Do you love SLP? Check Press yes or no. While out holiday shopping, I came across these gems at Kohls. I initially purchased them to try out as a single switch option with a student but have found them helpful for so much more. After all, isn't everything just more fun when you can push a button? I believe that it is listed in the Kid Fun Handbook somewhere. Here a few ways that we used them in therapy that fall outside of the typical AAC realm...
Research shows that Phonological Awareness is a greater predictor of reading success than IQ. I like to incorporate phonological awareness into my articulation therapy whenever possible to help students take ownership of their goals and in turn enhance carryover. The yes/no buttons assisted in bringing In a group of three, Student A will say 3 words, in which at least 1 has to contain the target sound. Student B determines if the word that Student A says has their target sound in it or not. If the answer is a resounding "yes", student B then produces the word at their assigned level (word, phrase, sentence) 5 times. Student B will then come up with 3 words for student C, then Student C will come up with words for Student A.
Students determine if scenarios are what others would expect. Similar to the phonological awareness aspect of articulation therapy, this format would allow students to generate their own scenarios. The language opportunities are an added bonus as your students formulate sentences, sequence events and describe the scenario.
Have students incorporate curricular or Tier 2 vocabulary to formulate yes/no questions to ask the other members of their group. The questions will engage all members of the group as they answer the questions with an enthusiastic push of the button. Students can then justify or explain why they chose yes or no.
You can also purchase recordable buttons that your students/clients can use to record themselves. I love to use them during storybook activities. I have the student record a correct production of their targeted sound. They then press their individualized button when they hear their target sound in the story. I find that it helps not only to increase awareness of their targeted sound in their environment but also benefits them to hear their own voice say the target sound correctly before producing the target word independently. I like to place a visual cue from my Phonological Awareness Packet on the physical button as an additional cue.
Update: As of 12/29/16, the Yes/No buttons are on clearance at Kohl's. You can also find them on Amazon. The affiliate link is provided below as a resource.
If you are anything like me, I love to see something in action. For a video tutorial on how I use the buttons, below is a link to the video tutorial I presented on SLP Blogger Live.
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