February 13, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Social stories(TM) are a type of narrative that are used to help learners with social pragmatic and other difficulties gain a greater understanding of a particular context, skill, or concept. For example, we may use social stories to help a preschooler understand what happens in a fire drill or at a birthday party. We may write social stories for a high school student who asks overly personal questions or talks only about their own favorite topics. First developed by Carol Gray, these stories are written using a specific process so that they meet 10 defining criteria. Both the process of writing social stories and the narrative structure that is used in this genre differentiates them from other types of social narratives. You can see examples of well-written social stories here and learn more about the early history of social stories here. Ready to get started learning how to write ‘real’ social... [Read More...]
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: Carol Gray, social narrative, social stories, TASN
October 15, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Holidays are special and Halloween is a favorite among many. As much fun as it is to dress up and get candy, though, there are lots of ways that Halloween can be stressful for AAC learners. From the change in routine, to the costumes and scary decorations, to talking with neighbors and other less familiar communication partners, to the over-abundance of sugar, there are lots of ways in which Halloween can trip us up. If the AAC learners in your life celebrate Halloween, Fall Festival, Harvest Parade, or any other celebration with similar traditions, we SLPs can help them to have a positive experience. Here are some ideas. Use a social narrative to prepare everyone for what to expect on and around Halloween. Read them often in the weeks leading up to the school dress-up parade, party, and the big day itself. More Halloween social narratives can be found at Therapics,... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: download, Halloween, social narrative
November 13, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
One of the greatest privileges of being an AAC SLP is getting to see kids grow and mature when they are given the appropriate communication tools and supports. The other day, I observed a tall, strong young man with significant autism arrive at this therapy session carrying a padded case. Once in the room, he gently laid it on the table, carefully opened it, took out his SGD, and gingerly placed it on the table in front of him. He had gotten his first SGD this summer as a tween, after having used the one in our AAC lab in his therapy sessions for the preceding months. There were some concerns that when he got his own SGD, he might be a little confused initially since this would be the first time he could actually take the device home. Additionally, some were worried that he might be rough with it... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: expected behavior, How I Do It, SGD, social narrative
November 26, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Teaching language can be a sticky business. The concepts can be quite abstract, and that’s a challenge for many AAC learners. It can take some real thought to figure out how to simplify complexity. Beyond that, we have to teach in a way that helps learners retain the new information. Here are some of the things we think about when we’re running the our mental checklist of teaching options. 1. Graphic Organizers: There are so many ways to use graphic organizers to help simplify complex concepts. Use them to show relationships between things, sequences, and component parts. 2. Use a Story: Social narratives are somewhat like social stories, but don’t adhere to the same strict design parameters as a true social story. The TASN project in Kansas has almost 150 of them on a variety of topics on their website. You can check them out here. Most are in .doc,... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: comprehension, contingency map, Graphic Organizers, social narrative, understanding