DLM Communication Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student uses a three-symbol phrase on their AAC device ('I want cookie') to make a request. This skill aligns with which DLM concept?
- Combining symbols to form multi-symbol messages (Correct answer)
- Emergent literacy through phonemic awareness
- Narrative retelling using sequential text
- Decoding consonant-vowel-consonant words
Correct answer: Combining symbols to form multi-symbol messages
Using a three-symbol phrase represents multi-symbol message construction, a higher-level AAC communication skill on the DLM map.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a communication breakdown repair strategy appropriate for DLM students?
- Repeating the message using a different modality such as pointing to a picture (Correct answer)
- Ignoring the listener's confusion and moving on to a new topic
- Only using spoken words to restate the message louder
- Waiting silently until the listener guesses the intended message
Correct answer: Repeating the message using a different modality such as pointing to a picture
Repairing a communication breakdown by switching modalities — such as pointing to a picture after a spoken attempt — is a functional and evidence-based repair strategy for AAC users.
Question 3: In the DLM framework, what is the role of communicative intent at the earliest levels of the learning map?
- It establishes that a student's behavior is purposefully directed toward a listener to produce an effect (Correct answer)
- It measures how many words per minute a student can articulate
- It determines whether a student can decode printed text at grade level
- It assesses a student's ability to write syntactically correct sentences
Correct answer: It establishes that a student's behavior is purposefully directed toward a listener to produce an effect
Communicative intent — purposeful, listener-directed behavior meant to cause an effect — is a foundational early node on the DLM communication map.
Question 4: A student consistently responds to their name being called by turning toward the speaker. According to DLM, this behavior indicates:
- Joint attention and responsiveness to communicative bids (Correct answer)
- Grade-level listening comprehension
- Phonological awareness of name-initial sounds
- Ability to follow three-step directions
Correct answer: Joint attention and responsiveness to communicative bids
Turning toward a speaker when called demonstrates joint attention and response to communicative bids, an early-node skill on the DLM map.
Question 5: Which Essential Element addresses a student's ability to ask questions to clarify information they did not understand?
- EE.SL.3.3 - Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker (Correct answer)
- EE.RF.2.3 - Know and apply grade-level phonics
- EE.RI.4.7 - Interpret information presented visually
- EE.L.5.4 - Use context clues to determine word meaning
Correct answer: EE.SL.3.3 - Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker
EE.SL.3.3 specifically targets asking and answering questions about information from a speaker, which includes seeking clarification.
Question 6: What does 'aided AAC' mean in the context of DLM communication assessment?
- Communication that requires an external tool or device, such as a picture board or speech-generating device (Correct answer)
- Communication produced solely with natural speech and gesture
- Communication limited to manual sign language
- Communication assessed only during standardized testing conditions
Correct answer: Communication that requires an external tool or device, such as a picture board or speech-generating device
Aided AAC requires an external tool — from low-tech picture boards to high-tech speech-generating devices — distinguishing it from unaided forms like sign or gesture.
Question 7: A teacher wants to assess whether a student can maintain a topic across multiple conversational turns. Which DLM skill node is being targeted?
- Maintaining topic continuity in a communicative exchange (Correct answer)
- Identifying the main idea of an informational paragraph
- Using punctuation correctly in written sentences
- Applying phonics rules to decode unfamiliar words
Correct answer: Maintaining topic continuity in a communicative exchange
Maintaining topic continuity across multiple turns is a higher-level conversational skill node on the DLM Speaking and Listening map.
DLM Communication Skills 3
A student uses a three-symbol phrase on their AAC device ('I want cookie') to make a request.
This skill aligns with which DLM concept?