

Redirected/No Sign
Redirected/Signed to Stop

Not sharing a toy.

Continued to not share

and cry.

Action stopped.

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Kicking the table at meal

time.

Continued to kick the

table and proceeded to
scream.

Action stopped.

Pulling hair.

Continued to pull hair.

Action usually continued

twice, then stopped after
a third redirection verbally
saying stop and signing
for stop the action would
stop.

Analyzed Data Collected:

When I decided to chart (Appendix A) a child with traits with echolalia
and one with non- echolalia traits, I noticed more sounds and words from videos
watched by the child with echolalia compared to the child that did not have
characteristics of echolalia. The amount of verbal language by the child with
echolalia was higher. Although, the one child who did not have characteristics of
echolalia did attempt to use sign language some more, but still struggled using it
daily.

It was through my evaluations during my internship and the use of the

comparison chart (Appendix B) of the two children that I started to observe small
improvements on their own communication skills in two different ways. The first
child started to be more verbal through the use of songs, sometimes even when
the songs were not being played. He also started to increase the use the sign for
"more" throughout the day. I feel as if the child is learning how to be verbal
through both use of songs and sign language. He even signed for more at meal
times for bread and verbally said more. The second child, would use the sign

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language during familiar songs and occasionally use the signs for more and no
during the day. I feel in time she will begin to emerge some verbal skills through
more time in school.

Through my observations of redirection of behavior problems in

Appendix C, I noticed a decrease in the troubled behavior when the sign for "stop"
was used compared to when it was not used. However, sometimes the need for
redirection was constantly needed day to day. Nonetheless, using the sign for
stop is an effective way to decrease the troubled behavior in this classroom, but
might not work in others.

After my observations were made, I spoke to Ms. Sandy, the Speech

Therapist at The Baker Center, about the use of sign language in the classroom
and how to use it more effectively. Her suggestion was simply to use it every day
in the classroom and encourage families to use it at home. During my internship it
is sometimes difficult because of childrens different disabilities and the constant
need of redirecting behavior. It is also difficult to advocate for families to use the
sign language who might not understand how to properly use sign.

During the 13 weeks of my internship I have seen some improvements in

the class as a whole in efforts to attempt to communicate verbally. Despite three
hours of speech therapy a week where there is emphasis on using sign language
to communicate, I noticed that the children are rarely using the skill. This is

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possibly because of encouragement by the teachers to have the children use

their words during the day; also the ones who have some language skills try to
communicate with words and some children try in other ways. On the other hand,
the children might not be using sign language because sometimes it is not used
constantly during the day after speech.

Nevertheless, I feel using sign language in a classroom with

communication disorders from either Autism or other disabilities could be
beneficial. It will slowly develop and could possibly help foster communication.
During my time as an intern, I have only seen the beginning stages of the process.
Also, maybe there can be an outreach to include the parents in the process to
help the children communicate better.

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References
Block, M. E. (2006, November). What is Autism. Teaching Elementary Physical
Education, 17(6), 7-11. Retrieved November 5, 2015

Braam, S. J. (1991). The Effects of Specific Versus Nonspecific Reinforcement on

Verbal Behavior. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 9, 19-28. Retrieved November
06, 2016.

Sterponi, L. (2013, March 7). Rethinking echolalia: Repetition as interactional

resource in communication of a child with autism. Cambridge
University Press, 275-304. Retrieved November 05, 2016.

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AppendixAppendix A:

Appendix B
Five Week Comparison Chart
Week 1
Week 4
Child 1

Child 2

Week 2

Week 3

Week 5
Unresponsiv
e when
spoken to
and make
noises that
werent
words
throughout
the day.
Redirection
was needed
multiple
times of day.

Still
unresponsiv
e to adults
and other
children in
the
classroom.
Sounds
made that
werent
verbally
understood.

Unresponsiv Started
e when
using signs

Most of the
time was
still nonverbal and
need of
redirection.
At lunch
when he
wanted
more he
attempted
to sign
more after
observing
an adult.

Started to
sing along
with the
educational
songs during
music time,
but
unresponsiv
e when
asked what
a color was
even if he
just sang a
song about
the color.

Continued to
sing songs
during
music time
and could
recite a
letter when
shown the
letter.

Attempted
to use sign

Said no!
Still actively
occasionally trying to

Would sign
more for
more food
on his own.

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spoken to by
adult or
child in the
classroom.

to song,
Wheels on
the Bus
during
Speech.
Appendix

no and
more
during
speech and
meals.
Continued

to mother
when
dropped her
off in the
morning.

make
correct signs
for no and
more.

Appendix C
Redirecting Trouble Behavior
Behavior

Redirected/No Sign
Redirected/Signed to Stop

Not sharing a toy.

Continued to not share

and cry.

Action stopped.

Kicking the table at meal

time.

Continued to kick the

table and proceeded to
scream.

Action stopped.

Pulling hair.

Continued to pull hair.

Action usually continued

twice, then stopped after
a third redirection verbally
saying stop and signing
for stop the action would
stop.