Hi, my name is Jordan. I am a special education teacher from the UK. I share my passion for
everything communication, sensory regulation and fun lesson ideas for my classroom of disabled
pupils aged 4 to 11. Each week I am joined by experts in the field answering your questions
and sharing our knowledge and experience working alongside our beautiful young people. Let's get started.
Hi everybody, welcome back. It's extra special today because I'm going to be joined by Widget
Software. I've got Becca joining from the education team and I'm so excited to chat to her.
Four years in an autism specialist setting where she discovered Widget. We've all been there,
Becca. And they've developed a love for supporting alternative communication.
She now works as a symbol and education specialist at Widget helping organizations become symbol
friendly. And her dream is to see symbols on the aisle signs in supermarkets. Oh my God,
wouldn't that be amazing? And to read a symbolized story on CBeebies. I will join you with that,
Becca. That sounds incredible. So I was just saying a little bit about your background. I don't know
if you wanted to explain a little bit from your point of view. What brought you to Widget?
Absolutely. So at present, as you've already said, I'm working within the education team
at Widget and my role is officially a symbol and education specialist. Prior to that, I taught for
14 years in the classroom. Ten years of those were spent in the mainstream sector teaching primarily
key stage one, as well as teaching a little bit in outback Australia, which was very exciting as well.
And then for my final four years, I moved to an autism specialist setting, which is where
I discovered Widget and the absolute power of symbols to support with communication, interaction
and learning and had a real passion for supporting communication. So I actually moved away from the
classroom and set up my own very small business using Widget symbols under copyright and making
resources for families directly to help them with their communication journey. And then when a
position came up working for Widget full time, absolutely jumped at the chance and applied
because I wanted to be able to continue to support those families and educators and professionals,
but then also start working with companies as well at a much wider level. And I felt that being
within Widget makes that happen. And doing it on a really large scale.
Yes, we are starting to move much bigger now. So maybe you could say a little bit more about that,
because I can see from our discussions that you've started working with organisations to try and
make them symbol friendly. I've heard of symbol friendly schools that you're working with,
but organisation sounds great as well. So do you want to talk to us a little bit about
the schools and how that works? Yeah, absolutely. So we've got obviously over 10,000 schools now
that we're working with and that's across the mainstream and the special sector.
But what we really wanted to do within Widget was we support those pupils so well in school,
but we're really aware that when families try to go out to other places, the support quite often
isn't there for communication. Settings are getting much better now at having quiet hours
and sensory hours to support pupils. But what we want to do at Widget is put the communication in
there, so help companies go to that next level to support communication so that if people are
feeling overwhelmed or they're not sure what's happening, that symbols are there to support that.
We've worked with a couple of agents companies that have gone symbol friendly recently. One is
Woburn Safari Park. So they are the first ever in the world, not just in the UK, symbol friendly
Safari Park. And the team there, Natasha specifically, is absolutely passionate about
supporting every single visitor to the zoo. So they've got social scripts on their website
that you can download prior to visiting to prepare for that visit. And then there's also on there a
range of communication boards as well that you can download for the foot safari, for the soft play,
for the cafe. So that communication is there across the board for people who need it.
Isn't it? Because you would never assume that a safari park, I don't know, wasn't access friendly
or like, you know, those things that are specifically for families and children weren't
buggy friendly. Like it feels so obvious that of course it needs to be communication friendly,
but they're the first one in the UK, like in the world. It's just crazy. We're so behind, aren't we?
But it's so exciting to know there are organisations out there that are prioritising this.
Yeah. And not just for gimmicks as well. Like it sounds like they are fully invested in actually
making it realistically and possible and actually helpful to these families, not just tick a box.
Oh yeah, we're absolutely accessible. And when companies do approach us about becoming
symbol friendly, you know, the whole symbol friendly team and in particular the education
team work with that company to make sure that that content is relevant. We worked with a speech and
language therapist to support with the Woban project to make sure that it's right. And what we do is we
speak to staff and support them so staff understand the reason about how and why you can use symbols for
communication. Next week I'm actually doing a training session so Woban can edit the resources
themselves. So we support them in using the software and things. So yeah, it isn't just a gimmick.
If you're becoming symbol friendly. Yeah, they can update them.
They can update us all the time so if they need to keep things, just like we all do in our classrooms and at home.
We're constantly updating things when things are needed. So that's so great that you're thinking long term.
That's so exciting. Someone just commented saying, I'm trying to make my GPs and local NHS symbol friendly.
Isn't that great? Like all those environments that often cause quite a lot of anxiety anyway,
because it's confusing and not really sure. It makes so much sense that GPs, NHS dentists would
have symbols. Absolutely. And we are trying obviously to work with those agencies. It's difficult
with the NHS because they're in local authorities. It's not the NHS as a whole. We do have for people
who are interested, if you go to widget-health.com, there are lots of free downloads on there as PDFs,
but there's everything in there from getting an eye test, going to the dentist, having a blood test.
There's a real good information pack around diabetes and things as well. So although they're not
fully symbol friendly in certain practices and things, they are there to support people
in the meantime and then hopefully we'll get there. That's fantastic. So somebody has asked,
and I think maybe let's just go back to basics. We've jumped ahead. Widget, what is it? People
talk about pecs they use. They use the word symbol and they use it kind of all interchangeably.
What is widget? How would you explain it to somebody that isn't sure?
So to begin with, Widget are a software company. Lots of people spell us with an E-T. Just a
reminder, we're an IT company, so a widget, just so that's a good way to remember it. So we are a
software company who've got a bank of over 20,000 symbols in there to support in a variety of
situations. Essentially, you download the software if you were a user, you type a word in and the
symbol will appear for you for those situations. Within the software, and again, this is very brief
and quick, you can edit the colour of symbols. So if you've typed the word sit, for example,
and the uniform in the symbol, it's defaulted to orange and blue. You can change it to red and
grey if that's what your uniform looks like. You can change the skin tone on all of the symbols as
well. And you provide so many options for templates, both on Widget Online and in Inprint as well,
don't you? Which is really helpful because symbols can be on everything in order to access it. I
posted a video only yesterday or the day before showing my classroom and every way I use Widget
in it. So if you haven't seen that, watch this afterwards. Some of them offer information that
aren't, you know, you can't take them off, they're just information on the door. Some of them you
peel off so the children can request. Some of them are matching boards. Some of them are for, you know, to point
out for communication or choice boards. Some are outside, some are inside, some are on the actual thing.
There are so many options to use them, but the fact is, is it is a language. It is. And I just want to
go back to when I heard you mention earlier about, you know, people say, oh, I'm using PECS. And I
think one misconception that we have from a lot of people and it is not all criticism is that the
symbols in our software are PECS and they're not. PECS is a really specific system that can be used.
Our symbols can be used for PECS, but that involves a system where you're doing that exchange. Someone
is expected to give you a single system, single symbol or visual, and then you exchange it for
that product. And that's not what we're about. We've got a symbol set and they can be used,
like you've said, in lots of different ways. I've got mine round my neck today. These are my core
symbols when I meet young people so I can say hello to them. It's got my toilet symbol on. But like
you say, our symbols can be used in lots of different ways, you know, and there's a difference
between symbols and PECS. So lots of my followers, lots of them actually, and they follow me because
they have some kind of care role with non-speaking people. So they might be a caregiver in the sense
that they're a parent. They might be a teacher. They might be a teaching assistant. They might be
a therapist. But typically my audience can be any one of those things, but they're often involved
with the care of a non-speaking person. Now that's why I want to work with you guys. And I am working
with you guys because it just fits, right? If they're non-speaking, they don't have a spoken
language, but that doesn't mean they can't access language and communication and understanding.
And that's where widget pictures come in. So these pictures might be far easier to understand and
use and communicate with than a written word or a spoken word. Typically it would be object, then
photo, then a drawn image like white widget. But most of my students go straight to widget because
it's, widget is so clear. And this is why I choose widget. It's so clear what that is, that actually
they get it quite quickly and they understand that that means drink. It doesn't take them long to
understand. And then this becomes a language that they can then ask for a drink or they understand
when we're asking if they want a drink and it just becomes embedded in our communication system.
Really. Yeah, absolutely. And I think like you're saying with the symbols, if I use the example of
the toilet symbol that I've got, you know, lots of people will say to me, oh, but my child prefers
photographs, which is absolutely fine. You know, that is a transitional point. However, if you've
taken a photograph of the toilet at home, that toilet is not going to be the same when you're at
school. If you're at the safari park, if you're at a theme park, however, if you've got the symbol,
that's universal and can be used anywhere in the world. So hopefully by transitioning to symbols,
things certainly like that, that are universal, it will just support a lot of anxiety and transitions
for everyone. Yeah, I've had that before. I don't know, like a certain pair of socks or whatever.
Yeah. It isn't always the same. So then they're prepared for that and then they become dysregulated
because they are expected to be going to the park. You could not, you'd have to have a photo of every
single park you could ever go to. Whereas actually with Widditt, you could just have playgrounds.
And it represents all, doesn't it? It represents every park. I've had that when I was doing my
travel training with my pupils and we planned on going to a certain park, we'd taken a photograph
of that one down the road, that one we couldn't get into for some reason, we had to go to another
one. And unfortunately, you know, our pupils, some of our pupils became upset about that and
they didn't want to go to the park. And understandably, I told them they were going to that park.
However, like you say, if I'd use the generic playground symbol, that can be any park within
the city. Yeah, that's right. And forever as well. If they move to schools, if they transition classes,
it's always the same. It's consistent. And we know our children like consistency and routine and
predictability. And Widditt will give them that because it's so worldwide, they could go to any
school, any class. And I suppose that leads us on to home. Yes. Because I work with lots of parents
at home and they say, Oh, well, I've got symbols. And I think, Okay, well, what language is the
symbols? Oh, I don't know. I just bought them for Etsy, whatever. And I think your child is learning
a whole new language at home and you're and then that they are at school, you know, you're asking
them to be bilingual in pictures. And I know they're well meaning and I'm sure something's better
than nothing. How much more powerful would it be if we're using the same images at school and at
home? Was that your intention behind creating widget online because widget online is so user
friendly and affordable in my view? Was your intention to kind of make it more accessible for
home? Essentially, widget online, I think it came around, it got a massive development came around
during lockdown when the need for symbol teachers weren't able to be on their laptops all the time
because with imprint three, it's the desktop version of the software. And they needed a product,
obviously, that can be used quickly and easily. So yeah, that is kind of the general reason around
why widget online was developed. And obviously, because it is cloud based, it can be used anywhere.
Which is so useful. Can I just say it's so useful. If I think if I'm on my lunch break,
which I probably shouldn't, but if I'm on my lunch break, and I think, oh, I'm going to do that,
I can I've got my phone now, I don't need to go into the classroom. I don't disturb them.
I can start creating the widget symbols. Oh, then the next day, oh, but I forgot something,
actually, that needs to be changed. I can just do it there. And then I can print it on my laptop or
I can send I can email it to myself on my phone, whatever. Yeah, it's so accessible.
And certainly for schools as well, obviously, you've got the shared folder options that
everything could be put into one folder. So you're getting that consistency across school.
It's supporting staff who may not be as confident. It's making sure that people out wasting time and
making 20 different visual timetables. They're in that shared folder. What parents, lots of parents
I've spoken to that really like widget online is that they can create those resources. And then
within widget online, you've also got the option in view mode to then create a direct link. And
lots of parents have just found that amazing because if children have been out with grandparents,
for example, and the grandparents are saying, oh, my gosh, I need a symbol of a pig or a cow or
wherever they are, the parents can go in, do it on the set, and then send them a direct link via
WhatsApp or email and they can get straight away. So and then at that point as well, the link also
becomes like a basic AAC device because if you click on the symbol, it then talks to you as well.
So that's really good. My parents are amazing that the kids in my class, they're so focused,
but often their books or their AAC device, whatever it is that have widget on it,
they get left in the bag because home sometimes works differently where, oh, I just understand
what he says. I understand what he means. They know they can help themselves with the cupboard.
What are your views on that? And how do you feel like widget can play a part in that home setting?
I think it is absolutely essential that if we're working with anybody who is using symbols as their
language, that everyone that they're involved with should be using that at home and at school.
And like you say, if they've got an AAC device or if they've got communication boards in a folder,
then they should be going home and where possible, parents should be trying to get that out just to,
you know, even just modeling the child. What I found quite often was that children may not use it
as much at home because they have got their needs met at home as parents. You know, we know what our
children want, but what I try to encourage and support parents with was constantly modeling and
modeling sentence building, modeling it in different situations so you can expand that
communication. But there's so many ways it can be used. It's not just about getting your needs and
your wants met. It can be used to support that independence at home. And I've actually got
something I made earlier that I use with my little boy at home. So this was a magnetic board. It sits
in my fridge from Amazon. And then this is to support my little boy with what he wears each day
at the school. So we've got school uniform, pee kit. On here we've got who's picking him up and
dropping him off and which clubs he's got as well. And this has really supported us because, you know,
I can say it till I'm blue in the face and he will still ask me. But actually with this, it's allowed
him to think, I want to know what it is and he will go and he'll look and he'll get his own clothes
out. And if he's not sure, he will just check it. And it just gives him a little assurance.
I think lots of people that don't use symbols assume that speech is more independent. It seems
like a progress. It's step up. Actually, no, I find that speech one doesn't go in so they end
up really prompt dependent and actually quite reliant on the adult. If it's visual, one, it
feels more concrete to them and it's definitely happening, you know, rather than verbal. It kind
of doesn't. Is it? Is it happening? Because I remember that one time when you said it was and
it wasn't, you know, visual and it's set, it kind of feels a little bit more permanent. Yeah. Also,
they can go and check themselves. Yes. So don't see it as a step back from speech. See it as
actually they're becoming more independent. They can do it. So they don't need a prompt from you.
They don't need you to be reminding them. They don't even need to ask you. They can check
themselves. That's ultimately what we all want as caregivers. I would like to assume. And I feel
like symbols gives that and does that job really, really well. Yeah. And that's the thing. One of our
key reasons that we say we there's many reasons to use symbols, but we've got our nine main ones.
And, you know, one of them is that symbols are permanent. They don't disappear. So if a child is
feeling worried about a task at home or in school, if the symbols are there, giving them that
sequence, they have listened to the verbal. They can then refer back to that to, you know, to ensure
that they're doing things in the way that they've been asked to, which is a massive thing in stopping
anxiety for lots of young people. And a lot of people will say to me, if I use symbols, like you
said, I think they're going to stop talking. Absolutely. It's the opposite. It's just opening
up so many more channels. And I always say when I'm communicating with people who are non-speaking,
I don't just use the symbol. I speak and I also sign it as well where I know the sign. You know,
I am exposing them to all of these different ways to communicate in order to hopefully meet
their needs so they feel as comfortable as possible. Let's go back down. Let's go back to
modelling. I'm aware that we're using lots of educational teachers. Let's break down what
modelling is. So say, for example, we're basically saying you have your own communication tools as
adults. So if you have a dinner menu and you choose it, maybe the adult models, huh, look,
it's spaghetti today. Absolutely. And they're pointing to the symbol of spaghetti. Spaghetti
is today. Great. And there is no demand or pressure or anything that the child either engages, watches,
does it, points, nothing. Absolutely not. You're just doing it. And if you do that enough throughout
the day, not just for that, also, oh, I really want to go to the park today. Shall we go to the park?
Yes. Let's go to the park. I love the park. We're at the park. Oh, park is finished. And again,
there's no demand on them requesting park, whatever. You will just find naturally, and I work with some
incredibly complex learners, you will just find naturally, they will find that symbol. If they
want it enough, they will find it and they will use it and reach for it and give it to you and point
to it. Because you've been modelling that use of language all the time. It's almost like,
assume, if you don't model, it's like assuming that a baby will learn to talk if you never talk to them.
Yeah. And I was, when I very first started working in the autism specialist setting,
I felt, you know, I was guilty of this. And I said, oh, but they're not responding. They're
not using them. And a speech and language therapist said to me that a newborn baby will hear the word
daddy 10,000 times before they verbalize it. You don't stop saying daddy, because that newborn
baby isn't speaking. And essentially using symbols is like that. It's a new language. We can't just
give them to people and expect them to know what to do. They have to see us model it essentially
that 10,000 times to ensure. And like you're saying, if they want something enough, they'll get it.
And also if you model and go, oh, it's crisps today. Here's the crisps. If they don't like those
crisps, they will communicate that with you. So I can say, you don't like salt and vinegar.
Oh, do you want that too? Right? The whole communication is it's not symbols or nothing.
You can look at me, you can reach, you can run, you can move towards me, you can look at the object,
you can do symbols, you can sign. We love it all. It's all good. But how great that we could offer
all of those options, because something will capture your child or your, or your young person.
Yeah. And that will just grab them. And then all of a sudden they've got a voice and they're
understood. And then it's really exciting. It is. And I think that's the most important thing
you've just said that it's about grabbing the children. It's about getting them engaged.
Lots of people say to me, oh, I'm doing the routine with them. So I'm showing them that it's
time to get their nappy changed. And then we're getting our shoes on and we're putting our clothes
on. And I'm like, that's amazing. That is wonderful that you're modeling that. But is that grabbing
them. If someone came to me and went, today, Rebecca, you've got to do the hoovering, you've
got to go shopping, and then you have got to make the beds. I'd be like, oh, no, thank you. If someone
comes to me and says, oh, today I'm going to watch an episode of Emily in Paris. You are going to
pour the glass of wine. I'm going to do the symbol. So, you know, it's about that. It's about initially
getting those things that really grab, really engage, modeling those things that they love to
them. And then the other things will come. So we will know what the symbols mean straight away,
because we can read. So when we're talking about learning a new language, well, I know that's a
drink and I know that's chocolate. But if they can't read yet, they might not know. So they might
need a few modeling and a few time and a bit of babbling, almost like finger babbling, to know
what something means. Like you say, the 10,000 times that maybe it might be once, twice, three
times. But initially, I wouldn't assume that they would know what that means straight away if they
can't read. Why would they know? It'd be incredible if they could guess it really. It'll be credit to
widget if they could guess it without knowing it right. Absolutely. 100%. So the one thing I
know about, I like about your symbols is actually they are pretty guessable. And students do pick
them up incredibly quickly. We've had four new students in my class this September. And two of
them were using symbols with widget symbols with and yeah, within the first few days, they were
they were matching and communicating and like looking at the tablet devices and pressing and
thinking, Oh, this is amazing. A floodlion language that I can understand and speak in as an educator
and a caregiver. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a young person find their voice for
the first time, no matter what that looks like. Absolutely. I completely agree. And there's just
too many stories that I can tell where my heart is just absolutely sang. Where people just got it.
I think my favorite ones is when they argue with me and they start like telling me no.
And you know, they really get yeah, and they're getting their personalities come out. And I'm
like, it's amazing. Or they do a joke, you know, I love that. They're silly with it. Because it's
not just a question. I mean, I know I've said toilet drink chocolate crisps. That's, that's,
you know, the typical standard. However, communication is so much more than that.
Isn't it? It's relationship building. It's connecting over a film. Oh, isn't that funny?
I love this. Isn't that yummy? Oh, I don't like that. Oh, no, get off. Go away. Communication is
so much more than that. And we want our learners to not just be able to request crisps, or not just
be able to tap their chest when they want the toilet. We want to have a relationship. We want
to have two way conversations with them. And if it can't be through speech, well, it can be through
images, can't it? Absolutely. And I think that's really important. Obviously, you and I have both
worked in settings with non speaking people. And but I think it's really important referring back
to mainstream settings that are starting to use symbols with their pupils. And quite often,
they'll say, Oh, we started using them with child a, the miss Smith uses them with Rebecca. And I
always say to them, well, are the other people seeing that exposure? Because it's great.
Absolutely amazing that the teaching assistant and the teacher are using it with those pupils.
But actually, the whole class need to see those symbols being used as a language, so that child
isn't isolated, that they can have that communication and interaction with their peers. And it's good
practice. It will support learners. It's not a gift to anyone. I remember being in year six. I,
you know, I didn't have a noticeable need for symbols. But every morning, I looked through the
window, because the six teacher would write or have pictures of what was happening that day.
For some reason, it was really important to me at age 11, that I knew what my day would look like.
But it doesn't hinder anyone to just know and be prepared and have another language. Anyone can be
dysregulated and lose their voice. And often what happens in dysregulation is you lose the ability to
negotiate, communicate how you usually would make choices. That's not just autistic people. That is
not just neurodivergent people. That is not just those with a learning disability. All of us lose
the ability to communicate how we would if we're dysregulated, if we're upset, if we're angry,
frustrated, tired, ill, all of those things. If those symbols are a language, then that's great.
I know lots of people that take their children to baby sign and sign language is seen as such
a great thing to learn. And I've agreed with them that I think that it should be a GCSE,
that British Sign Language and Macathon should be a GCSE. I think the world would be better for it.
But how also great if you could do a language in widget as a GCSE. How awesome would that be?
The world would be such a better place if everyone... That's one for the list, Jordan.
GCSE? Yeah, getting a GCSE language. Yeah, definitely. I compare it as well. We're speaking
a lot about supporting pupils and people at home who are non-speaking, but it's also a resin for
people who speak different languages. You think if you go to another country, wherever you go,
you know how to use the toilet because usually there's a symbol there, whether it's in Arabic,
whether it's in French. So, symbols, like we said, they're universal and they just support everyone.
And I know that Woburn have said it hasn't just supported neurodivergent people. It's
supported EAL people and people who visit other countries. It's supported early years children,
people visiting with their younger children who can't yet read. You know, they can now access
the animals and say what they want to see because they can't yet access text. So, it isn't just
for people with additional needs and neurodivergent people. Symbols help everyone. And at some point
in their life, one in five people will have a communication difficulty, whether that's where
they're born with it, whether something happens because they have an accident, whether they lose
speech due to having dementia. That's it, that's exactly it. It's just so many different things.
You actually have a template, don't you, for English as an additional language? Yes. So,
it shows their language translated as well as English, right? We do. So, that's in these standard
packages, but it can be bought as well for home accounts if people wanted to add it on. And there's
separate, when you go to create from a template, there's just a separate set that says dual language
and when you go into there, there's over 80 different languages that you can translate to.
So, it works exactly the same. You type in the English, the symbol will appear and then you just
translate that document and it will pop into the language. So many teachers will be watching this
thinking, yes, I have an EAL pupil and I can't communicate. And actually, we had to bring their
sibling out of another year just to communicate with them. Or they're good at English, but their
parents aren't, whatever. How great that we have this tool on our computer that we're already using
for our learners that can help us communicate with their parents or just helps them embed,
you know, they're learning faster. And how lovely that we can build a relationship with them quicker
because we can use their language without the need for taking their pupil or our lesson or whatever.
And I'm sure that loads of people can relate to that situation that, you know, this pupil just
turns up because often you don't get much warning about these people either. They just turn up,
they cannot speak the language at all and they're clearly anxious. How lovely. But the first thing
you do for them is not only their language, but also pictures. And it just, what does that tell
them? It tells them we're here, we're trying, we're helping, you know, we're willing to learn your
language, we're willing to find a solution. Because how scary must that be, you know?
I just can't imagine. When I went to France, I got so anxious because I couldn't communicate
what type of coffee I wanted and what sandwich I wanted. And that was, you know, that was just
asking for a sandwich and I could speak, I could communicate in English. And I just felt so anxious,
I felt silly, I felt embarrassed. And I would hate that that's how some people feel every single day
because they're not able to communicate verbally. And so, yeah, our aim is to be able to support
everyone in feeling safe and comfortable in the world around them. Yeah, absolutely. Oh, I love it.
I love it so much. Is there anything, any projects that you are working on currently that you would
like to ask to know about or any like promotions or is there anything that you particularly want
to focus on that you'd like us to know that we haven't already covered? We've covered quite a lot.
I've covered quite a lot. Yeah, and we probably, I think there's some questions and things.
Yeah, lots of people are saying, I've used Midget for years. I love it. It has helped us loads. It's
given my child a voice, which is what this is all about, right? Yeah, 100%. Yeah, I've got
photos and symbols all around my house with Velcro dots. Well, you should probably have
shares in Velcro actually. Yes, we should. Velcro dots. Yeah, exactly. With the hope that he will
eventually give me the symbol he requires. He did this for the first time last week. That's amazing.
How exciting. And it doesn't matter how long it takes, but even if they never do,
the fact that you're modelling still helps them with understanding. It still helps them.
It's almost the point of not having an end goal with this. It is just supporting them in the
moment. Helping them to communicate, but also to help them just understand as well. Absolutely.
We do offer as well, Jordan, completely free training sessions that people can sign up for
via the website. So if you get the free trial and you are struggling a little bit,
you can sign up for the free webinars, which are there. And there's also videos as well,
pre-recorded videos for you to watch. We're here to help. And any questions at all,
do not hesitate to contact us because we want people using symbols. We don't want people to feel
scared by the software. We just want to be able to support so that ultimately everyone is able
to communicate. I've got a couple of good questions here. One person said, I'm worried that using
symbols in the classroom might overwhelm some students. Any tips for how I can introduce them
gradually without causing confusion? Interesting question, I think. It is an interesting question.
Do you want to take that one or do you want me to take that one? Yeah, I don't think they would.
I think if anything, it does the opposite. They'll be overwhelmed with words, they'll be
overwhelmed with text they don't understand, they'll be overwhelmed with environment.
I haven't ever in my 15 years ever had a pupil that is overwhelmed by the amount of symbols.
If anything, it's just, yeah, it's more I mean, the only thing would be if they were tiny,
their fine motor skills can't access them. But it would never be because of overwhelming,
it would be because of a fine motor thing. I just make the symbol bigger, or maybe less choice,
maybe. Like sometimes you would just choose two, choose three, but that's not because the symbols
are overwhelming. That's just because their ability is to just process those two things at
once. So it really does depend where your students are. But I would start with it and then pay back,
actually, rather than starting small, I would symbolise the classroom. Symbolising the classroom,
oh my god, talk about overwhelming. My classroom, every cupboard door has something in it.
And it isn't overwhelming because it is the language that they understand. What is overwhelming
to them is if I put text and pictures and colour and all of that over, but actually they don't
seem to get overwhelmed by the symbols. Well, I feel it becomes less overwhelming,
in my opinion, I think it becomes less overwhelming because they know what they want,
they can access everything, they can see exactly what's in there. If there weren't the symbols
there to support, they might think, well, what's in there and become, you know, dis-regulated.
So yeah, I agree completely. A good answer also is where do you start? Well, I suppose start with
what motivates the child. Start with something that you do all the day, every day. Toilet might be a
good one because that's a basic need. I often like to start with basic needs because I think children,
every child should deserve to advocate and understand what's happening to them, those things
that are happening regularly. So things like snacks and drinks and toilet and home time and choosing
their favourite things are really important to the children. So the idea that they could ask for those
or comment on those would be really important to them. And then that might all of a sudden open up
a whole other language for them. I wouldn't start necessarily with symbols or something that isn't
interesting to them or isn't needed to them necessarily. But also, no child has ever been
harmed by overusing symbols is all I want to say. Yeah. And I think just having them around the
classroom, even if you're not using them directly with that child, but so they're seeing them all
the time, if they're on your tray, so they know where the pencils are, they know where the
play dough is. So having them, so they're just seeing them all the time, it doesn't need to be
that you're constantly saying, oh, there's the play dough, there's this. But if they're seeing
them around the classroom and for wayfinding and support, you can then start using them,
like you've said, like we've mentioned, for things that are really motivating to them to get that
communication going. It helps them build connections, right? If they've always seen that picture on the
pencils, that connection is already made without us even trying, isn't it? Yeah, I've just kind of
built that connection. And someone else has put, I'm new to using symbols. How do I know if I'm
choosing the right symbols for my students? So when you type in the software, a symbol will come up.
And then on the right hand side within the software, so for example, drink,
on the right hand side, you get your symbol chooser and it will come up with a number of symbols.
And I would say personally, look at those symbols and choose the one that you think is most relevant
to your pupils at that point. It gives you a selection and you can choose which one is most
relevant to your pupils so you can kind of manage that. Personally, for example, finished, I always
use the hands where they're crossing it. The first one that comes up is more like if something,
if an activity is finished, like a race, it's the grey with the red and a little arrow in,
but I always default to the one finished. And that was because I knew that that was the one
my pupils recognised most. Yeah, the important thing isn't it is to pick one and then be consistent
with it. It almost doesn't matter which one you pick, just be consistent. Similar to my macathon
actually. My macathon isn't perfect, but I do the same thing every time. My kids learn to understand
it every once in a while. So, I'm wondering, we're using words at school, but some parents are
hesitant to use them at home. How can I support them in understanding the benefits? So, I think
it's just sharing those success stories with them about when they're using them in school and how
you're using them and saying, you know, they've done this today, they've managed to communicate
in a different way, they've asked for something, they've told me they didn't want to do something.
So, I just think it's about initially for those parents who are finding it difficult,
is to just share those success stories and keep saying, you know, how positive it is for
not just their child, but for other people as well. And how it just explaining that it might be at
home, they completely understand what their needs are, but their children won't always be at home.
It might be that they meet new carers. It might be that they go somewhere outside of the home. So,
by using the symbols and just saying, thinking of the bigger picture almost, I think that it isn't
just about using them at home in that setting. Yeah, absolutely. And also, just make it really
accessible. So, not every family has a laminator or a monitor. So, maybe just do it for them.
I often say, my weight symbol worked really well for this pupil today. Would you like one?
And I very rarely have parents say, no, I don't know if I ever have.
No. Yeah, we'll try it. And also, don't assume that they even know how to use them. So,
maybe just take the time. We have staff coffee meetings every term, but it could just be
the same. Just saying, this is how I use it and use them as the child and then have another
tenant. Okay, use it on me now. Yeah, that's exactly it. Just building their confidence with
it because they don't want to do it wrong. And I think the fear is undoing all your school hard
work. Oh, you're working so hard at simple. So, I wouldn't want to get it wrong. And it's just about
boosting their confidence in, just give it a go. And yeah, you're doing great. You're doing great.
And if you're unsure, maybe take a video and I can give you some feedback. Of course, it'll be
perfect. And we can boost them that way. So, yeah, don't assume that it's because they don't care.
Often, it's because they don't want to get it wrong. And maybe we're asking too much. A little
bit like parents not wanting to do phonics with their children. It's not because they don't see
value in it. It's because they're scared of getting it wrong. Yeah. They're overwhelmed quite often.
So, parents have got so much going on at home. Often, there's other children in the family as
well. So, you know, it's just about being as positive as you can and like you say, supporting
them. When I was teaching, a lot of parents, more than anything, they did want the symbols,
but quite often they'd want two separate folders, one for home and one for school. And I didn't,
I was a bit strict and I said, I'm afraid I won't be making two folders. It's not because I'm being
lazy, but this is their voice. So, they need to take that everywhere. There isn't one for home.
There isn't one for school. I will add as many symbols as you like to it for you to make it
relevant to home if you need me to. But ultimately, this is their voice. Like they need to be taking
that with them. You take your voice everywhere and, you know, this is the one that they're going to be
bringing. It's about muscle memory, isn't it? They will learn where certain symbols are and be able
to access them quickly. The quicker they can learn it and access it, the more likely they are to use
it, right? Because they will take the shortest route to getting what they need, their needs met
or their wants met. Absolutely. If they're learning muscle memory, right, it's this and this and this,
and that's the same for tablet, but it's also the same for with symbols. They will learn where they
are and press those things. If it's different from home and school, again, it might be the same
pictures, but we're asking them to really find it every single time. It is making a massive barrier
for them. Or if we're moving symbols around, I will find that most of my pupils, I can't think
of one that doesn't, knows where each symbol goes and they like a certain place because
that's what they've learned. It makes it quick. It makes it, they like, you know, systems. It makes
sense. That's their voice. If we were having to think about the word and try and find it every
time and really find it, I'd probably give up speaking because it's just quicker to reach for
it or hit someone for it or cry. If we're wanting them to use it for communication, then we need to
make it as easy as possible. Absolutely. Yeah. And on that note, I suppose, often my questions don't,
my questions that I answer, you need symbols, don't often start with, I really want to communicate
with my child. Usually it is, my child's really dysregulated. They're biting, they're hitting,
they're, or they're not wanting to join the circle. They're not interested in the prayer.
Usually the questions start there. Yeah. But my answer is very often, are they understood?
Do they feel understood? Do they understand? And then the next thing is, you know, what,
how can we support that? How can we support them to understand? How can we help them to be understood
to have a voice? Ultimately, I'm leading to, you need a communication system that they can access.
And that might look different for pupils. It might be, I have widgets on button, sound buttons. So we
have finished. So some of my learners at the very early stages of communication still understand
the finish button and will play every time we are transitioning from an area to another or an object
finished. So we'll play the finish button and we'll move on. That's the start of widget. We've got
a widget symbol on the button. That is the start. You, there is not, you can't start that too early.
These children are working at, you know, three months, cognitively in that, in their communication.
And yet they understand the symbol. It prepares them, but there is about a change about to happen
all the way to children being independent and navigating across the classroom, being able to
transition from one classroom completely to the whole, the other end of the school, being able to
match the board, reading their instructions, knowing what they're going to do in PE, getting prepared,
getting their equipment ready and getting on with it really independently and everything in between.
Absolutely. I had a little boy who, when he came into my class, he was year four and people said
he won't write. He doesn't like writing. He was non-speaking. And I said, but have you given him
any tools to be able to do that? And we read the story, how to catch a star. And then he retold me
when I gave him the core language in symbols, he retold me the story and then rewrote it for me.
And then I gave him alternatives using symbols and he wrote me a completely alternative ending
to the story using symbols. Now, if he hadn't had that, he wouldn't have been able to access it.
He also loved to sing. So he joined in with singing. When I gave him the symbolized song sheet,
he would point to each word and he'd do it to the beat. And without symbols, he wouldn't have been
able to join the session that way. And he just was like a different child. That's exactly it.
That's such a great point that we haven't even accessed. I only know my pupils are able to access
them because I've given them the opportunity to show me. And I facilitated an environment
that enables them to show me what they can do and what they know. Absolutely. It might be the way
if they can or they can't. I would be failing as a teacher if I wasn't at least facilitating
the opportunity to show me what they can do and to have it. And honestly, I'm always surprised.
I have high expectations. I assume competency at all costs. And I'm still surprised often
because these children are so capable when they're given the tools.
They are and he just you know, young people as well. I know adults that totally benefit
from this system. I don't want people to think pictures, picture book children. It's not what
we're talking about here. People with dementia that have been or been through an accident or
whatever. Any reason they wouldn't, they would need support in understanding or in communication
or anxiety would benefit from this. Yeah. One of the symbol friendly projects that we've done with
Nottingham Trams came about was because somebody was starting to travel independently. He'd left
and he'd finished in year 11 and he was starting to go to college on the tram. And that is how that
project came about because that person needed to be able to go on the tram by himself. So there's
symbolised content and that's how Nottingham Trams became a symbol friendly transport system.
And they've got symbolised story to help on there. And they've also got a one page guide
as well that people can use. If someone owns a business, because there's lots of people know,
or they've got links with certain people and think, I want to do that. I want to become
symbol friendly. Is there a clear process or somewhere they can go to start learning about
how to do that? If you go to widget.com and if you pop symbol friendly at the top,
in there it will come up with the main landing page and it's got all the information on there
of who you contact and how we move forward. So yeah, just reach out. If they can't find that,
just contact us on any of our socials and the messages will find us. Great. That sounds awesome.
Yeah. And you are so good at your communication. I mean, it would be ironic if you weren't,
but you really are. Yeah. You do reflect. We talk so. You do. Thank you so much for joining me.
This has been full of all the excitement. Thank you. Have a good evening, everybody.
See you later. Bye. Thank you. Bye. Bye.