Descriptive Questions

By: Chris Klein, PRC-Saltillo Blogger

It was my freshman year at Hope College and I was in psychology class.  I have met the professor before classes started, but when he asked the first question of the class, he was surprised my foot shot up into the air.  He immediately called on me.  He waited for me to program my answer but was amazed that I was willing to put myself out there right away on the first question.  He expected a student with a communication disability to be shy.  He expected me to be not willing to engage the class because I had a communication device.  However, I was ready to engage, and I was ready to want to be a part of the class.   

I am approached by parents and families with a version of the following question.  Now that we have obtained or are going to obtain an electronic voice output communication aid for our son or daughter, what should we want from therapists and teachers as a long-term goal for our child? 

I tell them that the social use of an AAC device can be more important than its role in a classroom. Participation in class by answering specific questions like, what do we call the middle of a cell?  Nucleus can be part of academic life for an augmented communicator. However, answering such questions regularly puts a burden on teachers, therapists, and family members to supply such homework words on a weekly or even daily basis. Such activity also tends to replace learning how to communicate as an interesting person with one’s classmates, family, and friends.  

Another statement made by some parents is even more concerning.  I already know what my child needs, so we don’t need a communication device. The little child saying words like, “you get off,” demonstrate that we probably don’t know what my child is about to say. Many parents and teachers don’t believe AAC communicators can achieve adequate language skills. They are defining functional communication as just requesting things, or just telling somebody what they need or want.  Functional communication is arguing, trash talking, sharing thoughts, sharing feelings, objecting, and a whole lot of other things!   

There is so much more to communication, but we don’t expect an AAC communicator to achieve the language skills that are needed to develop these important self-advocacy skills, which are so important in developing relationships, advocating for education, employment, and community involvement.    

To develop these skills a person needs to learn how to describe things with common everyday language.  Therefore, asking them a descriptive question in a class or social setting is necessary, so that they can learn how to describe things.  

One of the most important things I learned early on was how to describe things.  Yes, this was back in 1979, so there was no way to add a word for each subject.  I had to either figure out how to describe what I needed or figure out how to sound out the word with phonetics.   

We have come a long way from back then and adding frequently used fringe words is great.  However, trying to add specific words for every subject gets frustrating to the parent.  As I teach this to teachers, I usually ask them what words do you think I need on my communication device when you must teach about George Washington.  I usually get a list of cherry, tree, revolutionary war, army, etc. These are all great, but if you are going to add all these specific words for every topic, it is going to get overwhelming for the AAC communicator and whoever is adding these words.   

When a person is asked who is George Washington?  The person can answer he was the first person in charge of our country.  He never told a lie.  By giving the person the chance to describe George Washington, it gives the person the opportunity to answer with core vocabulary.  It helps develop a valuable skill that they are going to be able to use in multiple settings.   

This is where a teacher can not only challenge the student, but also build upon the language skills she or he is already developing.  The teacher can ask the student a descriptive question, so that the student can keep building on the language skills.  Descriptive questions allow the student to answer with core vocabulary.  It allows the teacher to correct grammar syntax, which builds on the student’s language development.   Programming special vocabulary into the AAC device for every subject isn’t doing the student service because it isn’t developing his or her language skills.  

My teachers were able to see me build sentences, which showed them that they weren't challenging me enough.  They were able to correct my grammar and syntax, which allowed me to grow in my language skills.   

This helped everybody to assess my language skills.  I was put in special education, but once I was able to express myself properly, they were able to see that I needed to be challenged.  I was put in the regular classroom starting in third grade.   

The teachers taught me like all their other students, giving me a chance to answer their descriptive questions about a subject.  We had a word of the day contest, which we would have to define.  Whoever defined it correctly first received a prize for that day.  This was to help build onto our ever-expanding vocabulary, but also help us build our language skills by having us describe the word, instead of just naming it.  This was the key to my success because if I don’t have the same opportunities to learn, I am going to be far behind my classmates.   

I don’t remember one time programming homework words into my device.  My teachers asked me descriptive questions.  “What is Photosynthesis?”  I was able to answer, “It is the process of how plants use the sun and light to make food.”  I was learning about what photosynthesis was, but I learned how to describe it with the everyday language.   

It is important to build onto a person’s vocabulary with these educational vocabulary words.  However, we don’t have to program these words into their device.  A person can describe these words by using everyday language.  This is better for him or her because the parent, teacher, or student aide can correct syntax and grammar.  This is how the person is going to build on his or her language skills, and thus become a more effective and efficient communicator.