Research summaries for autism therapy: symbols

definition of symbols: A symbol is a visual representation of an object or an instruction. Symbols are a way to communicate. A symbol of a toaster represents the actual appliance. A symbol of an arrow represents a direction to go. There are some symbols used internationally so that it doesn’t matter what language you speak, you know that a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in it represents “caution.” Some people with autism first learn to communicate using symbols. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a therapy where the child hands over a symbol of what he wants. Social stories use photographs or pictures to explain an event.
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Effects of Iconicity on Requesting with the Picture Exchange Communication System in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Summarized Aug 19, 2008

Picture exchange communication system (PECS) may help children with autism learn to request even if the pictures in the PECS do not look exactly like the item that is being asked for.

This study was designed to see if PECS works best if the pictures look exactly like the item (iconicity) that is being asked for. The authors found that PECS does help children with autism learn to ask for things using graphic symbols. The authors also found that it did not matter if the picture looked just like the item that was being asked for. These results are different from results of earlier studies that showed that PECS worked better if the pictures looked just like the item. The study only looked at the first two phases of PECS (physical exchange and expanding spontaneity). Read more...

The Effect of Aided Language Modeling on Symbol Comprehension and Production in 2 Preschoolers with Autism, Summarized Jun 18, 2007

Aided language modeling (ALM) may help preschoolers with autism learn to communicate.

ALM involves teaching children new symbols through play. This study was designed to test whether ALM can help children with autism learn new symbols. The authors studied two preschool-aged children who used few words and found that ALM therapy was able to teach them to use more symbols. The children learned to understand more symbols and to express their needs better using symbols. In general, the children were better at understanding symbols than they were at using symbols. Read more...

Lights, Camera, Action! Using Engaging Computer-Cued Activity Schedules, Summarized Sep 14, 2006

This article describes in detail how the PowerPoint (TM) program can be used to create visual schedules on the computer.

Visual schedules are tools to help students learn self-management. The authors describe how visual schedules can help students achieve functional skills that are seldom achieved through regular teaching approaches. Traditionally, visual schedules use photographs, symbols, and/or words on notebooks or note cards. The authors express their desire that computer technology be harnessed to meet students’ learning needs in their educational plans, specifically through computer-based visual schedules. They describe several children who were able to reduce loud vocalizations and play independently while on a computer-generated visual schedule.
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Synonyms for symbols include: symbol
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