Say more with less

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Say More with Less

Ever wonder why or how children develop language? It starts with exposure, a lot of exposure. Exposure based on interests. Consistent exposure based on shared experiences, that both parties are attending to fully. Attention, exposure, and growing awareness. I enjoyed the descriptive breakdown from a helpful article by The Hanen Centre about ways to build vocabulary: http://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Articles/Repeat.aspx.
 
Why build vocabulary?
 
Simple. This is how language is both understood and formed. This is the way all of our children develop, regardless of needs. This is the way language exposure to secondary languages are also formed. We have to both understand vocabulary and then apply vocabulary in order to build and utilize language to its fullest form. Using language fully positively impacts communication.
 
Communication yields connection.
 
We all strive for connection. Connection, growth, understanding, support, and stimulation – newness – development. All of us.
 
Now take this a step further. When we are teaching our littlest ones to both understand and use new vocabulary, and build language, and communicate with us, we are not teaching an overly complex system to them, nor are we requiring complexity in order to connect. Our little ones also need to know anywhere from 50-300 words before they start adequately combining words in a manner that supports further development and growth. We grow with them.
 
How will they know 50-300 words?
 
Vocabulary. My point is simple. Expose vocabulary. Repeat words of interest. Do this over and over again with a platform of success, fun, engagement, and interaction. Watch language naturally grow from there. Use a variety of parts of speech, not just nouns. Our app makes this very easy to do. Just pick up the app and choose a group to open, and explore it beginning to end. Don’t stop on “happy” or “big” or “eat” when we can get to “connected” and “yucky” and “think”. How fun to grow with each other, one word at a time, so many smiles at a time.
 
I had a speech student just yesterday accidentally see a grid of the faces of the many students I see virtually to support speech development. She is 6 years old, has severe apraxia, and English is her second language, and we use the app each session to model words, development, and have a way for her to practice her speech in both languages outside of therapy sessions. Once the impact hit, she said pleadingly, and concerned, “Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. You have all these other children. Please please don’t leave, me.”
 
Ok this hard, not gonna lie. Hard and satisfying. Hard hearing her concern at her young age. Her awareness. Satisfying knowing that with this platform and all we are doing to reach others, it’s working. It makes a difference. One word, many smiles, at a time.
 
Say more with less required words and more involved interaction, attention, listening, and support. And watch the seeds you are planting blossom and grow, in their time.
 
~Danielle
Weitzman, E. (2017). It Takes Two to Talk: A practical guide for parents of children with language delays. Toronto: The Hanen Centre.

Free Printable Communication Boards

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Free Printable Communication Boards

On our website > Menu > FAQs and More! > Free Printable Communication Boards BRIDGE Communication app makes learning and growing through connection FUN - FAST - and, best of all, it WORKS!!

Stay tuned to login to monthly releases to enhance your teaching, their learning, and everyone’s overall success!

BRIDGE Communication apps ⚡️It’s fun. It’s fast. It works!

Click here to go to our Free Printable Communication Boards page!

3×3 grid Size

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3x3 Grid Size

Also referred to as field size. It’s an important feature in AAC devices and apps, and one that holds a lot of interest and discussion.

We chose our fixed 3×3 grid intentionally. We beta tested over 100 users with their caregivers and support team and unanimously, the 3×3 grid was chosen. We do have a HIDE/SHOW feature in the Settings Menu of our app in which you can decrease the field size with a 3 second hold on any item, group, or navigation button if field size limitations and/or navigation limitations are preferred. Video featured below. However, you cannot increase our field size. And our intention is to keep it that way.

Why? In a world of more, and in a world where very large field sizes are often the gold standard in AAC, why is our company going against that?

Because it works.

We watched our users. Trust me, I wanted the 10×10 field size. I have been in AAC for 21 years and boy was I really wanting a lot on a page. But our people flat out didn’t like it. They walked away from $85,000 of other devices we had because they flat out didn’t like it. We watched for rate of response, negation behaviors, emotional dysregulation, pushing systems and devices away. We watched for interaction with others, calming states, emotional ease without labor. We watched for smiles. We watched for stims. We watched for percetage of language learning opportunities. We watched for accuracy. We watched for ability to intake new information. And when we found the right match, the 3×3 grid size, our users refused to give our devices back to us at the end of the therapy session. They loved it!

We listened.

We changed our app to move seamlessly, and quickly. Which also then lead us to not offer a variety of voices. The 3rd party voices slowed down our app, and our kids choose not to have that option in lieu of instantaneous biofeedback. We see the entire app as the “grid size”, but the point of intake is just 8-9 at the most on the screen, which is close to the average memory chunking competent without rehearsal of details.

It’s natural. It decreases processing. It increases automaticity.

It works.

We’ve had hallmark AAC individuals turn us away at the door saying until we had an option for more than a 3×3 grid size, they were not interested in seeing our product.

We’ve had hallmark AAC hospital leaders ask us, in person, at ISAAC in Australia, why we were not the ones up there presenting.

People have their opinions.

Ours just happens to be based in experience, trial sizes, and validity of results in increasing language exposure across a wide spectrum of users to prompt communication growth through support.

We’re here for you! With open eyes, ears, and minds.

~Danielle