Santino was seen for session 46 of 47 with this SLP in the individual classroom and appeared pleasant and calm upon transition between sessions...Goals for the session remained consistent and included the following...1. to engage in forming a relationship with Santino that includes regulation, and shared attention and interest 2. to enter into two-way, purposeful interactions with gestures and intentional communication 3. to determine highly motivating/favorable, cause and effect activities, so that Santino may develop a feeling of control and predict/anticipate what will happen next 4. to imitate predictable action sequences and communication patterns through cause and effect activities 5. to develop single-word requesting via eye-gaze, picture exchange and/or verbalization...As noted previously, Santino requested "Pop! The Pig" via verbal request ("Pop Pig") from the activities in this SLP's bag. The photo of his request was added to the sentence strip on the communication book and referenced by Santino. Independent of direction, Santino removed the strip, handed it to this SLP and verbalized "I - Want - Pop! The Pig" paired with point to each element of the sentence. His request was immediately validated. Santino requested "Hamburger", added it to the strip, then removed and presented it to this SLP followed by point to all elements of the sentence paired with the verbalization: "I - Want - Hamburger". When asked, "What Color?", Santino opened his communication book, located the "Colors" page, selected "Yellow", added it to the sentence strip, then removed and presented it to this SLP paired with point and the verbalization: "I - Want - (Color) - Hamburger". His request was immediately validated...This exchange of two-way, purposeful interaction with intentional communication continued INDEPENDENT OF PROMPTS/CUES for 2 of 2 opportunities. Over the following 14 of 14 opportunities, Santino REQUESTED SPONTANEOUSLY, INDEPENDENT of the sentence strip:
"I - Want -(Color) - Hamburger!!!...Additional verbalization paired with communication intent was noted from time to time and included the following: "Pink Nose", "Hat", "Eyes", "Belly", "Spatula", in reference to the "Pig". Santino verbalized number words correctly for 16 out of 16 opportunities to complete the phrase initiated by this SLP, "Hamburger Number...???". In addition, "Did Pig/He Pop?" was posed after each turn as Santino was directed to the "Yes"/"No" pictures on the communication strip. This SLP modeled the responses...Santino stood and handed this SLP his blue container into which water was poured and presented to Santino. He lay on the pillows with the bottle in his mouth but did not drink. He stood, reached for a shake then handed it to this SLP. The photo of the vanilla shake was referenced by this SLP and added to the sentence strip. Santino verbalized, "I - Want - Vanilla - Shake". His request was validated and he lay on the pillows with the bottle in his mouth, but did not drink. When asked, "All Done Vanilla Shake?", Santino removed the bottle from his mouth and stated, "I want Pop the Pig!". His request was validated. He held the bottle with one hand and drank all but a few sips of the shake while he manipulated and played with the "pig". "All Done" or "More" "Pop! The Pig?" was referenced and verbalized by this SLP. Santino verbalized, "All Done Pop the Pig", independent of prompts/cues via sentence strip then participated in clean-up of the activity...Santino took a break for approximately one-minute then followed the one-step verbal direction to sit in the brown chair. Attempts to entice Santino to participate in an activity to create a Thanksgiving Turkey using "feathers" cut from his "Do-A-Dot" art made previously were successful...Via sentence strip x 2, Santino verbalized, "I- Want - Turkey - Feather." then glued each to the turkey's body. The remaining "feathers" were glued by Santino absent verbalization as he began to rub his eyes and yawn frequently...The session came to a close in the usual manner with clean-up, the "Good-Bye" Song, and successfull photo exchange on his daily, visual schedule in preparation for dismissal. Santino verbalized "Miss Ingrid" and "Momma" x 2 to complete the "First/Then phrase initiated by this SLP (i.e. First..."Miss Ingrid", Then... "Momma")... Continue as planned with focus on use of communication book/photos across sessions/instructors and settings.