AAC Assessment Corner by Vicki Clarke: Is AAC Feature Matching Still Relevant?

March 17, 2016 by - 8 Comments


AAC Assessment Corner by Vicki Clarke: Is AAC Feature Matching Still Relevant?

Today, we welcome back Vicki Clarke, a regular contributor to PrAACtical AAC, with another edition of AAC Assessment Corner. In this post, Vicki shares her thoughts on feature matching for AAC device selection. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Feature matching has been the gold standard for AAC evaluation for the last 20 years. It is research based and clinically proven as the best technique for selecting an AAC solution for an individual. The tide of real-life practice, however, is turning and there has been increasing discussion at conferences, in social media and blogs questioning why we continue to use feature matching to place AAC systems in the hands of students. In a recent assistive technology on-line chat, a noted AT specialist remarked: “I wonder if at a district level it might not be better to have a go-to AAC system everyone tries first. If that doesn’t work then adjust.”  Does this mean that we throw... [Read More...]

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PrAACtical Teaching in an ASD Classroom: Bigger is Better with Core Vocabulary

March 14, 2016 by - 16 Comments


PrAACtical Teaching in an ASD Classroom: Bigger is Better with Core Vocabulary

Today we launch a new series, PrAACtical Teaching in an ASD Classroom, which will address the nuts and bolts of infusing AAC throughout the school day. I couldn’t be more delighted to introduce you to two talented special educators, Amy Devin and Lauren Pawlowski, who work in the public school system in Michigan. Amy and Lauren began teaching in self‐contained ASD elementary classrooms in 2009 and taught in resource rooms prior to that. When they first started with their own classrooms, there was not much talk about core language, let alone how to implement it on a classroom-wide basis. They started with a 32-cell core board on a digitized speech device and now use a 64-location core vocabulary on a manual communication board, large instructional core boards, and individual AAC devices. They are passionate literacy teachers and believe that every child can read, write and communicate. Enjoy their post and... [Read More...]

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Learning About Augmentative Communication Empowerment and Supports (ACES)

March 10, 2016 by - 1 Comment


Learning About Augmentative Communication Empowerment and Supports (ACES)

Is it summer yet? Not where we live, but that doesn’t stop us from making plans. In today’s post, we hear about the Summer 2016 Augmentative Communication Empowerment and Supports (ACES) Program at Temple University which will run from July 18-29, 2016. SLP Kathryn Helland, AAC Services Coordinator at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, shares information on this innovative program for young adults who use AAC. Kathryn provides training, AAC evaluations, device demonstrations, and AT consultations to consumers of Pennsylvania’s Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT). True to its name, this program has a rich tradition of changing lives and empowering adults who use AAC.   ——————————————————– ACES – What’s it all about? It is a steamy hot day at the end of July. Temple University’s already diverse campus is further enriched by the presence of students in wheelchairs. They sit, chatting under the ginkgo biloba trees. They are all young adults, with... [Read More...]

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PrAACtical Site of the Month: Loudoun County Public Schools AT Team

March 7, 2016 by - 1 Comment


PrAACtical Site of the Month: Loudoun County Public Schools AT Team

For our March Site of the Month, we return to the public school system, this time to Loudoun County, Virginia. The AT Program has amassed an impressive set of resources, many of which are listed on their web page. We’ve featured posts by some of their AT trainers, such as Chris Bugaj, Judie Schoonover, and Sally Norton-Darr, who’ve written on the use of podcasts and on their approach to professional development. There are lots more resources on the LCPS AT website for you to explore. Their AT Strategy-A-Day Calendar is not to be missed. AT team members with expertise in a variety of areas collaborate to create a new calendar every year, and they are always full of great tips, information, and resources. You can view it online or, if you are very lucky, win a printed copy at one of their many workshops and presentations. Bonus: They also share the template so... [Read More...]

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AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week 10: March, 2016

March 6, 2016 by - Leave your thoughts


AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week 10: March, 2016

Hope you’ve had a productive week of AAC teaching and learning. Monday – PrAACtically March: AAC Core Vocabulary Resources  Wednesday – Video of the Week: Scaffoldingand  Anchoring Thursday – PrAACtical Resources: AAC Partner Strategies Handout Not too old, not too young. Not too intellectually impaired or gifted. Not too motorically limited or talented. Everyone deserves a voice.

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PrAACtical Resources: Partner Strategies Handout

March 3, 2016 by - Leave your thoughts


PrAACtical Resources: Partner Strategies Handout

It is exciting to hear about the many AAC trainings offered by schools, clinics, and other organizations. Whether it is through small group consultations, inservice trainings, workshops, or conference presentations, more and more of our colleagues are helping others gain an understanding of AAC issues and practices. We’d love to support those efforts, and appreciate the opportunity to share information, handouts, and materials that can be useful in that work. Today, we are pleased to share a wonderful handout by Alicia Garcia, a lead SLP at the AAC Clinic at One Kids Place, a children’s treatment centre in northern Ontario. Alicia has more than two decades of clinical experience in a variety of settings and locales. You can see a guest post Alicia did on avoiding pitfalls in aided language input here. The handout she is sharing today is used primarily for providing initial training to people who live, work... [Read More...]

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PrAACtically March: Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words

February 29, 2016 by - Leave your thoughts


PrAACtically March: A Year of Core Vocabulary Resources

Why spend valuable intervention time teaching words that relate only to one specific activity or environment when you could be teaching words that the learner can use all day long? Building competency with a robust base of 300-500 core words gives people the vocabulary they need to function in any environment. (Try that with AAC systems that are mostly nouns and action verbs!). How can we continually increase our clients’ competence with core words? A few years ago, we decided to approach this by focusing on 12-16 core words each month. Each month, we would highlight those words in our conversation (aided language input), direct intervention, and home programming activities with AAC learners. The repeated experiences with those 12-16 words helped the learners develop new skills, and kept the team focused on the same things. An added bonus: We were less likely to be overwhelmed. It’s gratifying to see many... [Read More...]

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