Vocabulary Selection: Core Words Fringe Words

4 areas of communicative competence

1. linguistic

2. operational

3. social

4. strategic

LOSS

linguistic

• expressive/receptive language

• syntax, semantics

• core words/fringe words

operational

how to physically operate the device

• technical skills needed to operate the AAC system accurately and efficiently

• turning it on/off

• charging (battery)

• navigation

social

how can I use it pragmatically

• interactions such as taking turns, initiating

• all communicative functions

strategic

How to best repair communication

• compensatory strategies such as resolving communication breakdowns

• interacting with unfamiliar people

the goal of AAC

autonomous communication

“being able to say what I want to say, to whoever I want to say it to, whenever I want to say it, ho

communication functions

• Storytelling →real, imaginary

• Recounting something/what happened

• Requests

• Safety/Care (abuse, medical needs)

• Greetings

• Small Talk

• Jokes

• Comment

• Reject

• Opinions

• Reflection

• Social Closeness

• Social Etiquette

• Establish/Maintain Relationships

candidacy

• Outdated model

• Based on prerequisites

• People were viewed as “too”

  • Too young, old, delayed…

• Gatekeepers of language/communication

• If you don’t have language or a reliable means of communication, how can you be “tested”

participation

• Endorsed by ASHA

• Based on the functional participation requirements of peers without disabilities who are the same age

• How do we remove barriers

• Looks at communication needs for today and in the future

stakeholders

• AAC user/client/patient/student

• Parent/caregiver(s)

• Family members

• Peers

• Teachers

• SLPs

all people who are involved in the desicion making

1. Life partners (mom, dad, spouse)

2. Close friends and relatives

3. Acquaintances

4. Paid Workers (us! we are pretty far out)

5. Unfamiliar Communication Partners

3 frameworks for selecting vocabulary

1. functional

2. developmental

3. cogntiive

functional framework

• Health/Medical

• Quick Phrases

• High Frequency

• Specific to the Environment

developmental framework

Language Learning

• Typical Development

cognitive framework

• Reason

• Complex ideas

• Cognitive-conceptual

• Recurrence=more

• Non-existence=gone

AAC user’s language

core words

• High Frequency, small set up words

• Make up ~80% of what we communicate

• Apply across settings (generalize)

• Abstract

High Frequency, small set up words

core vs fringe

core

Make up ~80% of what we communicate

core vs fringe

core

Apply across settings (generalize)

core vs fringe

core

abstract

core vs fringe

core

when are core words powerful?

alone and when combined with fringe words

fringe words

• Specific words

• Make up ~20% of what we communicate daily

• Mostly nouns

• Easy to represent/understand out of context

• Powerful when highly motivating

specific words

core vs fringe

fringe

Make up ~20% of what we communicate daily

core vs fringe

fringe

mostly nouns

core vs fringe

fringe

Easy to represent/understand out of context

core vs fringe

fringe

Powerful when highly motivating

core vs fringe

fringe

Can be combined with core words to grow language

fringe words

5 things to think about when selecting vocabulary

1. Context/environment in which the vocabulary might be used

2. Length of time the word will be relevant

3. Whether it can elicit and maintain interaction with people

4. Whether the word will facilitate the development of grammatical structures

5. Whether the word supports the acquisition/expression of new structures

balance of core and fringe words

you have to have a balance of both!

we are focusing on core because everyone else focuses on fringe because they are tangible and not abstract

Aided Language Input/Modeling/Stimulation

• Aided=external aid/device

• light/mid/high tech

• modeling on the system of the AAC user is using