Page 1. What is a Topic Board? A topic board is a no-technology communication board made up of symbols or just text. It can be very helpful for children and youth with communication difficulties to clarify their message when the context is not known or can be used to initiate a conversation.

What is the purpose of a communication board?

A communication board (other names: theme board /aided language display) is a picture symbol board that can be used to support an interaction around an activity. The pictures (words) on the board will enable a child and the adult supporting them to make comments, requests or give a direction to each other.

What are some examples of AAC?

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Systems. Unaided Communication Systems: Systems that enable communication that relies on the user’s body (language) to deliver messages. Examples include gestures, eye gaze, vocalizations, sign language, and facial expressions (adapted from ASHA [2016a]).

What is a speech board?

A communication board is a device that displays photos, symbols, or illustrations to help people with limited language skills express themselves. The user can gesture, point to, or blink at images to communicate with others. Communication boards are one type of augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) device.

What are core boards?

Core boards are a form of low-tech AAC that includes core vocabulary for a given activity. SLPs use this in many settings, but parents, take note! It can easily be used at home.

How do you make a core board?

1. Print out the core board and fringe vocabulary on A3 paper.
2. Cut real estate board out so that the core board and fringe strips have 1-2cm of space around them.
3. Laminate everything and cut out the fringe strips.
4. Use duct tape to tape the core board to the real estate board.

What is a symbol board?

Picture symbol boards are graphic representations of spoken and written language. They serve as an alternative to conventional language, allowing even very young nonspeaking persons a method of communicating.

What is a core board communication?

The core vocabulary board This is a board containing symbols that represent the most frequent words of a language. … The 50 most frequently used words in daily communication account for about half of total words spoken. Core vocabulary boards are used to support both receptive and expressive communication.

What are the disadvantages of pecs?

Also if it is left behind somewhere the child does not have their words with them to express themselves.” Another disadvantage of PECS is that communication is limited. If a student does not have a specific card for a specific object, they are unable to request that object using the PECS system (Kluth, 2003).

What are the two main types of AAC system?

What types of AAC are often used? AAC incorporates all the tools and strategies a person can use to communicate, when they are not able to speak. Often we break them into 2 groups: Unaided and Aided AAC.

Article first time published on

Are Pecs considered AAC?

Developed in 1985 by Andy Bondy and Lori Frost, PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is an AAC system that uses symbols, communication books, specific prompting, and reinforcement to teach functional communication skills to individuals who may be non-verbal or find verbal communication challenging.

What is Proloquo2Go used for?

Proloquo2Go is an easy to use communication app for people who cannot speak or need help being understood. Featuring natural sounding voices, including real children’s voices, Proloquo2Go is a simple yet powerful AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) tool.

What is a core board for autism?

There are a few different versions of core boards currently used across New Zealand. Essentially, a core board is a colourful board with symbols that are fixed in place. This is known as the ‘core vocabulary’.

What is the difference between Podd and pecs?

PECS only allow for a few sentence forms, and can cause barriers to further language development. PODD lets you say a lot more, and gives you more authentic experience with communication.

How many core words are there?

The Universal Core vocabulary is a set of 36 highly useful single words that can be used alone or in combination to communicate for a range of purposes on countless topics with a wide variety of communication partners.

What is masking in AAC?

Masking is the process of hiding specific words or symbols on an AAC system – it’s a fancy way of saying ‘covering up some of the words for a short while’. Masking should only ever be a temporary measure to support language development.

How are alphabet boards used?

An alphabet board may be suitable for people who have literacy skills. It can be used to share messages by spelling out whole words, or to clarify spoken words. … Additional design features can be requested to meet a person’s individual needs, such as vision or hand skills, or increased durability.

What does board maker do?

Boardmaker is a complete special education platform that supports education, communication, access and social/emotional needs of more than six million students in 51 countries. At home, at school, or in a clinical practice, Boardmaker drives your student’s success.

What is the difference between Pecs and PCS?

What is PECS vs. PCS? PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is one method of teaching the use of symbol systems (cause and effect). PCS (Picture Communication Symbols) are the actual pictures for communicating.

Who can use a communication board?

Communication boards are particularly useful when such patients want to communicate with their medical team how they feel or what they need to keep them comfortable. A communication board is a low-tech way for people of all ages with communication difficulties to express themselves.

What is a low-tech communication board?

Low-Tech: These systems are methods of communicating that are not battery powered and are usually cheaper to make. Common examples of lo-tech systems include picture exchanging, printed word boards, communication books & sign language.

How can communication boards be Customised to different individuals?

Communication boards are usually customized to the individual user. Oftentimes, they have a combination of letters (to spell specific words) and high-frequency/core words (e.g. bathroom, pain, help, food) to help individuals communicate effectively and efficiently.

What is core board paper?

Core is another type of kraft paper which is broadly used for making high quality cores. It has high strength and works with machines running at high speed to make cores for toilet paper, films & foils etc. It is made from 100% recycled fibre and offered in Ply bond range starting from 200 to 600.

What is core vocab?

Core Vocabulary is a term used to describe a relatively small set of words that are used most frequently in oral and written language.

Do PECS hinder speech?

Apparently there is no evidence to suggest that PECS hinders speech production but might actually aid in increased speech production (Schwartz et al. 1998).

What are the 6 phases of PECS?

• PECS PHASE I: How to Communicate. …
• PECS PHASE II: Distance and Persistence. …
• PECS PHASE III: Picture Discrimination. …
• PECS PHASE IV: Sentence Structure. …
• PECS PHASE V: Answering Questions. …
• PECS PHASE VI: Commenting.

What are the benefits of PECS?

Learning PECS can help to reduce the high levels of frustration often experienced by a child who can’t express their wants and needs. PECS helps a child to learn how to initiate interactions with others and understand the cause and effect nature of communicating (i.e. you do something and you get something in return).

What are fringe words?

Fringe words are very specific words. They have a more narrow meaning than core words and they describe particular things. Fringe words are often easier to teach because you can picture them and explain them through images. However, core words are more flexible to use with communication partners.

Who qualifies for an AAC device?

Anyone can qualify for an AAC device, but a Speech Language Pathologist will focus on certain areas in the evaluation. Certain areas include sensory and motor evaluations, hearing screenings, speech sound assessments, spoken language assessments, written language assessments, social and cognitive assessments.

Who can benefit from AAC?

• Children and adults with speech and intellectual disabilities – non-verbal, partially verbal and single word communicators.
• Children and adults with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down’s Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, PDD-NOS, Aphasia, Apraxia or any other condition that affects speech.

What are the three communication strategies?

When communication occurs, it typically happens in one of three ways: verbal, nonverbal and visual.