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Lanaguage Facilitation Training System
”The mission of the LFT system is the production and maintenance of an environment including settings, personnel and materials, which support the continued facilitation and acquisition of language, including the use of signs, symbols and verbal behavior, in a preprimary classroom at the Croyden Avenue School.”
The Language Facilitation Training System (LFTS) is a subsystem of the Behavioral Research Supervisory System (BRSS). Both systems are branches under the Behavioral Analysis Training System (BATS) developed by Dr. Richard Malott as part of the Behavior Analysis program at Western Michigan University. BATS is a mentorship program under the direction of Dr. Malott and encompass all of the programs and classes run at the university that are held by the BATS program, including Dr. Malott’s undergraduate, master’s and doctoral level training programs.
The main goal of LFTS is to create an environment that encourages learning in relation to language facilitation of verbal and nonverbal children in the pre-preliminary classroom at Croyden Avenue School. LFTS is split into two distinct subsystems: the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and Vocal Verbal Behavior (VB). Both systems work towards attaining functional methods of teaching communication that the children in the Early Childhood Development Delay classroom at Croyden can utilize to effectively communicate. Refining current procedures and devices, as well as implementing new procedures and devices, are all major components of the overall system.
PECS
PECS is used as a functional communication method for nonvocal children. Currently PECS is taught using two independent methods. One method is a procedure based method, taught by the graduate and undergraduate tutors. The second method is a more naturalistic approach taught by the PECS managers. Undergraduate and graduate students will receive training in the implementation and understanding of PECS. Teaching abstract ideas and higher level learning using PECS is a goal for the upcoming year for the graduate students. Undergraduate assistants are working to improve training using video-training methods and creating a database. The system is led by graduate students, Rebecca Markovits (Senior System Manager) and Michelle Gagliano (Junior System Manager). The undergraduate assistants involved in the system are Lydie Biedron (Fall ’08 and Spring ’09) and Austin Mifsud (Fall ’08).
Vocal Verbal Behavior
The mission of Vocal VB is to develop new procedures and refine old vocal procedures, specific to the results of a language skill assessment. The procedures use vocal shaping techniques, in order to support and maintain vocal behavior of children in an ECDD classroom at Croyden Avenue School. The procedures are specific to the results of a language skill assessment, which was developed by the senior system manager of Vocal VB, Jennifer Lonsdorf. The assessment was designed specifically to be used at Croyden and is being compared with the results of a different assessment, which is conducted by a group of professionals known as the PET Evaluation Team. The goal of the assessment is to determine what procedures are appropriate for each child, based on the results of their individual assessment. The junior system manager, Dana Pellegrino, is currently working on a training program for delivering this assessment. Training on how to complete the assessment will be given to all Red Dot Supervisors, who are assigned to certain children and who help to revise procedures that are not going well for their assigned children. The undergraduate assistant involved in the system is Maija Graudins (Fall ’08 and Spring ’09) who puts in up to twelve hours a week to complete system related tasks.
Graduate and undergraduate supervisors monitor the system and improve its function as a part of the entire BATS system. Graduate supervisors work directly with the undergraduate supervisor to define problems and develop functional solutions. Weekly meetings are held to discuss problems, solutions, progress, and future plans. Graduate level students assign weekly tasks to each other, themselves and the undergrad to be completed for the following week. |
