More PrAACtical AAC Goals That Matter

April 23, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts


More PrAACtical AAC Goals That Matter

While we may play a variety of roles, a commonality among those of us on teams serving individuals with AAC needs is that we often struggle with developing goals that are meaningful. Let’s work together to develop a list of potential goals that we can reflect on as we work with our clients and their families on a plan for becoming more competent communicators. There are two sections in this post: Qualifiers (for information applying to all goals) and Goal Areas (for actual goals). This is not meant to be a comprehensive list but rather a starting point for a collaborative document. Please join the effort by adding goals in the comment area below or reaching out using our contact form. SECTION 1: QUALIFIERS Each goal can be prefaced with a description of the communicator’s AAC system or the elements of that system can be named. Terms used in this document... [Read More...]

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From Solitary Play to Interaction: 5 Things to Try With Kids Who Love Their iPad Games

April 21, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts


“But my kid wants to use the app on his own terms, not with ME!” Ever faced this conundrum? There are so many wonderful apps that are terrific for building interaction and language skills, but some of our prAACtical friends don’t want us to interact with them during iPad play**. Today, we’re thinking about strategies to use when kids would rather engage in solitary play as opposed to welcoming us as interaction partners in their iPad games. How can we help them increase their tolerance for interaction when playing on the iPad? Here are a few things to try. Make expectations clear with visual supports. It’s hard to cooperate when you don’t have an understanding of what’s supposed to happen. When kids are used to playing games, reading books, or watching videos on their own, they sometimes resist our participation out of the fear that they won’t get to do... [Read More...]

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Let’s Create: Getting to the Core of Earth Day

April 20, 2015 by - 2 Comments


Let’s Create: Getting to the Core of Earth Day

Working with core words? Whether or not you are following along with our Year of Core Words or using some other approach, Earth Day is the perfect time to practice those reusable, recyclable words. Last week, we talked about using our April core words (2013 List: big, busy, do, drink, feel, he, in, make, out, some, tell, who) in literacy activities. Today, we’ll talk about using them in arts and crafts activities. Let’s create with core words! Choose your craft project. A quick Pinterest search yields lots of possibilities. Consider which words to focus on. Some of the April words (do, make, out, some) work well with any craft project. Review the project through the lens of your goal: Modeling and eliciting core words. Decide how you will implement it so that the focus is the core words, not the art itself. Make an activity schedule showing the steps for... [Read More...]

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AACtual Therapy with Shareka Bentham: Let’s Get POPPING!!

April 16, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts


We are headed to Barbados with this post, to hear how SLP Shareka Bentham and her prAACtical friends are making popcorn and building language skills. You can see Shareka’s earlier posts here. I love the ease and versatility of this activity which could be a fun way for AAC learners to practice core vocabulary with a manual communication board/book, SGD, or PODD book. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: I revisited this activity this week and thought that it would be a great one to share. It’s fun, functional and filling! What more do you need? Making popcorn together is not only one of the best group activities I’ve done, it’s also one of the most fun, and interactive AAC activities I’ve done.  It’s a chance to learn and use new vocabulary, take turns using the AAC device and to do some requesting and describing. Initially, when I worked on this activity I only used a... [Read More...]

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Let’s Read: Getting to the Core of Earth Day

April 13, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts


Let’s Read: Getting to the Core of Earth Day

Core Words for the Month (2013 List): big, busy, do, drink, feel, he, in, make, out, some, tell, who By definition, core words are useful in any situation, with any topic and any communication partner. They are the perfect words for Earth Day because they are words that they we re-use and recycle. Even though it is a very minor holiday (at least in the US), most schools do a lot of thematic work around the topic, both because it ties in so beautifully with science education, but also because all kids seem to have a connection with and curiosity about the natural world. Before we knew better, SLPs would spend lots of time programming specific vocabulary into the learner’s AAC device. (I’m guilty as charged and can still remember trying to find symbols for things like trash compactor and pollution.) For learners who have good command of core vocabulary, we... [Read More...]

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How We Do It: S’MORRES and Partner Augmented Input with Dr. Jill Senner & Matthew Baud

April 9, 2015 by - 1 Comment


How We Do It: S’MORRES and Partner Augmented Input with Dr. Jill Senner & Matthew Baud

Mnemonics are such a great memory aid, so when Dr. Jill Senner and Matthew Baud offered to share the visual support that they use in their clinical work, I knew it would be of interest to many of you. Combine that with content on partner training, and we have a real treat for you: S’MORRES. Dr. Senner is the owner of Technology and Language Center where she specializes in providing AAC and AT services including assessment, consultation and training, and workshops/lectures.  She has presented at numerous national AT conferences and has taught graduate courses in AAC and swallowing disorders.  Matthew Baud is the Assistive Technology Coordinator at Niles Township District for Special Education, performing evaluations, trainings and coaching communication partners.  Matthew also has his own AAC private practice, and is an adjunct professor at Saint Xavier University where he teaches a graduate course in AAC. In this post, they share S’MoRRES, a strategy for building... [Read More...]

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