November 15, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It’s a busy week for AAC, with dozens of presentations on AAC and related topics at the annual ASHA convention. Here are some posts from our prAACtical week. Monday – How We Do It: A Classroom Journey with PODD by Rachael Langley Tuesday – On Full Sentences and Questions in AAC Systems Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC Implementation with Children by Kate Ahern Friday – AAC Handouts from ASHA 2015
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
November 13, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Traveling to conferences to hear about new developments in AAC is always re-energizing. Here are some of the handouts from ASHA’s 2015 Convention in Denver. (FYI – There is an alternate link at the bottom if you have trouble accessing individual handouts.) AAC for the Generalist: When, Where, & What to Explore by Lisa Martin and Meghan Shank Getting to the Core of Core Vocabulary: AAC Implementation Strategies for Caregivers & SLPs by Sara Barnhill, Meghan Danowski, and Barbara Lent Outcomes of AAC Acquisition in Pediatric Intensive Speech Model: A Case Study by Heather McDaniel and Teresa Ankney Using Client Interests to Facilitate Success in AAC & Intervention by Bethany Diener Progress Monitoring Strategies for Children With Complex Communication Needs Who Use AAC by Janet Dodd Please note that downloads of ASHA Conference handouts may only be available for a limited time. If you are unable to access the links, you... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ASHA 2015, handouts
November 10, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
A few years ago, we wrote about the role that prestored messages can play (you can see that post here). We discussed the need to provide AAC learners with quick ways to communicate emergency messages, ask questions, and participate in predictable routines, among other things. For linguistically competent users of AAC, having access to phrases and full sentences may not be life-changing but it can cut down on fatigue or speed up conversations. For other AAC learners, however, prestored messages play a much more important role. People with significant access issues, for example, can quickly become exhausted trying to select words and put them together into sentences. Early on, they learn to evaluate interactions in terms of whether the communicative situation merits the physical and mental energy needed to construct a full response. Often, they opt out, not because they are willful or lazy but rather as an energy conservation... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: prestored message, prestored sentence
November 9, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Let’s face it. Good AAC implementation takes commitment and requires a lot of effort from those who are with the AAC learners throughout the day. Sometimes an AAC tool or strategy that seemed promising at first, doesn’t pan out to be as successful as expected. Other times, it’s a challenge to keep up with the demands of the classroom, therapy session, and life and still find the energy to consistently implement good AAC practices. In the real world, teams struggle with these issues every single day. So when Rachael Langley, a Michigan-based SLP and AAC specialist, offered to provide insight into what that process has been like in classrooms she supports, I was thrilled. Rachael’s original post about using PODD in the classroom and her follow-up post on implementation tips gave us insight into the journey that one elementary school classroom team is taking to better serve their students with little or no... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: classroom, PODD, Rachael Langley
November 8, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Monday – From Activity-based AAC to Robust Language: Part 2 Tuesday – Make It PrAACtical: New Life for Talking Switches Wednesday – Video of the Week: Apps and Resources for Language and Literacy in Young Children with Disabilities by Beth Poss Friday – Autism and AAC: 5 Pinterest Boards to Follow
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
November 6, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Pinterest has just exploded as a curation venue for content related to AAC and autism. Here are some boards to check out and consider following. Considerate Classroom by Lindy McDaniel Autism Teaching Tools Visual Supports by Christine Reeve Visual Supports and Social Stories by the Michigan Association of School Social Workers Visual Schedules by Brandi Shinn Behavior Management Strategies by The Autism Helper Do you have favorite Pinterest boards that we should know about?
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ASD, Pinterest
November 3, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Walk into almost any program that has been serving people with AAC needs for awhile, and chances are that they have a box or cupboard with AT that is a little past its prime. Among all those treasures, you’ll probably find a few talking switches or single message voice output devices that no longer work like they used to. These little workhorses are too valuable to toss without at least trying to repair them. Many thanks to David Selover, AT Coordinator of the TRAID/Project Adapt Library, for the wonderful guide to repairing these beauties. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-repair-a-Big-Mack-AAC-device-and-upgrade-/
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: DIY, low tech, single message voice output device, talking switch
November 2, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Last week, we talked a bit about activity-based communication displays (ABCDs), and the role they play for AAC learners. The analogy of feeding someone (with ABCDs) versus teaching them to fish for themselves (with robust AAC), resonated with many of you. In some cases, ABCDs can be a good way for therapists, educators, and families to take steps forward in their implementation of AAC. They allow students with little or no functional speech a way to participate in activities by making choices and comments, and that is a very good thing for those who don’t have a better option. There are a few drawbacks to ABCDs, though. Here are some of them. ABCDs limit language development. The learner can only experience the exact words and configurations that appear on a particular display. The learner has no way to expand his/her utterance by including other words or concepts. ABCDs are time-consuming... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: activity-based intervention, language intervention
November 1, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Monday – Selecting AAC Apps for Students with ASD Tuesday – From Activity-Based AAC to Robust AAC, Part 1 Wednesday – Video of the Week: Visual Supports on the Fly Friday – PrAACtically November: Resources for a Year of Core Vocabulary
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
October 30, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for some ways to help your AAC learners become more competent in using core words? Need to get staff on board with modeling core vocabulary? Trying to get familiar with where core words are stored in a particular SGD or AAC app? Here’s an approach you may want to try: Choose a dozen or so core words to focus on each month. In previous years, we shared lists of some core words to help you do just that. 2013: A Year of Core (12 words/month 2014: A(nother) Year of Core (16 words/month; Note: These are different than the core words covered in 2013) Those posts have links to downloadable grids with the core words for each month that can be used as a focal point for lesson planning. Our words for November are listed below. Set 1 (2013): body, dress, full, guess, hi, live, maybe, one, ride, tired very, walk... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: core vocabulary, download