Mobility for People Who Use AAC: Remembering Christine Wright-Ott

September 18, 2023 by - 1 Comment


Mobility for People Who Use AAC: Remembering Christine Wright-Ott

In memory of Christine Wright-Ott (1951-2023), we are reprising her guest posts on the importance of effective mobility strategies for young AAC users. Christine was an Occupational Therapist and consultant at The Bridge School in Hillsborough California. She authored the chapter, Mobility, in several editions of the book, Occupational Therapy for Children. Christine lectured at universities and conferences including ATIA, Closing the Gap, ISAAC, ISS, and AAC by the Bay. From Wheelchair to Walker: The Cascading Benefit of Hands-Free Mobility How We Do It: AAC Strategies & Adaptations for Students in Support Walkers, Assessment & Funding From Wheelchair to Hands-free Walker for Preschool Children with AAC Needs How We Do It: A Support Walker Mobility Program for Elementary Students with AAC Needs We are grateful to Christine for her contributions to the AAC community and the powerful legacy she leaves behind.

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Video of the Week: Alternative Access for AAC on the iPad

September 13, 2023 by - Leave your thoughts


Video of the Week: Alternative Access for AAC on the iPad

When people with significant motor challenges use AAC apps on a mobile device, there can be several stumbling blocks related to physical access. In today’s featured video, we learn how to address them from Joanna Courtney, a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist from CALL Scotland. Many thanks to Joanna and to CALL Scotland for this helpful presentation. Enjoy! Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSYD4In02bI&ab_channel=callscotland1983 

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AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 33: August 2023

August 13, 2023 by - Leave your thoughts


AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 33: August 2023

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Tuesday-AAC Link Up Wednesday-Video of the Week: The Power of Play Thursday-Throwback Thursday: AAC in Adolescence :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In the mood for a little more? Here are some selections for you to browse. 10 Tips for Starting AAC with the Little Ones How I Do It: A Framework for Success-Getting Started in the Exciting World of Communication and AAC PrAACtical Suggestions: How to Get Started with A New AAC Client How We Do It: AAC Training for Educational Assistants Visual Support for Places Around School  

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Say Cheese! 5 PrAACtical Ideas for No/Low Prep Activities Using a Phone Camera

July 17, 2023 by - Leave your thoughts


Say Cheese! 5 PrAACtical Ideas for No/Low Prep Activities Using a Phone Camera

Cell phones are ubiquitous these days, and almost all of them have a camera. In today’s post, we share some ideas for how to use that for AAC and language learning. If you’re looking for no-prep activities, this post is for you. Create a Collage: Pick a target word or language concept, and walk around looking for things that are associated with it. Snap pictures of a handful of things, then use a free app like PicCollage to create a collage. You’ll find a lot of opportunities to say and practice the target word, both in taking the photos and making the collage. Fun with Filters: Use Snapchat or another app to take photos with playful filters. The discussion about which filter to use and what accessories to add will offer multiple opportunities for you to model and elicit some of the words, phrases, sentences, and questions that are relevant... [Read More...]

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AAC-friendly Resources for Severe Weather

July 13, 2023 by - Leave your thoughts


AAC-friendly Resources for Severe Weather

Floods, tornadoes, and severe storms have been in the news lately. We can’t predict when extreme weather or other natural disasters will strike, but we can prepare. Here are a few resources that you might find helpful. Reassuring Books About Storms for Children by Heather at Books & Giggles It is Hurricane Season by Autism Educators  Preparing for Natural Disasters by Smarty Symbols Hurricane Preparation by Mary Grace Hektner via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use)  What Is A Hurricane? by Mary Grace Hektner via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use)  Tornado Vocabulary by Mary Grace Hektner via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use)  Storm Social Narrative by Sandy K via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use)  Storm Surge Narrative by Mary Grace Hektner via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use) Webinar on Disaster Preparedness for People with Complex Communication Needs by AAC RERC  Emergency Preparedness for Children with Autism from... [Read More...]

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AAC and Related Research: 5 Open-Access Articles

July 10, 2023 by - Leave your thoughts


AAC and Related Research: 5 Open-Access Articles

Professionals, family members, and AAC users are often frustrated when relevant research is published behind a paywall. Today, we’re pleased to share a number of open-access articles that might be of interest. The effect of aided language stimulation on the acquisition of receptive vocabulary in children with complex communication needs and severe intellectual disability: a comparison of two dosages Laher, Z., & Dada, S. (2023) The effect of aided language stimulation on the acquisition of receptive vocabulary in children with complex communication needs and severe intellectual disability: a comparison of two dosages, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 39:2, 96-109, DOI: 10.1080/07434618.2022.2155566 Direct link to article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07434618.2022.2155566?journalCode=iaac20    A qualitative study exploring the effect of communicating with partially intelligible speech Clarke, Z.C., Judge, S., Fryer, K., Cunningham, S., Toogood, J., & Hawley, M.S. (2023). A qualitative study exploring the effect of communicating with partially intelligible speech, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 39:2, 110-122, DOI: 10.1080/07434618.2023.2206910  Direct link to article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07434618.2023.2206910  ... [Read More...]

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AAC Collaboration in the Classroom

July 3, 2023 by - Leave your thoughts


AAC Collaboration in the Classroom

When educationally-based professionals collaborate on improving the communication environment for students who use AAC, everyone benefits. Classroom Observation for Communication Opportunities with AAC (COCOA) is one tool that can be helpful in this process. In the images below, you can see how it might be used for individuals with a significant amount of language and those who are beginning communicators. Scroll to the bottom of the post for a link to download the form. Direct Link to File: https://praacticalaac.org/wp-content/uploads/filebase/assessment/Classroom%20Observation%20for%20Communication%20Opportunities%20with%20AAC%20COCOA.pdf

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AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 26: June 2023

June 25, 2023 by - Leave your thoughts


AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 26: June 2023

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that might be of interest. Monday – AAC Implementation Framework: Step 5 – Talk! Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Activating the Power of Community Partnerships Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Playing with AAC :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Before you go, take a look and see if any of these are of interest. AAC Printables & Downloads AAC Assessment for People with Aphasia AAC Apps for Visual Scene Displays Book Adaptations: Resources and Materials 5 Ways to Use Books to Build Interaction with AAC Learners

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AAC Implementation Framework: Step 5 – Talk!

June 19, 2023 by - Leave your thoughts


AAC Implementation Framework: Step 5 – Talk!

Today  we wrap up our series describing an AAC Implementation framework, guest authored by AAC SLP Vicki Clarke. The founder of an AAC-focused private practice, Dynamic Therapy Associates, Vicki is also the Director of DTA Schools. Join us as we explore the results of our efforts in this implementation journey. If you are new to this series you can find the earlier posts through the links below. Steps to Learning Step 1, Determining the Target Step 2: TRAIN Step 3: Take In Step 4: Try It   AAC 101: Steps To Learning Step 5:  Talk! We have finally reached the finale! Our students are ready to talk. Now by “talk” we of course, mean “communicate using their AAC system, sign language, picture symbols or the communication devices!” We expect our students to now be able to choose what to say, when to say it, and remember how to say it... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: Feature Matching in AAC Assessment

June 14, 2023 by - Leave your thoughts


Video of the Week: Feature Matching in AAC Assessment

For several decades, the feature matching process has been the gold standard for selecting AAC devices. In today’s featured video, we learn about this from Katie Threlkeld, of Forbes AAC. This recorded session is part of the pre-conference offering in the AAC in the Cloud conference, a wonderful online event hosted annually by CoughDrop. If you haven’t registered for this year’s AAC in the Cloud conference, you can do that here.  Many thanks to the fine team at CoughDrop and to Katie for this helpful presentation. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-_9WxCK7b8&ab_channel=ForbesAAC

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