Speechreading in Context:
A Guide for Practice
in
Everyday Settings
About This Guide
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Speechreading in Context: About This Guide |
Table of Contents Dedication About the Author Introduction About this Guide Planning a Lesson Activities Sharing Ideas Home Page |
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This guide was originally designed for children in elementary schools. In the current revision, the emphasis will remain on younger children. However, the basic tenets, activities, and philosophy are readily adapted to older children and adults. As children develop skills in speechreading, they will require less structured or contrived activities than those prescribed in this guide. As children gain confidence, they can be encouraged to hone their skills by using them in real and natural situations in the school or in the community. Core Topics Lessons can focus on the following topics:
Individualizing the InputDepending on the educational or communication philosophy of a child's program, the above topics can be separated into units, or they can be integrated into the theme(s) of a classroom. In an educational setting incorporating an integrated theme-based approach, the vocabulary and units can be derived from the theme and units of the class. It is important that the core topics (those listed above) and the essential vocabulary (in the lessons provided) be presented as critical vocabulary for receptive spoken language acquisition. Whatever the philosophy of the educational program, be sure that the activities are important and meaningful to the life and education of the student. The activities should be as functional as possible, and as much as possible embedded in language.Presentation of Sentences vs. Words vs. Isolated Sounds For the purposes of this guidebook, the smallest unit of presentation should be a word. Presenting stimuli at the sound level is not in keeping with the functional/synthetic approach which is the basis for this guidebook. The ideal for a synthetic approach would be to present at the phrase or sentence level. However, in order to use this guide with the broadest scope of children and ensure their success, it is recommended that the word level be used as a starting place with those children not yet ready for the phrase level. It is important to provide successful experiences for all children. For this reason, children new to spoken language/speechreading therapy will benefit from presentation of single words. However, it is imperative that more language be added as soon as possible. The next step is to embed the stimulus word in a carrier phrase e.g., "show me the ..." or "the circle is (color word)." From there, short and contextually appropriate phrases and then sentences should be presented. Finally, connected spoken language in role play situations can be used as stimulus items for speechreading. Certain children may never achieve some of the more advanced levels, and some may begin beyond the introductory levels. The purpose of these levels of complexity is to make this guide useful for most deaf and hard of hearing children and to make it easily adaptable and developmentally challenging for all so that they can continue to progress. These activities can be used with individual deaf or hard of hearing children or with groups. Grouping of children with similar skills is preferable, but not necessary. When children's skill levels vary, it is the job of the clinician to adapt the activity to meet each child's needs. Levels of Difficulty
The question of whether or not to use voice when conducting speechreading practice is an important one. The recommendation--to use voice--is based on this guide's broad definition of speechreading. If a child has some residual hearing, then speechreading in natural contexts will most often include access to some sound. The only caveat to this "rule" is when the task is speechreading/lipreading, and the child has good auditory skills that preclude the need for visual input for the child to understand. In other words, if the child can hear and understand the message without looking, but lipreading practice is the goal, the clinician needs to present items "voice-off." Another strategy for increasing the level of challenge for these children is to add noise to the situation. Cafeteria noise at varying levels can add that needed challenge to role play situations. Another option is to involve the child in a three- or four-way conversation to add challenge.
Alternate StrategiesFor the Teacher:If a child is having difficulty at a given level, some modifications can be made.
Acquiring "repair strategies" is important to the development of functional speechreading skills and to the overall efficacy of the child's receptive spoken language skills. As soon as a child begins to show some facility with receptive spoken language skills, he or she should be encouraged to develop his or her own strategies for repairing communication breakdowns in a variety of situations with people who may or may not know sign language. Possible repair strategies for students:
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