VIDBE-Q Volume 65 Issue 2
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applications of intervention, from the impact of alternative/augmentative
communication switches to the effectiveness of Snoezelen rooms on moderating
alertness (Munde et al., 2009).
Analyzing patterns of behavior states for students with multiple disabilities,
Arthur (2004) wrote, "…it could be argued that to be involved in a CI
[communicative interaction], a participant must be awake and actively involved"
(p. 137). For students with the most complex needs who struggle to maintain
equilibrium, who may spend a significant amount of time throughout the day in
drowsy or asleep states, or post-seizure, who have limited or no voluntary motor
control, and use unconventional forms of communication, the educational team and
family may find themselves asking: How do I know if the child is available for
learning? How can I tell if the child is alert, attending, responsive or responding,
processing or retaining information?
First, we must address the question: What is learning? "Learning" is a broad
and generic term, and a standard definition does not answer the more fundamental
question: How do we know if a student is learning? Simply put, learning is
physical change in the brain. We are learning when the synapses in our brain are
active, strengthening pathways and making new neural connections (Gaddum,
1966). When we have the opportunity to develop consistency and anticipation
through repeated experiences and routines, neuron pathways are used repeatedly,
