Tag Archive: schools

AAC in the Classroom: Presentations You May Have Missed

August 25, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC in the Classroom: Presentations You May Have Missed

It’s so gratifying to see the growing number of AAC presentations that are being offered around the country. If you serve school-aged children, here are a few presentation handouts that might be of interest. Building Classroom Communities to Support AAC Users by Ashley Robinson AAC Implementation Strategies by Vicki Clarke and Jenna Coyer Making AAC Work in the Classroom by Ann Kuhlmeier  

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How I Do It: The All-in-One-Visual-Support Tool by Tabi Jones-Wohleber

May 14, 2015 by - 11 Comments

How I Do It: The All-in-One-Visual-Support Tool by Tabi Jones-Wohleber

I am constantly in awe of the creativity and generosity of AAC practitioners, particularly those like Tabi Jones-Wohleber who make fabulous materials and share them with colleagues that they’ve never even met. Tabi is an SLP on the AT Team for Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland.  A graduate of Penn State University, her career has focused on AAC.  Though she works with many schools and addresses a variety of AT needs, most of her time and creative energy is devoted to working with students with the most significant disabilities.  In this post, she introduces us to the All-in-One-Visual-Support Tool. You wont want to miss Tabi’s treasure trove of prAACtical materials. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  It was a conversation I’d had many times before.  A conversation that kept resurfacing in one form or another.  It’s the conversation of how to manage all the stuff; all the visuals, all the reinforcers, all the communication tools.  The benefit of visual supports to... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: Multimodal Communication in the Classroom

May 6, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Multimodal Communication in the Classroom

All around the world, students with AAC needs are increasingly afforded the tools and supports that they need to build effective communication skills. Today, we travel to England to peek into a classroom at the Milestone School in Gloucestershire. One thing that I just love about this video is that the adults honor and model multiple modes of communication. AAC devices are wonderful, but we can’t get so focused on them that we forget the important role that gestures, vocalizations and manual signs can play. Take a look. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HygplCyZtoA  

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Video of the Week: Progress Monitoring for AT

April 22, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

If you work in educational settings, there’s a good possibility and you and and your colleagues have had many conversations around the topic of progress monitoring. Progress monitoring in an approach to assessing student performance and evaluating the effectiveness of instruction. How does that apply to students who use AAC and other AT? Today, we hear from Elizabeth Panek on that very topic. Thanks to the Pennsylvania Department of Education and PaTTAn for making this available.

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Video of the Week – Lilly Gets New Words!

March 25, 2015 by - 3 Comments

Video of the Week - Lilly Gets New Words!

  There is so much to love about this wonderful video from Lindy McDaniel, preschool teacher and author of the fabulous blog, The Considerate Classroom. It is such fun to watch her introduce little Lilly to a new communication aid and assist her in getting comfortable with expanded vocabulary options. From the way she engages with her student, to her use of aided language input, to her skill in behavior management, to the way that she supports the student in interacting with unfamiliar partners, this is a video to savor. Enjoy!    

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PrAACtical Resources: Developing AAC Policies for Schools

October 7, 2014 by - Leave your thoughts

Developing AAC Policies for Schools

As much as we appreciate spontaneity, it is sometimes true that well-conceptualized policies and procedures help things run more smoothly. Today, we head to the UK where the ACE Centre has developed a comprehensive guidebook to help schools develop good AAC policies. Obviously, the specifics will vary based on the locale, but there is much to be gained from this thoughtful approach. Take a look. https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/developing-aac-policies-schools/

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Fast Fact Friday: School-based SLPs and Students with AAC Needs

September 19, 2014 by - Leave your thoughts

Fast Fact Friday: School-based SLPs and Students with AAC Needs

If you’re up for a little light reading this weekend, you might want to check out ASHA’s 2014 SLP Schools Survey Caseload Report. Among the findings: 55% of school-based SLPs regularly serve students with AAC needs 90% of them serve kids with ASD. The largest median caseload (60) was in Florida, and the smallest (35) was in New York.  ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Reference American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2014). 2014 Schools Survey report: SLP caseload characteristics. Available from www.asha.org/research/memberdata/schoolssurvey/.  

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10 References Supporting AAC Use in Inclusive Settings

January 22, 2014 by - Leave your thoughts

10 References Supporting AAC Use in Inclusive Settings

We sometimes get contacted by colleagues who are looking for references supporting the use of AAC. Here are some that are specific to inclusive settings in schools and in the community.*  Alquraini, T., & Gut, D. (2012). Critical components of successful inclusion of students with severe disabilities: Literature review. International Journal of Special Education, 27(1), 42-59. Balandin, S., & Duchan, J. (2007). Communication: Access to inclusion. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 32(4), 230-232. Batorowicz, B., Mcdougall, S., & Shepherd, T. A. (2006). AAC and community partnerships: The participation path to community inclusion. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 22(3), 178-195. Calculator, S. (2009). Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and inclusive education for students with the most severe disabilities. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 13 (1) 93-113. Carter, M., & Maxwell, K., (1998). Promoting interaction with children using augmentative communication through peer-directed intervention. International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education 45(1) 75-96. Daugherty,... [Read More...]

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How I Do It: Get Your Students Talking with a Versatile AAC Activity by Lauren Enders, Part 1

August 29, 2013 by - 4 Comments

How I Do It: Get Your Students Talking with a Versatile AAC Activity

We are so excited to start off the new school year with a wonderfully prAACtical post by Lauren Enders. Lauren’s “How I Do It” posts have been very popular and this one is no different. Today, she shares ways to incorporate key AAC principles in engaging intervention activities and models that with high school students. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::   LEARNING TARGETS (Samples: can be changed to meet student goals) Using core vocabulary, the student will: control the actions of others (beginning with core words like “more”, “stop”, “go”, “again”, and “different”) express his or her opinions through commenting (beginning with core words such as “like”, “don’t like”, “good”, “bad”, and “silly”) TARGET POPULATION: all ages (I have used variations of this activity successfully with students from age 3 through age 21.) TYPE OF AAC: ALL types!!  What’s crucial here is the availability of core vocabulary, not the system used.  Systems used can vary from... [Read More...]

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How I Do It: Marlene Cummings Shares an Implementation Toolbox

June 13, 2013 by - 3 Comments

Marlene Cummings Shares an Implementation Toolbox

Now that the school year is winding down, some of you have a little more time to read, process, and prepare for next year. We are really excited to share more ideas from Marlene Cummings, one of the most experienced AAC SLPs that we know. Those of you who have been following Marlene’s posts on the AAC implementation will be pleased to see the next part of the Framework for Success that she developed with the AAC Team at Oakland School District. If you missed her first and second posts, go take a peek at them when you can.  5 Things in our “Implementation Toolbox” When we begin the process of implementing AAC it is important to consider our “thinking”. We always want to approach every student, every team and every classroom with as much wisdom and respect as possible. One of my colleagues, Dr. Penny Hatch, from UNC Chapel Hill... [Read More...]

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