Tag Archive: visual supports

Growing AAC Professionals: Resources for Mythbusters

September 10, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Growing AAC Professionals: Resources for Mythbusters

We’re excited to have another guest post today by Vicki Haddix, an AAC SLP and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis. Vicki joins us periodically to share some of the work completed by her SLP graduate students. Under her leadership, they create videos, handouts, and other materials that can be used by families, clinicians, and educators. Let’s take a look.   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: As I have said in previous posts about teaching the graduate class on AAC, I find Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to be a very helpful framework when designing the course, although I’ve realized I don’t typically name UDL when I discuss activities or assignments. But I was thrilled when Lindsey Hull came to me wanting to look at integrating students who use AAC within the general education classroom, and we got to talk about UDL. She put together a narrated PowerPoint full of great ideas for... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: Visuals, Timers, & Zoom

August 26, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Visuals, Timers, & Zoom

In many places, parents and professionals are struggling to help students acclimate to online learning. In today’s video, we feature a session hosted by the Indiana Resource Center for Autism. Check out the tips and suggestions that Leslie Brown provides to help learners be successful in online learning through the use of visual supports and timers. Click on the image below to view this video. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR8Odb6AgI0

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When Repetition Becomes Problematic

July 2, 2020 by - 2 Comments

When Repetition Becomes Problematic

Have you worked with learners like these? Shameka wore a favorite t-shirt, featuring her beloved Moana, to her teletherapy session. She pointed to it to show her therapist and used her AAC device to say “Moana.” After acknowledging her Moana shirt and having a brief conversation about it, the therapist was ready to move on to the activities planned for that session. Shameka continued to bring up Moana many times throughout the session.  Bryce’s love of pizza is no secret. It’s so important to him that Bryce can say ‘pizza’ with a word approximation, sign it with his unique version of the manual sign, or use a manual communication board or SGD to say the word. Most days, that’s a very good thing. But sometimes, Bryce starts mentioning pizza early in the morning and brings it up a few times an hour for the rest of the day.   Many of... [Read More...]

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AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week #7: February 2020

February 16, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week #7: February 2020

Happy Sunday, AAC friends! Here are some posts you may have missed. Monday – TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘Go Away, Big Green Monster!’ Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Supporting Students Who Use AAC with School-wide Implementation Thursday – How I Do It: Project-Based Learning and AAC ———————————————————————————————- Before you leave, here are a few more past posts to check out. Visual Supports for Places Around School (downloadable) Visual Supports for Places We Go (downloadable) AAC Intervention for Children with ASD Teaching Communication Partners Through Video Self-modeling Bilingual AAC Assessment Tips

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PrAACtically Visual: More Supports for Your Toolbox

August 15, 2019 by - Leave your thoughts

Image with title: PrAACtically Visual: More Supports for Your Toolbox

Visual supports are among the most helpful tools that AAC interventionists can use to maximize learning. Tabi Jones-Wohleber’s series on utilizing them in AAC work comes to an end today with a few more visual supports for your toolbox. Tabi is a veteran SLP who has supported individuals with AAC needs in a variety of practice settings. Many thanks to Tabi for this wonderful series and all of the free downloads that were included. You can access previous posts in the series here. Part 1: Visual & Environmental Countdown Part 2: Organizing Time & Tasks Part 3: Self-Regulation & Understanding Expectations Part 4: Supporting Communication Across Activities & Environments Part 5: Supports for When Modeling Communication is Hard ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: More Visual Supports for Your Toolbox I find there is no end to the rabbit-hole of visual supports, once you dive in.  Tools and structures to support comprehension and learning are... [Read More...]

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PrAACtically Visual: Supports for When Modeling Communication is Hard

August 8, 2019 by - Leave your thoughts

PrAACtically Visual: Supports for When Modeling Communication is Hard

Have you run into situations where you know that aided language input is needed but found it really hard to implement? We’re pleased that AAC SLP Tabi Jones-Wohleber is back with another installment in her visual support series. In this post, she gives us suggestions for things to try when working out the nuances of aided language input. In case you missed them, here are the links to the previous posts in this series. Part 1: Visual & Environmental Countdown Part 2: Organizing Time & Tasks Part 3: Self-Regulation & Understanding Expectations Part 4: Supporting Communication Across Activities & Environments ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Visual Supports for When Modeling Communication is Hard Despite our efforts, some of the time, or with some individuals, modeling AAC to teach AAC on technology-based devices can be challenging.  An individual may be in constant motion, or possessive of their device. Tech-based devices may not be sufficiently durable... [Read More...]

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PrAACtically Visual: Supporting Communication Across Activities & Environments

August 1, 2019 by - Leave your thoughts

PrAACtically Visual: Supporting Communication Across Activities & Environments

We’re thrilled to continue our series on visual supports, guest authored by AAC SLP Tabi Jones-Wohleber. Tabi has been an AAC service provider for many years and graciously offered to share some of her resources with our PrAACtical AAC readers. In today’s post, Tabi focuses on supplemental AAC supports that promote communication throughout the day. Be sure to download the files for the templates and resources she is sharing. In case you missed them, here are the links to the previous posts in this series. Part 1: Visual & Environmental Countdown Part 2: Organizing Time & Tasks Part 3: Self-Regulation & Understanding Expectations :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: PrAACtically Visual: Visual Supports for Communication Across Activities and Environments As the near entirety of this site is dedicated to resources for AAC  implementation and access for individuals with complex communication needs, I’m not going to attempt to summarize here, as I have with the other... [Read More...]

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PrAACtically Visual: Supports for Self-regulation & Understanding Expectations

July 25, 2019 by - Leave your thoughts

PrAACtically Visual: Supports for Self-regulation & Understanding Expectations

Looking to up your game in creating and using visual supports in your AAC work? Sit tight because the post below has plenty of information and downloadable files to help you out. Today, AAC SLP Tabi Jones-Wohleber is back to continue her series, this time focusing on supports for self-regulation and comprehending expectations for different situations. Tabi has worked in schools and early intervention supporting families, professionals, and individuals with AAC needs in West Virginia and Maryland. Tabi’s prAACtical approach to supporting AAC professionals has enriched the work of many of our readers. If you missed the initial segments in the series, you can get those here. Part 1 Part 2 Visual and Environmental Supports for Self-regulation & Understanding Expectations I hold the position that all behavior is communication.  Attending to what an individual is attempting to communicate through behavior provides insight into why the behavior is occurring.  And to... [Read More...]

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PrAACtically Visual: Supports to Organize Time and Tasks

July 18, 2019 by - 2 Comments

PrAACtically Visual: Supports to Organize Time and Tasks

We’re glad you’ve returned for Part 2 of Tabi Jones-Wohleber’s series on Visual Supports. As an AAC specialist, Tabi uses these with children who have complex communication needs and teaches others to incorporate them as well. Let’s learn some of the ways in which visual supports can be used to help with organization, transitions, and independence. You can click on the images in the Downloadable Templates section to obtain the visual support files. If you’re interested in seeing more of Tabi’s work, you can check out Part 1 of the series here.   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Visual and Environmental Supports to Organize Time and Tasks     “But he knows his schedule” isn’t the whole picture.  We all use schedules to help us manage our time and keep us on track when non-routine activities occur.  For instance, you may know your schedule for any given Tuesday, but what about that Tuesday when you have... [Read More...]

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PrAACtical Resources: A Potpourri of Visual Supports, AAC Handouts, & More

July 15, 2019 by - Leave your thoughts

PrAACtical Resources: A Potpourri of Visual Supports, AAC Handouts, & More

We’ve been exploring a bunch of different AAC-related resources on the web. Take a peek. The Regulator: Visual support for Regulation from Amy Laurent. Learn more about it here.  Selecting Skills to Teach Communication Partners by Drs. Cathy Binger and Jennifer Kent-Walsh Guidelines for Creating a Communication Board by Vicki Haddix Drafting CVI Progress Charts for Emergent Readers by Deanna Wagner Core Vocabulary and Descriptive Teaching in AAC by the Independent Living Centre of Western Australia    

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