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VIDBE-Q Volume 63 Issue 2
a small button on a device. Therefore, the alternative being researched is the concept of
using body systems to assist in communication for nonverbal students.
Similar to how an individual with a physical disability may be unable to accurately
select an icon on a device, a student with visual impairments may have a hard time seeing
the images in PECS. Instead, a device or system using the somatic system may suit him
or her best. This could include devices such as the use of object cards or Braille display.
Augmentative communication devices such as the Picture Exchange System, object
cards, Braille to speech devices, body language, sign language, or switches can all be
beneficial for nonverbal students, but is not limited to. Students who have the capability
of communicating may feel more comfortable using a device and these options can be
explored for all exceptional children.
When speaking of using body systems to aid in communication, the reference is
to 8 systems in particular. The eight systems include the somatic system, the olfactory
system, the auditory system, the visual system, the gustatory system, the proprioceptive
system, the vestibular system, and the interoception system (Holbrook, Kamei-Hannan,
& McCarthy, 2017). These are all systems of the body that contribute towards a student's
ability to feel and communicate. The teacher must take the time to get to know the student
and his or her strengths and weaknesses to determine the best body system to explore.
With that being said, this process can be time consuming and is usually based around
trial and error.
The Somatic system is a piece of the central nervous system responsible for the
sense of touch. It is responsible for the protective, commonly known as the flight or fight
response, versus discriminatory, the manipulating and identifying of objects, touch
