This course is designed to introduce students to the basics of American Sign Language (ASL) and Augmentative Communication. Students will learn ASL skills appropriate in a variety of Developmental Services settings, and for individuals with different levels of support needs. Augmentative Communication options appropriate for people with developmental disabilities will be discussed in class and researched. Students will learn how to design and implement visual communication tools within developmental services settings.
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Identify the differences in language learning and development for individuals who rely on augmentative communication.
- Explain how low-tech and high-tech augmentative communication strategies can be implemented to accommodate the communication needs of clients across the lifespan.
- Design and create a variety of low-tech communication resources for people with developmental disabilities, using online tools, and/or software applications.
- Identify key differences between deaf and hearing culture.
- Compare and contrast the main differences between basic ASL and English sentence structures.
- Demonstrate both a receptive and an expressive understanding of a minimum of 75 key word signs in American Sign Language (ASL) which are applicable to a variety of Developmental Services (DS) settings.
- Develop a plan that will support inclusion of individuals who communicate using augmentative communication and ASL across a variety of settings (i.e., school, community, residential, and employment).
