The Pragmatics Profile

for People who use AAC

Published by
Ace Centre Hollinwood Business Centre Albert Street Oldham OL8 3QL

Tel 0161 358 0151

[email protected]
www.acecentre.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 1089313

Adapted by
Suzanne Martin, Katherine Small and Rachel Stevens.

Acknowledgements
The original Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills in Children was
written by Hazel Dewart and Susie Summers. This revised version has been created
with the permission of NFER-Nelson.

We would like to thank the families and therapists who took the time to give feedback
on this edition.

Any enquiries regarding the use and re-use of this resource should be sent to
[email protected]

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Introduction

The Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication

Skills in Children

The Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills in Children,

originally developed in 1988 by Hazel Dewart and Susie Summers, has
been used extensively by Speech and Language Therapists for many
years. It was initially intended for use with pre-school aged children,
however it was extended for use with children up to the age of 10 years
when a revised edition was published in 1995. A Pragmatics Profile of
Everyday Communication Skills in Adults was developed in 1996 to provide
a way of exploring communication at stages in the lifespan from adolescent
to elderly person.

Dewart and Summers (1995) identified the need for an approach that
explored everyday communication skills in children. The traditional
approaches, such as standardised assessment and testing children within
clinical settings, were felt to be limiting the understanding of how children
communicate in a range of environments with a variety of communication
partners. The development of the Profile was intended to provide
practitioners with a means of collecting information about a child’s
communication skills outside the clinical setting, and focused more on their
communication abilities within everyday life. The Profile was based on the
pragmatic approach to understanding language which emphasises how
communication is achieved, how language is used to communicate a variety
of intentions, the related needs of the listener, and how children participate in
conversation and discourse (Bates 1976, cited in Dewart and Summers
1995).

Dewart and Summers (1995) based the format of The Pragmatics Profile of Everyday
Communication Skills in Children on a parental interview schedule originally developed
by Kay Mogford (1973, cited in Dewart and Summers 1995). The style of the schedule
is structured but is intended to be delivered informally through discussion with
parents/carers. It uses open ended questions which allows more opportunities for
interviewees to contribute their knowledge about the child’s communication.

Dewart and Summers (1995) are clear in their manual about the reliability
and validity of their Profile. They assert that the Profile adopts a descriptive,
qualitative approach and is not a measure. The validity of the Profile rests in
the research base relating to pragmatics rather than in any correlations with
scores on other assessments or developmental scales.

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The development of The Pragmatics Profile for
People who use AAC
Dewart and Summers (1995) suggested that The Pragmatics Profile of
Everyday Communication Skills in Children could be used with a wide range
of children, including those with physical difficulties and non-verbal children.
Dewart and Summers (1995:19) offer suggestions on how to use the Profile
with particular clients groups and advise that:

when interviewing parents or carers of children who are

predominantly non-verbal, questions that mention ‘talking’ or
‘conversation’ can be reworded to refer to ‘interaction’.

We have used The Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills in

Children with individuals who use Augmentative and Alternative
Communication (AAC) for many years and have adapted it in an adhoc way.
Delivering any interview relies on considerable expertise in juggling the
dynamics of questioning, recording and responding to answers. At times we
have found it challenging to not only deliver the interview but also adapt the
wording of questions and examples ‘in the moment’.

Our aim was to adapt The Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills in
Children to make it more ‘AAC friendly’ so that it was not necessary to keep changing it
in the moment. We wanted to make a resource that was easy to administer, that would
allow clinicians to collect information about a person’s reasons to communicate and
their ability to participate in interactions. We wanted to produce a resource that would
allow clinicians to successfully describe a person’s functional communication skills
rather than focusing on a linguistic model of description such as ‘client is at a 3 word
level’. This would allow clinicians to better define which skills need developing and in
turn contribute to better quality targets for individuals using AAC.

Each question was systematically appraised for its relevance and

appropriateness to individuals who use AAC and changes were made.
Significant changes were made to the prompt examples provided. The order
of the questions was modified and four sections were created: Establishing
context and motivation, Reasons to communicate and reactions to
communication, Contextual variation, Participation in conversation.

The Profile should be used with individuals who have used AAC in the past,
are currently using AAC, or where you feel that an individual is using informal
modes of AAC and you wish to introduce more formal methods.

The Pragmatics Profile for People who use AAC is not designed to be a
general communication or pragmatic assessment. Other resources, such as

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The Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication Skills in Children (Dewart
and Summers 1995), The Early Communication Assessment (Coupe-O’Kane
and Goldbart 1998), Affective Communication Assessment (Coupe-O’Kane
and Goldbart 1998) and the Manchester Pragmatics Profile (Coupe-O’Kane
and Goldbart 1998), can be used to gather information not specifically relating
to AAC.

Administering The Pragmatics Profile for

People who use AAC
Dewart and Summers (1995) provide detailed guidance on how to
administer the original Profile. For those who are new to carrying out the
Profiles, we recommend reading their full guidance beforehand.

It is a good idea to familiarise yourself with The Pragmatics Profile for People
who use AAC before beginning the interview. An awareness of the
questions will help you to listen out for the key points, and foreknowledge of
what sections are coming up later will help you to structure the session to get
a broad picture of the person’s abilities.

The Profile can either be printed out for the interviewer to write down the answers, or
filled in electronically. If done electronically the spaces after each question will expand
automatically. The Profile is to be conducted as an informal interview and should not be
handed out to parents/carers to be filled out independently.

The interviewer should not read out the section headings but instead should
ask each of the questions (coloured green). The interviewer should use the
person’s name where you see [name] in the question.

Respondents should be encouraged to describe the client’s typical behaviours

in their own words; interviewers should only use the list of prompts (in black
italics) if the interviewee has difficulty thinking of a response to the question.
Prompts should not be read out as a script or checklist.

We have found that the prompts can be of use when you wish to explore an
interviewee’s response in more detail, and/or where you wish to expand on
information you have been given. Clinicians should use their clinical
judgement on when it is appropriate to probe a response in more details. For
example, where an interviewee’s responses describe an individual as mostly
using vocalisations for many things, a clinician could seek more detail about
these vocalisations – in terms of pitch, tone, context etc.

We have given examples as part of each question and have tried to be sensitive

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to a client’s physical abilities and cater for a range of ages/experiences/etc.
However, these examples can of course be changed. You could use the
information about an individual’s likes, dislikes, key people and places from Part
A of the Profile to help you make the questions more personal and relevant.

The Profile does not have to be completed in one session and not all
questions will be relevant to every client. Interviewers should use their
discretion and either omit or change the order of questions as required. It is
likely that, when answering one question, interviewees will give information
that also answers one or more other questions – this is fine. Where possible
keep the flow of the interview informal, and if necessary slot the respondent’s
answers into the right sections after the interview has finished.

When piloting the Profile we found that the length of delivery varied from one
to three hours depending on the amount of details provided by respondents.
It may be useful to repeat the Profile with more than one person as this can
reveal differences that occur between communication partners or
environments; for example, a child may use one method at home with a
parent/carer, but a different method at school with a teacher. The Profile can
be re-administered at intervals to evaluate progress.

Summarising answers given during the

interview
The contents page at the start of the Profile also acts as a summary sheet. It
is recommended that you reflect on the information provided during the
interview and mark whether the individual ‘does this’, ‘may do this’, or ‘does
not do this’. Like the original Profile, The Pragmatics Profile for People who
use AAC adopts a descriptive, qualitative approach so the decision about this
rating is based on your clinical judgment of the information provided in the
interview.

A ‘not applicable’ column is included to identify that the pragmatic function is

not expected to have developed given the child’s chronological age.
Information about the typical development of pragmatic functions can be
found in Chapter 2 of The Pragmatics Profile of Everyday Communication
Skills in Children (Dewart and Summers, 1995).

The ‘may do this’ column can be used in a variety of situations. For example,
it can be used where an individual’s use of the pragmatic function is not
consistent across all environments and communication partners, or where an
individual relies on a prompt or scaffold to use the pragmatic function. ‘May
do this’ can also be selected if the client has a way of communicating a

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pragmatic function but their communication could be improved by using an
alternative method. An example of this could be where an individual self-
injures to reject an action or event. In this instance, we would mark the ‘may
do this’ column, but also mark the ‘potential target’ column.
The ‘potential target’ column is a way of summarising all the areas that you may want
to develop further. Marking this column will produce a list of potential targets that can
then be discussed with the person who uses AAC and/or their team to identify which
targets are a priority for them in order to achieve their goals.

The Methods of Communication Chart in Appendix 1 can be completed to

help you further analyse the modes used by an individual to help you identify
appropriate targets. Information collated using the Methods of
Communication Chart can also be used to inform carers or unfamiliar
listeners about an individual’s preferred way of communicating. This
information could be used to develop training for new carers, or to convey
important information in a Communication Passport.

The Pragmatics Profile for People who use AAC provides an opportunity to
explore the requirements placed on a person’s communication system in
different environments with different communication partners. This will help
assist teams in deciding which of the potential targets is most appropriate to
a situation; for example, an informal mode when communicating with a
familiar listener whilst in the bath, versus the use of a high tech voice output
communication aid with an unfamiliar listener to reject an unwanted event or
action.

The information about potential targets could also be used to identify what future skills
a person using AAC may require. Through the use of the Profile you may have
identified that an individual’s communication requirements are being met in their current
environment, but you know they are just about to start going somewhere new where
their current modes may be less effective, or where they will have the opportunity to
communicate with a wider range of partners. Identifying potential targets through the
Profile, alongside the analysis of responses through the Methods of Communication
Chart, will help you to identify which skills may need to be developed in preparation for
these changes.

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References
Bates, E. (1976). Language and Context: The Acquisition of Pragmatics.
New York: Academic Press.

Coupe O’Kane, J. & Goldbart, J. (1998) Communication Before Speech:

development and assessment. 2nd Edition. London: Taylor & Francis.

Dewart, H. & Summers, S. (1995) The Pragmatic Profile of Everyday

Communication Skills in Children. NFER-Nelson.

Mogford, K. (1973). Communication schedule. Child Development

Research Unit: University of Nottingham.

Bibliography
Burkhart, L.J. (1993) Total Augmentative Communication in the Early
Childhood Classroom. Wauconda, IL: Don Johnston.

Goodwin, S., Jans, D. & Wise, R. (2011) C.O.D.E.S. Framework, Keycomm

Resource Centre.

Harding, C., Lindsay, G., O’Brien, A., Dipper, L. & Wright, J. (2011)
‘Implementing AAC with children with profound and multiple learning
disabilities: a study in rationale underpinning intervention’ The Journal of
Research in Special Educational Needs, 11(2), pp. 120-129.

Light, J., Beukleman, D. & Reichle, J. (2003) Communicative Competence

for Individuals who use AAC: From Research to Effective Practice. London:
Brookes Publishing Company.

Porter, G. (2007) Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD) communication

books: Direct Access Templates Manual. Melbourne: Cerebral Palsy Education
Centre

Van Tatenhove, G.M. (2005) Language Functions & Early Generative Language
Production. [Online] [Accessed on 21st July 2017] http://www.vantatenhove.com

Page 8 of 46
Information Record Sheet

About the Client

Name:

Date of Birth:

Person Interviewed (1)

Name:

Relationship to Client:

Date of 1st interview:

Name of interviewer:

Date of 2nd interview:

Name of interviewer:

Person Interviewed (2)

Name:

Relationship to Client:

Date of 1st interview:

Name of interviewer:

Date of 2nd interview:

Name of interviewer:

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Contents Page / Summary Sheet
Part A: Establishing context & motivation
1
1.1 Likes
1.2 Dislikes
1.3 Key people
1.4 Key places
Part B: Reasons to communicate & reactions to communication

Does not do this

Potential target
Not applicable
May do this
Does this
2 Gaining attention for communication
2.1 Interest in interaction
2.2 Gaining an individual’s attention
2.3 Understanding of gesture
2.4 Gaining attention to prepare for an interaction

3 Attention directing
3.1 Drawing attention to self
3.2 Drawing attention to an event or action
3.3 Drawing attention to an object
3.4 Drawing attention to other people

4 Requesting
4.1 Requesting a person
4.2 Requesting recurrence
4.3 Requesting cessation
4.4 Requesting assistance
4.5 Requesting an object
4.6 Responding to a direct request for action
4.7 Requesting an event or action
4.8 Requesting information
4.9 Responding to a request for information
4.10 Requesting confirmation of information
4.11 Understanding indirect requests

5 Rejecting
5.1 Rejecting a person
5.2 Rejecting an object
5.3 Rejecting an event or action or task
5.4 Rejecting assistance
5.5 Protesting
5.6 Responding to ‘no’
5.7 Negotiating
5.8 Responding to negotiation

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 Does not do this

Potential target
Not applicable
May do this
Does this
6 Naming
6.1 Naming an object
6.2 Naming an action or event

7 Commenting
7.1 Commenting on the existence of people, objects or events
7.2 Commenting on the non-existence of people, objects or events
7.3 Commenting on an attribute in the immediate context

8 Giving information
8.1 Giving information about self
8.2 Giving information about other people or events
8.3 Giving information to direct other people or actions

9. Asking questions
9.1 Asking questions using ‘who?’
9.2 Asking questions using ‘what?’
9.3 Asking questions using ‘where?’
9.4 Asking questions using ‘when?’
9.5 Asking questions using ‘why?’
9.6 Asking questions using ‘how?’

Part C: Contextual variation

10
10.1 People
10.2 Places
10.3 Time
10.4 Topic

Part D: Participation in conversation

11 Strategies used
11.1 Conversational breakdown
11.2 Signalling communication breakdown
11.3 Repairing communication breakdown
11.4 Requesting clarification
11.5 Maintaining an interaction or conversation over more than 2
turns
11.6 Giving feedback to a communication partner when listening
11.7 Giving feedback to a communication partner when formulating a
message
11.8 Changing the topic
11.9 Joining a conversation
11.10 Terminating an interaction

12 Use of social etiquette

12.1 Using social greetings and partings
12.2 Complying with social conventions
12.3 Telling jokes
12.4 Responding to jokes

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Part A: Establishing context & motivation
1.1 Likes
1.1.1 What does [name] like / like to do?

1.1.2 How does [name] show that s/he likes or is enjoying something?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using facial expression, body movement or gesture associated with pleasure, e.g.
smiling, laughing
- using facial expression, body movement or gesture interpreted to mean ‘more’, ‘again’
etc.
- vocalising to request things, e.g. ‘more’, ‘again’ etc. or approximations of these
- using AAC resource to request things, e.g. ‘more’, ‘again’ etc.
- vocalising to comment, e.g. ‘fun’, ‘like’ etc. or approximations of these
- using AAC resource to comment, e.g. ‘fun’, ‘like’ etc. or approximations of these
- other? – please describe
Give practical examples of each of the strategies used.

1.2 Dislikes
1.2.1 What does [name] dislike/not like to do?

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1.2.2 How does [name] show that s/he dislikes or is not enjoying something?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using facial expression, body movement or gesture associated with displeasure or upset,
e.g. frowning, crying
- using facial expression, body movement or gesture interpreted to mean ‘stop’ etc.
- vocalising to initiate an interaction, e.g. ‘help’ etc. or approximations of these
- using AAC resource to initiate an interaction, e.g. ‘help’ etc.,
- vocalising to tell you what is wrong, e.g. ‘headache’ etc. or approximations of these
- using AAC resource to tell you what is wrong, e.g. ‘headache’
- other? – please describe
Give practical examples of each of the strategies used.

1.3 Key people

Who are the important people in [name]’s life?

1.4 Key places

In a typical week/month where does s/he spend their time – list all that apply

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Part B: Reasons to communicate & reactions to
communication
2 Gaining attention for communication
2.1 Interest in interaction
If you sit down close to [name] and look towards him/her, how do they generally
respond?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- turning to look at you
- smiling
- leaning on you
- reaching out to touch you
- waiting for you to say something
- vocalising [showing they are interested]
- using AAC resource [showing they are interested]
- other? – please describe

2.2 Gaining an individual’s attention

If you want to get [name]’s attention, how do you do it?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- saying their name
- touching them
- making eye contact
- waving
- sharing an understood gesture
- other? – please describe

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2.3 Understanding of gesture
If you point to something you want [name] to look at, what do they usually do
Answers could include, but are not limited to, s/he:
- looks at you rather than at where you are pointing
- looks at it, if it is close by
- looks at it, even if it is quite far away
- other? – please describe

2.4 Gaining attention to prepare for an interaction

How does [name] let you know they have something to say/something to
communicate?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- crying
- moving their body [reaching or other]
- vocalising
- looking at you
- using AAC resource – e.g. to say ‘more to say’ or ‘I want to tell you something’ or ‘get my
communication book’
- other? – please describe

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3 Attention directing
3.1 Drawing attention to self
How does [name] usually get your attention?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- crying
- moving their body [reaching or other]
- vocalising
- looking at you
- using AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘hi’
- other? – please describe

3.2 Drawing attention to event or action

If you and [name] were out somewhere and s/he saw something interesting – e.g. a
helicopter hovering overhead or a fire alarm going off, what would they be likely to
do?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- look at the ‘thing’ of interest
- move a part of their body, e.g. move an arm or other body part as if to point at it
- look at the thing and then look back at you
- vocalising
- use AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘look’
- other? - please describe

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3.3 Drawing attention to an object
If [name] saw an object s/he finds interesting – e.g. a football shirt, what would they
be likely to do?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- look at the ‘thing’ of interest
- move a part of their body, e.g. move an arm or other body part as if to point at it
- look at the thing and then look back at you
- vocalising
- use AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘look’
- other? - please describe

3.4 Drawing attention to other people

If you and [name] were out somewhere and s/he saw someone they wanted to draw
your attention to, what would they be likely to do?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- look at the ‘thing’ of interest
- move a part of their body, e.g. move an arm or other body part as if to point at it
- look at the thing and then look back at you
- vocalising
- use AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘look’
- other? - please describe

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4 Requesting
4.1 Requesting a person
If [name] wanted to call someone over to them, what would s/he do?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- look at the person
- move a part of their body, e.g. move arm or other body part as if to beckon them over
- vocalise
- use AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘come here’
- other? - please describe

4.2 Requesting recurrence

If you were listening to music with [name] and they wanted you to play the song
again, how would s/he let you know?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- smiling
- using a body movement or gesture in a way to show pleasure
- vocalising, e.g. pleading sounds [requesting more]
- use AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘more’ or ‘again’
- other? - please describe

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4.3 Requesting cessation
If [name] wanted you to stop doing something or wanted to finish an activity, what
would s/he do?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- cry
- use a body movement or gesture [describe]
- vocalise
- look at you with facial expression to say ‘no’
- use AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘stop’
- other? - please describe

4.4 Requesting assistance

If [name] needs help with something [e.g. to unfasten a lap belt, unwrap an item of
food], what does s/he do?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- cry
- use a body movement or gesture [describe]
- vocalise, e.g. making pleading noises
- look at you with facial expression to say ‘help’
- use AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘help’
- other? - please describe

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4.5 Requesting an object
If [name] wants an object [e.g. a favourite toy, blanket], what does s/he do?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- cry
- use a body movement or gesture [e.g. reaches, uses a body part to point at it]
- vocalise – e.g. making pleading noises
- look at the object and at you to say ‘get that’
- use AAC resource - e.g. to say ‘help’
- other? - please describe

4.6 Response to direct request for action

If you give [name] an instruction [e.g. ‘move your arm [or other body part]’, or ‘
choose which book you want’], how does s/he respond?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- looks at you, but doesn’t seem to know what to do
- does the action as part of a regular routine, but not if you’ve never asked them to do this before
- carries out your request
- other? - please describe

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4.7 Requesting an action or event
If [name] wants you to do something [e.g. pick them up, invite a friend, read to them],
how does s/he make the request?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- looks at you
- uses a body movement or gesture [describe]
- vocalises
- uses AAC resource to make a direct request - e.g. to say ‘up’, ‘carry’, ‘help’, ‘read’
- uses AAC resource to make an indirect request – e.g. ‘I’m uncomfortable’ as a means of
requesting repositioning
- other? - please describe

4.8 Requesting information

If [name] notices something new [e.g. in the home], or wants to know more about
something, how does s/he ask about it?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- looking at the object or event
- using a body movement or gesture [describe]
- using a body movement or gesture [as if to point at the object] and looking at you
- vocalising with a questioning intonation
- using AAC resource - e.g. to say ‘what?’ or ‘when?’
- other? - please describe

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4.9 Response to request for information
If you ask [name] for information [e.g. ‘what have you been doing?’], how is s/he
likely to respond?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- points or gestures
- shows you something
- uses AAC resource to tell you with single words - e.g. ‘park’
- uses AAC resource to give you more detailed information – e.g. ‘did painting’, ‘don’t know’
- other? - please describe

4.10 Requesting confirmation of information

If [name] wants to check information they’ve already been given, how does s/he do
this? [e.g. when they’ve been told their Mum has gone to work, how would they
check this?]
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- uses a body movement or gesture [describe]
- vocalises with a questioning intonation
- uses AAC resource - e.g. to say ‘Mum’ or ‘Mum work’
- other? - please describe

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4.11 Understanding indirect requests
If you say something that implies that you want [name] to do something [e.g. you
say, ‘you’re not going to fit through there’ when they are approaching a door frame
and their arms are out, meaning you would like them to bring their arms in], how
does s/he react?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- understands what you have asked and responds appropriately
- takes you literally in a joking way
- takes you literally and replies ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but doesn’t react as you were intending
- other - please describe

5 Rejecting
5.1 Rejecting a person
If [name] doesn’t want someone to interact with them, how does s/he show this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- closing their eyes
- turning away from person
- using a body movement
- crying
- vocalising
- using AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘go away’
- other – please describe

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5.2 Rejecting an object
If [name] doesn’t want something that you are offering to them, how does s/he tell
you they don’t want it?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- crying
- turning their face away
- using a body movement or gesture to say ‘no’ [describe movements]
- vocalising
- using AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘no’, ‘stop’, ‘don’t like’
- other? - please describe

5.3 Rejecting an event or action or task

If [name] doesn’t want to do something that you are offering to them [e.g. brush hair,
go home etc.], how does s/he tell you that they don’t want to do it?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- crying
- turning their face away/unhappy facial expression
- using a body movement or gesture to say ‘no’ [describe movements]
- vocalising
- using AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘no’, ‘stop’, ‘don’t like’
- other? - please describe

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5.4 Rejecting assistance
If you are trying to help [name] do something [e.g. to unwrap a present, turn the page
of a book] and they don’t want your help, how does s/he let you know?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- crying [as you try to help]
- turning their face away / unhappy facial expression
- using a body movement or gesture to say ‘no’ [describe movements]
- vocalising
- using AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘no’, ‘stop’, ‘don’t’, ‘I’ll do it’
- other? - please describe

5.5 Protesting
If [name] doesn’t want something to happen, something that they don’t have an
option about [e.g. take medication, change of staff etc.], how does s/he tell you?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- by crying [as it happens]
- by turning their face away / unhappy facial expression
- by using a body movement or gesture to say ‘no’ [describe movements]
- by vocalising
- by using AAC resource, e.g. to say ‘no’, ‘stop’, ‘don’t want’
- other? - please describe
- there would be no response, they would let it happen

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5.6 Response to ‘no’
If you have to say ‘no’ to [name], how does s/he usually respond?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- accepts it
- gets upset / annoyed
- uses their AAC resource to ask again
- uses their AAC resource to make an alternative proposal, e.g. ‘Just one!’, ‘Tomorrow then?’
- other? – please describe

5.7 Negotiation
If a peer is not going along with what [name] wants him/her to do, how does [name]
respond?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- crying
- using a body movement or gesture e.g. touching, pushing, hitting [describe movements]
- vocalising
- giving up
- using AAC resource to argue with their peer
- using AAC resource to ask someone to help resolve it
- using AAC resource to negotiate with their peer, e.g. if……….,then……..
- other? - please describe

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5.8 Response to negotiation
If you have to say, ‘in a minute’, how does [name] respond?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- doesn’t understand and keeps asking
- gets upset/ annoyed about it
- waits, and asks again after an interval
- other? - please describe

6 Naming
6.1 Naming an object
When [name] sees something he/she knows the name of, [e.g. a train], how does
he/she say its name?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture representing specific name [please give example]
- vocalising a word, word approximation or sound associated with the named item, e.g. Choo Choo
to identify ‘it’s a train’ or ‘Thomas’ – associated word
- using AAC resource to say name of thing
- using AAC resource to say sentence or phrase, e.g. ‘it’s a….’ or ‘There is a…’
- other? - please describe

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6.2 Naming an action or event
When [name] talks about something she/he likes to do, how does she/he give it a
name?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture representing a specific name, e.g. bouncing action to represent
trampolining
- vocalising, a word, word approximation or sound associated with the named item, e.g. ‘jump’,
‘boing!’
- using AAC resource to say the name of a thing
- using AAC resource to say a sentence or phrase, e.g. ‘I go trampolining.’
- other? - please describe

7 Commenting
7.1 Commenting on the existence of people, objects or events
If you are putting things away and [name] sees something that he/she is interested
in, what would he/she do?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- look at it and showing an interested facial expression
- use body movement or gesture as if to point at it [but not as a request]] or to say ‘mine’ or to
comment about it, e.g. gesture to mean ‘broken’ or ‘dirty’ etc. [please give example]
- vocalisation, word or word approximation to comment on the item to say ‘mine’ or ‘broken’ or ‘dirty’
etc.
- use AAC resource to make a comment ‘mine’
- use AAC resource to build a message to comment ‘my blue car’
- other? - please describe

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7.2 Commenting on the non-existence of people, objects or events
If [name] notices that something (or someone) has gone from where s/he was
expecting it to be, how would s/he comment on this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- looking at place where it should be and use facial expression as if to ask ‘where?’
- using body movement or gesture to name the object or comment e.g. gestures ‘where’
- vocalisation or word to name the object or comment, e.g. ‘gone’
- using AAC resource to make a comment
- using AAC resource to build a message to comment, e.g. ‘where my book?’
- other? – please describe

7.3 Commenting on an attribute in the immediate context

If [name] enters a new place that looks or feels different, how do they describe what
they think about it?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- looking around / at it and using facial expressions
- using body movement or gesture to comment, e.g. gesturing ‘big’
- vocalising or using word to comment, e.g. ‘wow’
- using AAC resource to make a comment
- using AAC resource to build a message to comment, e.g. ‘it’s dark in here’
- other? – please describe

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8 Giving information
8.1 Giving information about self
If [name] wants to give you information about themselves [e.g. their name, that they
have just been swimming, that they have a pain], how does s/he tell you?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture representing the information, e.g. signing initial letter of name,
pointing to their wet hair etc.
- vocalising [word, word approximation or sound associated with the information they are giving, e.g.
‘ow’ for a pain, attempts name etc.
- using AAC resource to say a word
- using AAC resource to say sentence or phrase, e.g. ‘I went swimming’
- other? - please describe

8.2 Giving information about other people or events

If something happened while you weren’t around, e.g. something was broken,
someone fell over, someone came to visit, how would [name] let you know about
this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture representing the information, e.g. signs name of a person, points
to place where it happened etc.
- vocalisation, word, word approximation or sound associated with the information they are giving,
e.g. ‘oops’ to say it broke, attempts to name person etc.
- using AAC resource to say a word
- using AAC resource to say sentence or phrase, e.g. ‘He fell down’
- other? - please describe

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8.3 Giving information to direct other people or actions
If [name] is trying to instruct someone how to do something, [e.g. fasten their lap
belt, get a peer to stand up], how do they go about it?’
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movements or gestures to demonstrate
- vocalising [using word or word approximations to direct you]
- using AAC resource to direct you [single words] [‘push’]
- using AAC resource to build phrases to direct you [‘push that up’]
- other? - please describe

9 Asking questions
9.1 Asking questions using ‘who?’
If [name] wants to know who you are talking to on the phone or who is at the door,
how do they do this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture, e.g. signs ‘who?’
- using questioning / confused facial expression and looking at you [or the person if they are
present]
- vocalising with a questioning intonation [word, word approximation or sound], e.g. ‘oo?’
- using AAC resource to ask ‘who?’
- using AAC resource to ask the question ‘who is it?’
- other? - please describe

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9.2 Asking questions using ‘what?’
If [name] wants to know what something is, how do they do this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture, e.g. signs ‘what?’
- using questioning / confused facial expression and looking at the thing
- vocalising with a questioning intonation [word, word approximation or sound], e.g. ‘huh?’
- using AAC resource to ask ‘what?’
- using AAC resource to ask the question ‘what is it?’
- other? – please describe

9.3 Asking questions using ‘where?’

If [name] wants to know where you are going, how do they do this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture, e.g. signs ‘where?’ or points
- using questioning / confused facial expression
- vocalising with a questioning intonation [word, word approximation or sound], e.g. ‘ere go?’
- using AAC resource to ask ‘where?’
- using AAC resource to ask the question ‘where you go?’
- other? - please describe

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9.4 Asking questions using ‘when?’
If [name] wants to know when something is happening, how do they do this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture, e.g. points to wrist / watch / clock, signs ‘when’
- using questioning / confused facial expression and looking at the clock
- vocalising with a questioning intonation [word, word approximation or sound], e.g. ‘now?’
- using AAC resource to ask ‘when?’
- using AAC resource to ask the question ‘when are we……?’
- other? - please describe

9.5 Asking questions using ‘why?’

If [name] wants to know why something is happening [e.g. why you’re leaving], how
do they do this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture, e.g. signs ‘why?’
- using questioning / confused facial expression and looking at what is happening [you walking
towards the door]
- vocalising with a questioning intonation [word, word approximation or sound], e.g. ‘ay?’
- using AAC resource to ask ‘why?’
- using AAC resource to ask the question ‘why are you….?’
- other? - please describe

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9.6 Asking questions using ‘how?’
If [name] wants to know how to do something or how something works, how do they
do this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using body movement or gesture, e.g. signs ‘how?’
- using questioning / confused facial expression and looking at the thing
- vocalising with a questioning intonation [word, word approximation or sound], e.g. ‘ow?’
- using AAC resource to ask ‘how?’
- using AAC resource to ask the question ‘how do that?’
- other? - please describe

Part C: Contextual variation

10.1 People
Are there people [name] likes to communicate with more than others?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- family
- peers
- carers / education staff
- other? – please describe

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10.2 Places
Are there places in which [name] is more communicative? If so, please give details.

10.3 Time
Are there times during the day at which [name] is more communicative? If so,
please give details.

10.4 Topic
What things does [name] typically like to talk about?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- here and now
- tends to stick to one topic
- beyond the here and now
- communicates abstract ideas
- other? – please describe

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Part D: Participation in conversation
11 Strategies used
11.1 Conversational breakdown
When a conversation/interaction between you and [name] gets into difficulties, what
is the usual reason for this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, [name]:
- has difficulties understanding you
- doesn’t concentrate for very long
- cannot find the vocabulary they want in their AAC resource
- appears not to have the vocabulary they require in their AAC resource
- uses vocabulary that is available in their AAC resource but this does not appear to be relevant to
the conversation/interaction
- does not provide enough information for you to know what or who they are referring to
- other? – please describe

11.2 Signalling communication breakdown

How does [name] signal that communication has broken down, for example when
they do not understand what you are saying or when you have misunderstood them?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using facial expression, eye pointing or gesture, e.g. looks distressed, wide eyes
- vocalising with a sound, word or word approximation, e.g. saying ‘no no’
- using AAC resource to indicate communication breakdown using a single word and/or symbol
- using AAC resource to indicate communication breakdown using a phrase. If so how do they do
this? What vocabulary do they use?
- other? - please describe

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11.3 Repairing communication breakdown
What does [name] do if you have misunderstood what they are trying to
communicate?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, [name]:
- uses facial expression, eye pointing or gesture, e.g. appears frustrated
- changes their mode of communication, e.g. if they had used a facial expression / gesture they now
use a vocalisation or their AAC resource
- repeats their message. If so, is this by vocalisation, AAC resource using single word or AAC
resource using a phrase?
- rephrases their message or elaborates it. If so, is this by vocalisation, AAC resource using single
word or AAC resource using a phrase?
- uses repair strategy vocabulary, e.g. ‘it’s not in my book/device’, ‘I’ll give you a clue…’, ‘I’ll try to
spell it…’
- asks for assistance to find the message, e.g. ‘help me find’
- other? - please describe

11.4 Requesting clarification

What does [name] do if she/he doesn’t understand something you have said?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, [name]:
- uses facial expression, eye pointing or gesture, e.g. looks confused
- vocalises with a sound, word or word approximation, e.g. vocalises with a questioning intonation or
says ‘huh?’
- uses AAC resource to indicate lack of understanding using a single word and/or symbol, e.g.
‘what?’
- uses AAC resource to indicate lack of understanding using a phrase, e.g. ‘I don’t understand’; ‘say
it again’. If so how do they do this? What vocabulary do they use?
- other? - please describe

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11.5 Maintaining an interaction or conversation over more than two turns
When an interaction gets started, how does [name] keep it going?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using facial expression, eye pointing or gesture to signal they want to continue a communication
interaction with you, e.g. nodding in agreement
- vocalising with a sound, word or word approximation, e.g. ‘uh huh’, ‘mmm’, ‘right’
- using AAC resource to maintain a conversation by making small talk, e.g. ‘uh huh’, ‘I understand’,
‘I know what you mean’. Is this using a single word and/or symbol or phrase?
- using AAC resource to maintain a conversation by contributing meaningful information, e.g. a
relevant word. Is this a single word and/or symbol or a phrase?
- other? - please describe

11.6 Giving feedback to a communication partner when listening

How does [name] signal that they are listening to you while you are talking?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using facial expression, eye pointing or gesture, e.g. turning to face you; nodding
- vocalising with a sound, word or word approximation, e.g. saying ‘mu-huh’; ‘yeah’
- using AAC resource to show they are listening using a single word and/or symbol, e.g. ‘okay’
- using AAC resource to show they are listening using a phrase, e.g. ‘that’s interesting’. If so how
do they do this? What vocabulary do they use?
- other? - please describe

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11.7 Giving feedback to a communication partner when formulating a
message
How does [name] signal that they are preparing their message / that they would like
you to wait?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using facial expression, eye pointing or gesture, e.g. looking frustrated if someone takes their turn
in the interaction; raising hand to signal ‘wait’
- vocalising with a sound, word or word approximation, e.g. ‘eh!’, ‘oy!’, ‘me’
- using AAC resource to ask you to wait using a single word and/or symbol, e.g. ‘my turn’
- using AAC resource to ask you to wait using a phrase, e.g. ‘please give me time to build my
message’. If so how do they do this? What vocabulary do they use?
- other? - please describe

11.8 Changing the topic

How does [name] change topic in a conversation? Here, consider how s/he links the
preceding and the new topic and how s/he introduces a new topic when the
preceding one appears complete.
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using facial expression, eye pointing or gesture to signal a change in topic
- vocalising with a sound, word or word approximation
- using AAC resource to change the topic using a single word and/or symbol
- using AAC resource to change the topic using a phrase. If so how do they do this? What
vocabulary do they use?
- other? - please describe

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11.9 Joining a conversation
If [name] tries to join a conversation that other people are having how do they go
about it?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using facial expression, eye pointing or gesture to signal they want to join the conversation
- vocalising with a sound, word or word approximation
- using AAC resource to join the conversation using a single word and/or symbol
- using AAC resource to join the conversation using a phrase. If so how do they do this? What
vocabulary do they use? Do they use appropriate interjection vocabulary e.g. ‘excuse me’, ‘I’ve
heard about that…’
- other? - please describe

11.10 Terminating an interaction

If [name] wants to end an interaction with you how does s/he do it?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using facial expression, eye pointing or gesture to signal they want to end the interaction, e.g. by
looking away
- vocalising with a sound, word or word approximation, e.g. ‘bye’
- using AAC resource to begin a conversation using a single word and/or symbol
- using AAC resource to begin a conversation using a phrase, e.g. ‘nice to talk with you’, ‘see you
later’. If so how do they do this? What vocabulary do they use?
- other? - please describe

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12 Use of social etiquette
12.1 Use of social greetings and partings
Does [name] use social greetings and partings, e.g. hello & goodbye? If so, please
describe how they do this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- uses facial expression, eye pointing or gesture e.g. smiles at the person, waves or gestures hi/bye
- vocalises with a sound, word or word approximation, e.g. ‘hiya’
- uses AAC resource using a single word and/or symbol
- uses AAC resource using a phrase. If so how do they do this? What vocabulary do they use?
- other? - please describe

12.2 Compliance with social conventions

To what extent does [name] show an awareness of fitting in with social conventions?
For example does he/she use please/thank you, only swear when appropriate, not
make personal comments in front of people, know when to use formal language etc.
Answers could include, but are not limited to:
- uses facial expression, eye pointing or gesture, e.g. smiles when wants to say ‘please’; only pulls
‘rude’ facial expressions at appropriate times, such as when joking around with peers
- vocalises with a sound, word or word approximation, e.g. ‘ta’,
- uses AAC resource using a single word and/or symbol, e.g. ‘please’
- uses AAC resource using a phrase. If so how do they do this? What vocabulary do they use?
- other? - please describe

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12.3 Expressive joke telling
If [name] wants to make a joke, how do they do this?
Answers could include, but are not limited to, by:
- using eye pointing, facial expression, body movements or gesture, e.g. pulls a funny face
- vocalising with a sound, word or word approximation, e.g. making funny sounds
- using AAC resource to tell a pre-stored joke
- using AAC resource to tell a novel joke
- using AAC resource to fool or direct others to do something funny [practical joke]
- other? -please describe

12.4 Understanding of jokes

Does [name] understand jokes you tell them?
If so, please describe what type of humour it is, e.g. slap-stick, practical jokes, sarcasm, anecdotes

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Appendix 1: Methods of communication chart
Uses
Uses AAC Vocalisation,
AAC Eye
*FO = Understood by familiar only resource: Body sound, word or Facial
resource: pointing, Sign Gesture Other
All = Understood by all single movement word expression
sentence eye contact
words approximation
or phrase

FO* ALL FO ALL FO ALL FO ALL FO ALL FO ALL

1 Context and motivation

1.1 Shows likes

1.2 Shows dislikes
2 Gaining attention
2.1 Interest in interaction
Gaining attention to prepare for an
2.4
interaction
3 Drawing attention
3.1 … to self
3.2 … to an event or action
3.3 … to an object
3.4 … to other people
4 Requesting
4.1 … a person
4.2 … recurrence
4.3 … cessation
4.4 … assistance
4.5 … an object
Response to direct request for
4.6
action
4.7 … an event or action
4.8 … information
Responding to a request for
4.9
information
4.10 … confirmation of information

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 Uses
Uses AAC Vocalisation,
AAC Eye
*FO = Understood by familiar only resource: Body sound, word or Facial
resource: pointing, Sign Gesture Other
All = Understood by all single movement word expression
sentence eye contact
words approximation
or phrase

FO* ALL FO ALL FO ALL FO ALL FO ALL FO ALL

5 Rejecting
5.1 … a person
5.2 … an object
5.3 … an event or action or task
5.4 … assistance
5.5 Protesting
5.6 Responding to ‘no’
5.7 Negotiating
6 Naming
6.1 … an object
6.2 … an action or event
7 Commenting
… on the existence of people,
7.1
objects or events
… on the non-existence of people,
7.2
objects or events
… on an attribute in the immediate
7.3
context
8 Giving information
8.1 … about self
8.2 … about other people or events

8.3 … to direct other people or actions

9 Asking questions
9.1 … using ‘who?’
9.2 … using ‘what?’
9.3 … using ‘where?’

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 Uses
Uses AAC Vocalisation,
AAC Eye
*FO = Understood by familiar only resource: Body sound, word or Facial
resource: pointing, Sign Gesture Other
All = Understood by all single movement word expression
sentence eye contact
words approximation
or phrase

FO* ALL FO ALL FO ALL FO ALL FO ALL FO ALL

9.4 … using ‘when?’

9.5 … using ‘why?’
9.6 … using ‘how?’
11 Strategies
11.2 Signalling communication
11.3 breakdown
Repairing communication
11.4 breakdown
Requesting clarification
Maintaining an interaction or
11.5 conversation over more than 2
turns
Giving feedback to a
11.6 communication partner when
listening
Giving feedback to a
11.7 communication partner when
formulating a message
11.8 Changing the topic
11.9 Joining a conversation
11.10 Terminating an interaction
12 Use of social etiquette
12.1 Using social greetings and
12.2 partings
Complying with social conventions
12.3 Telling jokes

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