Personal Communication Dictionary

In my classroom, I accept any response mode a student uses to communicate. This might be any form of verbal, physical, or visual responses. But what if I don't know what my student's authentic response mode is? If I'm not yet sure which method truly reflects how a student communicates, I start exploring different possibilities. I observe carefully across different school settings and pay close attention to how the student responds when a communication partner tries to engage them. Each interaction gives me valuable insight into how that student expresses themselves. If I notice something such as every time music is played within a lesson, in music class, or in the gym, the left corner of the student's mouth lifts, I might start thinking the student enjoys music. So when I see the half smile while playing music, I pair that movement with meaning for the student. I see you moved your mouth. You like music. You want that. Then later on, I might notice that same half smile when I place a fidget blanket on the student's lap. Again, I build that connection. I see you moved your mouth. You like the fidget blanket. You want that. Over time, I'm systematically connecting that half smile with the idea that it can communicate something meaningful. Eventually, that tiny motion becomes a reliable way for the student to communicate choices in academic and social situations, for instance, when it's time to self select a learning station. Do you want to go to the reading station? I didn't see your mouth move. I don't think you want the reading station. Do you want to go to the science station? Science. You want that. And the student would transition to the chosen learning station. I use this process to create a personal communication dictionary for the student by pairing their communication attempts with the meanings I've identified over time and by consistently responding to those signals. The dictionary will contain these student specific actions and their meanings to help others who interact with the student understand what they're trying to communicate. It takes careful observation, consistency, and time to build a student's authentic response mode. Using the personal communication dictionary helps ensure that staff understand a student's intent and respond as expected. The dictionary should be reviewed and updated regularly based on data as the students' communication behaviors can change. When we stay responsive to those changes, we help unlock the students' power to communicate in meaningful ways.