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Language Facilitation Training System
Icon Exchange (IES/PECS)

”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 Icon Exchange System (IES) 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.

Icon exchange is used as a functional communication method for nonvocal children. Icon exchange is modeled after Frost and Bondy’s (2002) Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). We are currently working to improve our training, supervision and procedures related to implementation of icon exchange to make them more similar to PECS. Undergraduate and graduate students will receive training in the implementation and understanding of PECS and our icon exchange methods. Teaching abstract ideas and higher level learning using icon exchange is a goal for the upcoming year for the graduate students. Graduate system managers are constantly striving to make icon exchange more closely resemble PECS protocols. Undergraduate assistants are working to improve training using video-training methods and computer work-shows using PowerPoint.

The mission of the Vocal VB system is to utilize an assessment tool that determines appropriate vocal procedures for children in an ECDD classroom in Southwest Michigan, and to provide effective training to graduate students who will administer this assessment. The language skill assessment was developed by the previous system manager of Vocal VB, Jennifer Lonsdorf. The assessment was designed specifically to be used at Croyden and is utilized by the classroom teachers to help develop curriculum for the students. The current senior manager and junior manager are making continuous improvements on the training program to ensure the best quality assessments for the children.

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.

Senior Managers:
Dana Pellegrino

Junior Managers:
Jennie Shooltz
Brittain Coleman

For more information contact:
LFTS.BATS@gmail.com