Positive Behaviour Support - Department of Human Services - Vic ...

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Positive behaviour support: Getting it right from the start - Facilitators reference manual 51
Some symbols are easier to interpret than others: the more concrete the symbol the easier it
is to understand. In order to interpret and use a symbol, a person has to be able to decipher
what the symbol is and link it to the real object or activity. Some of the things that make some
symbols easier than others to interpret include: dimension 2D, 3D, iconicity (they closely look
like what they represent). For example, giving a person that cannot read, a written word or
sentence is like you trying to read something written in a language you don’t understand.
Expecting a person to use a symbolic system that they cannot interpret can lead to a great
deal of frustration for the person as well as compromise the success of an intervention plan.
A speech pathologist can assist in identifying what symbolic system is the most appropriate
for the person.
Arrange symbols on a continuum from most concrete to the most abstract.
Line drawing (COMPIC or Picture Communication Symbols)
Real object
Written word
Part of the real object
Photograph
Spelling
Logo
Most concrete
Most abstract
Real object
Part of the real object
Logo
Photograph
Line drawing (COMPIC or
Picture Communication
Symbols)
Spelling
Written word