Language is so much more involved than I had ever imagined. Grace continues to learn new sign language (she's picking each new word up quite quickly) and she has now progressed into labeling. In brief, as I have learned it so far, there are several functional categories to a word -
Mand (request/ask)
Tact (label)
Echoic/Mimetic (immitation)
Intraverbal (answering a question/filling in the blank)
Receptive (responding to a request, i.e. 'touch your nose')
RFFC (Receptive by feature, function and class - 'touch the round one')
Textual (reading)
Early in the program, Grace had very few mands (this is typical of an Autistic child - keeping to themselves, not needing or interacting with other people, self-stimulating or finger flapping). Amber is keeping statistics and that number increased from 5 to more than 80 mands per hour (on average) in the first four weeks. We all know it is important to be able to communicate and ask for what you want and/or need. As Grace's signing vocabulary has increased, late in the fourth week she has started working on Tacts. This involves using a picture of an object, rather than the actual object itself, and asking Grace 'what is it' - she is now successfully 'tacting' candy (of course, m & m's), ball, and a few others. This means that when she looks at the picture, she uses sign (and sometimes some vocal) to tell Amber 'what it is'. She is also in the early stages of some echoic/mimetic and intraverbal (as in 'do this' - Amber hugs the bear and she immitates, and 'ready set . . . ' and Grace says 'go').
The intention is not to teach Grace to communicate with sign over the long term, but to use sign as a bridge to functional verbal communciation. We've had several verbal successes at this point - very distinctive 'go' (playing on the swing), 'ball' (when she wants the yellow ball), and 'bubble' (when she wants to play with the bubbles). Bubble is the most exciting, because it is very deliberate! She was inconsistently saying 'bye-bye' before AVB, but now is very consistent and mostly unprompted in her delivery (unless she's in a hurry!).
Part of the 'pairing' and manding process, Grace is playing 'crash' with Miss Trina
Telling Miss Amber to 'go' each time on the swing.
Working at the table with Miss Amber. The facial contact is unbelievable! Amber has done an incredible job making play 'fun' for Grace! And that is the whole idea behind this process. Play should be more fun 'with someone' than by yourself!
The last day of the first four week session making cookies with Miss Carol. Carol Afflerbaugh developed the program and is a licensed Speech Pathologist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She's incredible!I was able to snag a couple of video clips of Grace's activities. This one is her 'working' at the table matching blocks to squares on paper and putting together an 8 piece puzzle. video And this one is 'playing', which, with this program, is still 'working'. If you listen closely you'll here her saying 'go' to get Amber to push her higher! video
These links take you to Youtube.com where I've uploaded the video clips.
We've also just learned of a newly-published book for parents, teachers, and therapists - Teaching Toward Recovery - by Robert Schramm - would be a great resource for local libraries, etc. It is a Teaching Manual for the Verbal Behavior Approach (AVB - the therapy Grace is receiving in Detroit) to Applied Behavior Analysis as it regards to the education of children with autism and other developmental delays.
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