Please check, just in case…

APA Tip of the Day: Spaces There are several places where students often either don’t put in any/enough spaces or they put in too many. Here are a few rules: 1.Put only one space in between sentences. 2.In your reference list, if an author has two+ initials, put a space between them. 3.When listing pages numbers, put one space in between “p.” and the actual number.

Examples 1.The old rule was two spaces between sentences. The new rule is only one. 2.Beukelman, D. R., & Mirenda, P. (1998). Augmentative and alternative communication... 3.“Insert one space after commas, colons, and semicolons; periods that separate parts of a reference citation; and Periods of the initials in personal names (e.g., J. R. Zhang)” (APA, 2010, p ).

Announcements 1.Your key concepts paper is due in two weeks. If you haven’t done so already, read the assignment description, cover sheet, and instructor grading criteria CAREFULLY. 2.Next week bring your beginning notes/draft to work on in the second half of class.

Quick questions or quandaries?

Today’s Topic: Pre-symbolic vs. symbolic communication

What is a “symbol”? “Something that stands for or represents something else.” Vanderheiden & Yoder, as cited in Beukelman & Mirenda, 1998, p. 40

Important Qualification! In most of the professional literature, “symbol” is used more specifically than the previous generic definition. This term is only used when the relationship between the sign and the referent is ABSTRACT. = New York

Icon: A direct or obvious representation.

Symbol: An arbitrary or abstract representation

Transparent Opaque = an apple = NY City

(icon) Transparent (icon) (symbol) Opaque (symbol) = an apple = NY City

How “transparent” is this, actually?

Is this more transparent?

What is a symbol? A representation that an individual uses in a decontextualized manner, where the relationship between the representation and the referent is arbitrary and abstract.

Children’s early gestures: “ Children ’ s initial representational gestures are highly context bound, presumably because children lack the understanding that symbols ‘ stand for ’ their referents. ” (Iverson & Thal, 1998, p. 69)

If you didn’t know the relationship between these symbols and their referents, would you be able to guess?

If you said yes, figure these out:

Developing “symbol-ness” “representational gestures become increasingly distanced from their referents over time, leading to a gradual understanding of the type of arbitrary symbol-referent relationship that characterizes most words.” (Iverson & Thal, 1998, p. 70)

Warning! Whether a particular representation is symbolic has to do with the extent to which the relationship between a representation and its referent is context-bound -- for the particular individual.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar…

Quick Write Why does it matter whether a word is a symbol or not? In other words, why do we need to figure out whether our students have developed symbolic communication?

Small Group Activity: Using the objects group members brought to class, come up with two examples of symbols and two examples of icons. Be prepared to explain and defend your examples.

When should you use words, symbols, icons, or actual objects?

Looking ahead… Pre-intentional vs. intentional communication

Please take a minute for the minute paper. And don’t forget to turn your phone back on.