Tag Archive: teams

Video of the Week: Strategies for Supporting AAC Team Buy-In & Implementation

April 10, 2019 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Strategies for Supporting AAC Team Buy-In & Implementation

Helping teams get onboard in using supportive AAC strategies is a challenge throughout the world. In today’s featured video, we hear from AAC specialist Lauren Enders, who has been a PrAACtical AAC guest author on many occasions. There is a lot of prAACtical information in this presentation, organized and hosted by Dr. Kathy Howery and the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium (ERLC) and the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia (ARPDC). We are grateful for their wonderful support of the AAC community through this archived webinar and to Lauren for this terrific information. Thanks again to the presenter and to ERLC for making this archived presentation available. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA9iGljqMOM

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AAC Intervention That Teaches More and Tests Less: Thoughts on Implementation

September 7, 2016 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Intervention That Teaches More and Tests Less: Thoughts on Implementation

In an earlier post, I shared a graphic on the ways that AAC skills are ‘taught’ versus ‘caught.’ Teaching AAC skills involves the use of specific instructional strategies that give learners information and experiences which result in them being able to communicate more effectively. In many instances, we set out to do just that, but end up with an interaction that ‘catches’ what the student already knows how to do, rather than helping them gain additional skills. There are a few important concepts here. They both have an important role. ‘Catching’ skills isn’t bad. We can do this to figure out what the learner already knows/can do, and give him/her practice with the skill so that it becomes faster and easier to produce. When our interactions ‘catch’ a skill, we’ve created (or taken advantage of) an opportunity for communication. That’s important BUT, it isn’t teaching them anything new. Our learners do... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: The Communication Portfolio

October 5, 2014 by - Leave your thoughts

Helping teams to get to know the communication abilities of our AAC clients is something many of us struggle with. In this video from The Perkins School, we learn about their process for developing communication portfolios. http://www.perkins.org/resources/webcasts/communications-portfolio.html    

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How I Do It: Cultivating an “I Can” Mindset with Marlene Cummings

March 21, 2013 by - 1 Comment

How I Do It: Cultivating an "I Can" Mindset with Marlene Cummings

As much as we love fresh new voices in the AAC community, there is simply nothing like the voice of experience. When a program has had more than 40 years of experience providing AAC services, we listen! Today, we are honored to have Marlene Cummings, an AAC SLP from Michigan, share the collective wisdom of her team. I have found that one of the joys in my professional life is asking hard questions about my present work and then figuring out ways to address those questions. Much of my 30 + years have been spent designing and implementing programs, systems and materials to support young children with complex communication needs in the role of the teacher in these classrooms. I explored ways to design environments and develop curricular frameworks and instructional materials, which would provide students with the instruction and opportunities to become competent communicators, all from the view of... [Read More...]

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Building Acceptance for AAC: Sharing Information

October 20, 2012 by - Leave your thoughts

Building Acceptance for AAC: Sharing Information

While there are certainly attitudinal barriers to AAC, it’s also true that sometimes the people we are trying to influence just need more information. Sounds simple, right? Not exactly. Especially when we consider these factors. Adult learners prefer to chart their own course to learning new things rather than have others lay that out for them. Our behaviors are most likely to change when we discover solutions for ourselves, as opposed to following directions that others give to us. We have a limited amount of time to guide others to the information they need. Here are some things that have worked for us. Develop a bank of educational materials that pertain to the topics that you face most often in your clinical work. Create resource files for general topics, such as the empirically-supported benefits of AAC, and specific topics, such as the evidence base for using SGDs with individuals who... [Read More...]

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AAC & Change: Some Thoughts on Influencing Behavior

October 13, 2012 by - 2 Comments

AAC & Change: Some Thoughts on Influencing Behavior

As SLPs who do the work of AAC, we all play many roles. We’re therapists and educators. We counsel and coach. We make materials, troubleshoot technology, take data, and write documentation. We advocate for the individual, institution, and society. A common thread that runs through many of these roles is this: Very often, we want people to change their behavior. We may want them to implement a strategy, use different materials, provide more services, agree to a decision, fund a communication device, learn more about what they’re doing, or something else. But we are trying to influence others to change. It is taking us (Robin and Carole) a lifetime to figure out how best to do this. Like you, we face it practically everyday. Each week, we cross paths with a few people who have bad information about AAC, or not enough information, negative attitudes, indifference, or apathy. We try... [Read More...]

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