Augmentative/Alternati

ve Communication
(AAC)
Symbols

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Communication

Communication: The process of imparting to one

another ideas, thoughts, feelings or opinions by means
of signs, signals, and symbols expressed consciously
or unconsciously; a broader and more inclusive term
than language or speech (Travis- 1971)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Communication (cont.)

Individuals communicate in various ways

incorporating many components which
work together as a whole complex
system.
This system is comprised of an
integrated network of symbols,
techniques, aids, and strategies (STAS).

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Augmentative Components

Standard augmentative techniques include

writing, gestures, and facial expressions
(used by persons w/o communication
problems as well as by some individuals
with severe communication impairments).
Special augmentative techniques and
devices include pointing to pictures on a
board and a speech generating device
(SGD) (used by persons w/ severe
communication impairments).

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Components of
Communication Systems
Symbols *
Techniques
Aids
Strategies

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Symbol

(definition) something that stands for or represents

something else [the referent] [Vanderheiden & Yoder,
1986, p. 15]

Examples (of symbols): a word, picture, sign (e.g. ASL),

gesture, Blissymbol, speech sound, objects, photos

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Types of symbols

UNAIDED
produced on/with the body
Examples: signs, speech

AIDED
produced with external assistance

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Symbol Types
Unaided (i.e.,
requires no external
equipment in order to
produce):
Examples- gestures,
vocalizations, facial
expressions, body
language, manual sign
systems
Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622
Aided (i.e.,requires
external equipment to
produce):
Examples-pictures, photos,
letters (which require a
computer or
communication book)
Types of Unaided symbols

Gestures and Vocalizations

Manual Sign Systems
Considerations for Use
Combining Signs and Speech
Types of Sign Systems
National Sign Language (ASL)
Manually Coded English system (Contact Sign)
Tactile Signing

h Stevens, SPSI 622

Types of Aided symbols

Tangible symbols
Objects and parts, miniatures, textured
Pictorial symbols
Photos, Line-drawings, and various picture symbols including Picture
Communication Symbols (PCS), Widgit, Pictograms, Blissymbols, PCR,
Gus, Pics for PECs, SymbolStix,Imagine Symbols, Unity (PRC)
Orthographic symbols
Braille, fingerspelling,Morse code, printed
words

Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Types of Aided symbols

Tangible symbols
Pictorial symbols
Orthography and Orthographic symbols
Combined Symbol Systems (Aided and unaided)

h Stevens, SPSI 622

Symbols

Vary in complexity

Vary in recognizability (or

iconicity)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Iconicity (defined)

any association that an individual forms between a

symbol and its referent (Schlosser, 2003, p.350)
Correspondence between form and meaning (Merriam-
Webster)
the conceived similarity or analogy between the form
of a sign and its meaning (Wikipedia)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Iconicity Continuum
(i.e., symbol guessability)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Iconicity

Iconicity hypothesis
symbols having a strong resemblance to their
referents [are] easier to learn and remember than
those symbols having a weak visual relationship
[Fuller & Stratton, 1991, p.52]

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Iconicity (continued)

Some manual signs have high iconicity

(e.g., eat & drink) but others do not and
are not easily discernible (e.g., toilet,
help)
Gestures generally tend to have higher
iconicity than many signs
While visual-graphic symbols tend to be
uniformly highly iconic, some are more
transparent than others (e.g., PCS vs.
Bliss)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Aided symbol hierarchy for
nondisabled/disabled
Objects
Color photographs
Black & white photographs
Miniature objects
Color Line Symbols (e.g., Picture Communication
Symbols)
Black & White Line Symbols (e.g., Picsyms)
Blissymbols
Printed words

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622
Tangible symbols

Objects
Miniatures
Parts of objects
Textured symbols

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Two-dimensional pictorial symbols

Photos
Line-Drawing Symbols
Picture Communication Symbols (PCS)
Widgit Symbols
Pictograms
Blissymbols
Others (Gus, Symbolstix, Imagine)
Unity (formerly Minspeak)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Picture Communication Symbols
(PCS)

Produced by Mayer-Johnson
Includes thousands of symbols available through
software, iPad APPS
Provides option of labels in numerous languages

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Picture Communication Symbols
(PCS)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Picture Communication Symbols
(PCS)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Widgit Symbols

Started out as family company in UK

30 years ago with Writing with Symbols
Includes 12 thousand symbols representing 40 K
words/phrases
Provides many teaching resources/products in addition
to symbols which support literacy

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Widgit Symbols

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

More symbols for comparison

Which cat symbol do you prefer?

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Literacy Programs

Writing with Symbols has been replaced by Widgit

Essentials which includes two programs:
Communicate: In Print
Communicate: Symwriter
For information go to:
https://widgit.com/wws2000prog/usa.htm

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Widgit Symbols

Visit Widgit and take the Non-reader test to experience

first-hand the value of symbols to support
understanding.
http://www.widgit.com/about/index.htm

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Pictograms

Symbols (white on black) which may improve figure-

ground discrimination
More iconic than Bliss symbols but less than PCS (i.e.,
they are translucent)
Used widely in Scandinavian countries
http://www.pictogram.se

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Pictogram Symbols

cat mother rain come know

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Various Other Symbol Sets

Picture Communication Resources

Gus Communication Symbols
Pics for PECS
Symbolstix
Imagine Symbols

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Blissymbolics

System developed by Charles Bliss for international

communication
Currently composed of over 2,000 graphic symbols
Forms may be combined/recombined in endless ways to
create new symbols and meanings

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Blissymbols

Some are pictographs

Some are ideographs

education

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Blissymbols

Go to www.blissymbolics.org
www.blissymbolics.us/dictionary/

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Unity (Minspeak)

A representational system developed by Bruce Baker

(of Semantic Compaction Co.) and adopted by Prentke
Romich Company (PRC)
Originally termed Minspeak and based upon a
concept of semantic compaction
Uses multiple symbol sequences termed iconic
encoding

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Unity (i.e., iconic encoding)(formerly
Minspeak)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622
Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622
Orthography & Orthographic
symbols
Braille
Fingerspelling (Visual and tactile)
Morse Code (rate enhancement)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Combined symbol systems (Aided &
unaided)
Makaton
Approach to teach communication, language, literacy (widely
used in UK)
Combines speech, manual signs, graphic symbols
Core vocabulary (450 concepts) taught in eight stages

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Symbol Selection

Relates to knowledge about the kinds of symbols

learned most easily and, in turn, utilized most
effectively

Relies upon matching the capabilities of the individual

and the learning requirements of the symbols under
consideration for selection

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Symbol Use

Effective communication of symbols is related to their

intelligibility or the extent to which the symbols are
understood by the conversational partner of the symbol
user
Visual-graphic symbols may be preferable to signs
because they are more easily understood

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Symbol learning

Learning symbols is related to symbol iconicity

(recognizability) and impacted by culture, experience,
age

Learning signs, one type of unaided symbol, is related

to imitation skills and motor coordination

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Developing Symbol understanding
in children
Impacted by iconicity but also by childs experience w/
pictures, verbal comprehension, understanding of
partners intent, and motivation
Abstract concepts symbolized affected by
concreteness, familiarity, context, wholeness, color,
focus (suggestive of importance of visual scene
displays)

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622
Activity

Review list of resources to explore under

Week2/Module2
Visit this resource on Symbols:
http://talksense.weebly.com/symbols.html
Read up about Symbols. This article includes excellent
information about symbols, their characteristics and use. It
has tips on training, etc.

Dr. Lizbeth Stevens, SPSI 622