The Communication Matrix Presented by Nancy Steele Educational

The Communication Matrix Presented by Nancy Steele Educational Consultant nancy. k. steele@gmail. com IL DHH/VI Behavior Support Team Training Tinley Park and Belleville, IL September 18 &19, 2017

Why I Like the Communication Matrix • • • It focuses on what the child CAN do. It provides a road map for intervention. It helps determine what important skills are missing. (a. k. a. IEP goals) It gives a clear and concise visual picture. It should provide team members to start important conversations. It helps you look at behavior in a different way.

3 Direct Hands-on experiences Secondary Listening to a person teach or present information Incidental Occurs automatically without much effort The way most information is learned Typical Learning • 90% of learning is incidental • Learning progresses from the known to the unknown

Sensory challenges turn learning Upside Down

Sensory Impact on Learning Direct learning and hands-on experiences are essential and the best way to learn Secondary Incidental Secondary learning is difficult Incidental learning may not occur or is distorted 5

Communication Is…… A way to reach out to others A social act Interaction The exchange of a message A back and forth between 2 or more people Connection

Ground Rules for Communication • All persons are communicative !!! • Communication begins at birth • Our responses to persons with disabilities can help OR hinder communication development

BEHAVIOR IS COMMUNICATION

What is NOT necessary to communicate? l l l l Object permanence Cause-effect Imitation Matching Intentional communication Speech AT equipment

Elements of Communication Sender Receiver Means of expression Topic From: First Things First, Charity Rowland, Philip Schweigert, 2004

Forms of Communication - How children communicate • • Behavior Body movements Early sounds Facial expressions Simple gestures Concrete symbols Abstract symbols Combining abstract symbols

Functions of Communication – Why children communicate l l l l l Protest, refuse, reject object, stop disliked activity Request objects Request action Greeting “bye” “hi” “mama” Attention seeking Request for social routine, familiar game Request for comfort Comment on object (points to flower and says pretty) Comment on action (“uh-oh” or “ fall down” ) Request for information about an object or event

ASSESSMENT Communication Matrix By Charity Rowland Philip Schweigert A tool to identify a child’s communication skills

Communication Matrix • First published in 1990 and revised in 1996 and 2004. • Accommodates any type of communicative behavior. • Involves two major aspects of communication: the reason that individuals communicate and the behaviors they use to communicate. • Organized into 4 reasons to communicate: refuse, obtain, social interactions and information. • It covers seven levels of development occurring during the earliest stages of communication in typically developing individuals.

Communication Matrix • • Pre-symbolic levels Level I Pre-intentional behaviors Level II Intentional, but not purposefully communicative behaviors. Level III Pre-symbolic, non-conventional behaviors. Level IV Pre-symbolic, conventional behaviors.

Symbolic levels • Level V Concrete symbols. • Level VI Abstract symbols. • Level VII Language.

7 Levels of Communication • The seven levels range from Level 1, “pre-intentional behavior” that reflects a general state (think of the way a baby shows it is sleepy or uncomfortable) all the way up to Level 7, using language. In between are a range of ways to communicate, if we know how to look for them.

Level 1 Pre-Intentional Behavior • Behavior is not under the individual’s own control, but it reflects his general state (such as comfortable, uncomfortable, hungry or sleepy). • Caregivers interpret the individual’s state from behaviors such as body movements, facial expressions and sounds. In typically developing children, this stage occurs between 0 and 3 months of age.

Level 2 Intentional Behavior • Behavior is under the individual’s control, but it is not yet used to communicate intentionally. Individuals at this stage do not yet realize that they can use their own behaviors to control another person’s behavior. • Caregivers interpret the individual’s needs and desires from behaviors such as body movements, facial expressions, vocalizations and eye gaze. • In typically developing children, this stage occurs between 3 and 8 months of age.

Level 3 Unconventional Communication • INTENTIONAL COMMUNICATION BEGINS HERE. • Unconventional pre-symbolic behaviors are used intentionally to communicate. Communicative behaviors are “pre-symbolic” because they do not involve any sort of symbol; and they are "unconventional" because they are not socially acceptable for us to use as we grow older. • Communicative behaviors include body movements, vocalizations, facial expressions and simple gestures (such as tugging on people). • In typically developing children, this stage occurs between 6 and 12 months of age.

Level 4 Conventional Communication • Conventional pre-symbolic behaviors are used intentionally to communicate. Communicative behaviors are “pre-symbolic” because they do not involve any sort of symbol; they are “conventional" because they are socially acceptable and we continue to use them to accompany our language as we mature. The meanings of some gestures may be unique to the culture in which they are used. • Communicative behaviors include pointing, nodding or shaking the head, waving, hugging, and looking from a person to a desired object. Some vocalizations may also be used at this stage. Note that many of these gestures (and especially pointing) require good visual skills and may not be useful for individuals with severe vision impairment. In typically developing children, this stage occurs between 12 and 18 months of age.

Level 5 Concrete Symbols • SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION STARTS HERE • “Concrete" symbols that physically resemble what they represent, are used to communicate. Concrete symbols look like, feel like, move like, or sound like what they represent. Concrete symbols include pictures, objects (such as a shoelace to represent "shoe"), "iconic" gestures (such as patting a chair to say "sit down"), and sounds (such as making a buzzing sound to mean “bee”). Most individuals skip this stage and go directly to Level VI. For some individuals concrete symbols may be the only type of symbol that makes sense to them; for others they may serve as a bridge to using abstract symbols. • Typically developing children use concrete symbols in conjunction with gestures and words, generally between 12 and 24 months of age, but not as a separate stage.

Level 6 Abstract Symbols • Abstract symbols such as speech, manual signs, brailled or printed words are used to communicate. These symbols are “abstract” because they are NOT physically similar to what they represent. At this level they are used one at a time. • In typically developing children, this stage occurs between 12 and 24 months of age.

Language • Symbols (concrete or abstract) are combined into two- or threesymbol combinations ("want juice", "me go out"), according to grammatical rules. The individual understands that the meaning of symbol combinations may differ depending upon how the symbols are ordered. • In typically developing children, this stage begins around 24 months of age.

4 Reasons to Communicate • The Matrix is organized into four major reasons to communicate that appear across the bottom of the Profile: • Refuse things that we don't want • Obtain things that we do want • Engage in social interaction • Provide or seek information • Under each of these four major reasons are 24 more specific messages that people express. Each of these messages correspond to the 24 questions you answer as you complete the Matrix. The specific messages are arranged by Level and Reason.

Reasons to Communicate Probes 4 communication intents: • Refusing or rejecting – Express discomfort – Protest – Refuse or reject something • Getting what you want – – – – Express comfort Continue action Gets more of thing Request more of action Request new action Request more of thing Makes choice Request absent object • Social – – – – Attract attention Interest in other people Request attention Greets people Shows affection Offers things or shares Directs someone’s attention – Uses polite social forms • Information – Answers yes and no questions – Asks questions – Names things/people – Makes comments

9 Categories of Communicative Behavior

Under each of these four major reasons are 24 more specific messages that people express. Each of these messages correspond to the 24 questions you answer as you complete the Matrix. The specific messages are arranged by Level and Reason, as seen below. LEVEL REFUSE OBTAIN SOCIAL I -Expresses Discomfort -Expresses Comfort -Expresses Interest in Other People II -Protests -Continues an Action -Attracts Attention -Obtains More of Something III IV -Refuses or Rejects Something -Requests More of an Action -Requests a New Action -Requests More of an Object -Makes Choices -Requests a New Object V VI VII -Requests Objects that are Absent INFORMATION -Requests Attention -Shows Affection -Greets People -Offers Things or Shares -Direct Your Attention to Something -Uses Polite Social Forms -Answers "Yes" and "No" Questions -Asks Questions -Names Things or People -Makes Comments

Completing the Profile • The profile covers the first 2 years of communicative development in a typical child without disabilities • Three versions: Original, Especially for Parentswww. designtolearn. com On-line www. communicationmatrix. org • Profile chart gives a visual summary and helps identify next steps • Determine what level of communicative competence to target, and what communicative behaviors and functions to target

Getting Started … Please indicate the statement below that best describes the communications skills of your child • Statement A My child doesn't seem to have real control over his body yet. The only way I know that he wants something is because he fusses or whines when he's unhappy or uncomfortable, and he smiles, makes noises or calms down when he's happy and comfortable. This best describes the communication skills of my child. • Statement B My child has control over her own behaviors, but she doesn't use them to try to communicate to me. She doesn't come to let me know what she wants, but it's easy for me to figure out, because she tries to do things for herself. She knows what she wants, and her behavior shows me what she wants. If she runs out of something to eat, she will just try to get more, rather than trying to get me to give her more. This best describes the communication skills of my child. • Statement C My child clearly tries to communicate his needs to me. He knows how to get me to do something for him. He uses various gestures and sounds (like pointing, shaking his head, tugging at my arm or looking back and forth between me and what he wants) to communicate to me. For instance, when he wants more milk, he might hand his cup to me or point to the refrigerator. He doesn't use any sort of language to communicate. . . OR. . My child lets me know what she wants by using some form of language or symbolic communication (such as speech, printed words, Braille, picture symbols, threedimensional symbols, or sign language). When he uses his symbols it's clear that he understands what they mean. This best describes the communication skills of my child.

C 1. Refuses or Rejects Something Does your child intentionally show you that s/he doesn't want a certain thing or a certain activity? If so, what does your child do to refuse or reject something? Level 3 • Body movements – whole body movements (twist, turn away) – head movements (turn head away or to side) – arm or hand movements – leg movements (kick, stamp feet) • Early sounds – scream, whine • Facial expressions – frown, grimace • Simple gestures – pushes away object or person

Level 4 • Conventional gestures and vocalizations – gives unwanted item to you – shakes head – “no“ specific vocalizations ("uh-uh") Level 5 • Concrete symbols – rejects photo or drawing of unwanted item – rejects object symbol representing unwanted item Level 6 • Abstract symbols – – – spoken word ("no", "finished") manual sign ("no", "stop") written word ("no", "finished") brailled word ("no", "stop") abstract 3 -D symbol (For "no", "stop") abstract 2 -D symbol (For "no", "stop")

Scoring the Matrix • First decide if the child can express the message: “Intentionally show you he doesn’t want a certain thing or activity? ” • If he does, check off the behaviors he uses from the list. • Decide if the behaviors are emerging – Inconsistent, only when prompted or in only 1 or 2 contexts • Or mastered – Independently most of the time, in several contexts with different people

The Profile • 4 communicative intents presented vertically in 7 columns • Shade or color in the box of any skill that has a mastered behavior • Use a different color or diagonal lines for any skill that has only emerging behaviors • Visual summary of messages the child can communicate and behaviors used to communicate that message

Let’s Practice

Using the Matrix to plan instruction • Address specific intervention goals for the child’s current level – if the child has a very small number of communication behaviors or messages at the current Level • Start targeting some behaviors at the next higher Level.

Intervention Strategies • Level I – Pre-intentional Behaviors – Establish purposeful behavior by creating highly responsive environments. • Level II – Intentional Behaviors – Respond to potentially communicative behaviors so the child becomes aware that their behavior can make things happen. – Set up situations that require the child to interact with a communication partner to get what he wants.

Intervention Strategies • Level III – Unconventional Communication – Shape unconventional gestures into conventional gestures – Add communicative functions – Introduce symbols – pictures, objects, sign, words • Level IV – Conventional Communication – Teach 1: 1 correspondence between symbols (concrete or abstract) and the things they stand for – Calendar systems, memory books – Add communicative functions

Intervention Strategies • Level V – Concrete Symbols – Increase the vocabulary of symbols – Reduce size or completeness of symbols – Move toward abstract symbols • Level VI - Abstract Symbols – Teach combination of symbols into 2 -3 symbol utterances • Level VII – Language – Expand use of speech, print, or tangible symbols toward sentence structure

Using the Matrix to select goals • Target specific communicative behaviors – take into account the child's motor, fine motor, vocal and sensory abilities. • Target specific messages – gaps in the child's communication skills – new messages that the child really needs to be able to express.

Communication Matrix Community The community is a resource for anyone who supports someone with a severe communication disorder. Family members, educators, professionals, and researchers use the Forum to educate themselves and support each other.

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