359 Search Results for complex communication

AAC Round-up: Preschoolers with Complex Communication Needs

September 9, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Round-up: Preschoolers with Complex Communication Needs

Do you support children with AAC needs? Check out this list of posts from the archives with an array of articles and resources. Enjoy! PrAACtically Reading: Books Featuring Children & Youth with Disabilities Parent-Implemented AAC Intervention for Young Children From Wheelchair to Hands-free Walker for Preschool Children with AAC Needs, Part 1, Part 2 Using Vest Displays with Preschoolers on the Autism Spectrum with guest author Dr. Carol Goossens’ Mining the Preschool Routine for PrAACtical AAC Opportunities Supporting Preschoolers with AAC Needs: A Case Study Visual Supports in Action in the Preschool Classroom TELL ME: AAC in  the Preschool Classroom TELL ME About It TELL ME AAC Literacy Kits Brown Bear, Brown Bear I Went Walking From Head to Toe Here Are My Hands What Do You Like? Go Away Big Green Monster No, David Come Out and Play, Little Mouse The Lunch Box Surprise If You’re Angry and You... [Read More...]

Video of the Week: Introduction to Literacy for Students with Complex Communication Needs

August 25, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Introduction to Literacy for Students with Complex Communication Needs

As schools ramp up here in the US, many professionals and families are thinking about how to support the reading and writing development of students with AAC needs. In this video, AAC SLP Vicki Clarke covers some important concepts and shares lots of prAACtical suggestions. Enjoy! Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2uSL_ymlNo&ab_channel=AACChicksatDynamicTherapyAssociatesInc. —

AACtual Therapy: Using Talking Mats to Support People with Complex Communication Needs

January 11, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

AACtual Therapy: Talking Mats

Talking Mats, a powerful tool for helping people with complex needs share their thoughts and advocate for themselves, is a topic we’ve posted about before. Today, we expand that discussion and learn from SLT Katherine Small, an AAC Consultant at the Ace Centre. In the first of a 2-part series, Katherine shares her experience in implementing Talking Mats with her clients. Enjoy!   My Experience as a Practitioner who Uses Talking Mats Before training as an SLT, I had a variety of jobs where supporting people to share their views was key.  One of the tools I used was ‘In My Shoes’ and I knew how helpful such tools were when I was trying to make sure I gave clients space to think and a means of expression during important conversations. So when I heard about Talking Mats I knew straight away that it would suit my style of working &... [Read More...]

AAC in School: Classroom Communication Goals Grid – Revised

November 15, 2021 by - 6 Comments

AAC in School: Classroom Communication Goals Grid - Revised

AAC SLP Vicki Clarke is known to long-time readers for her excellent series, AAC Assessment Corner, and her collaboration with Holly Schneider in creating the Dynamic AAC Goals Grid (DAGG-2). Today, we welcome her back to tell us about the revised version of her goal-setting guide designed especially for school settings. Join us in learning about the Classroom Communication Goals Grid and download a free copy. Classroom Communication Goals Grid- Revised https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/AAC-Classroom-Communication-Project-2021-Intro-and-Tools-4219461 It’s been over 5 years since I developed the Classroom Communication Goals Grid. During that time it’s been in use in many of our districts helping teachers and therapists assess the communication skills of their students, select goals relevant to the academic environment, and show progress at annual IEP time. The Grid needed some revision, a little more review of current research, a little reorganization of goals, and a facelift! This article is to introduce you to the... [Read More...]

Video of the Week: Developing & Using Communication Passports

March 24, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Developing & Using Communication Passports

While some are familiar with the concept of Communication Passports, they remain an under-utilized strategy that can play an important role for many people with complex communication needs. They are powerful tools that AAC users can utilize to share information with others. In today’s featured video, Gillian McNeill helps us understand what Communication Passports are, the benefits they offer, and how we can develop these in both paper and digital formats. This video is a recorded webinar hosted by CALL Scotland, which maintains the wonderful Personal Communication Passports webpage with so many helpful resources.  Enjoy!  Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGl0IGpt9ys&list=PLm66eliPiNXN3wSGfiGGE3ae7YS1KKacs&index=24&ab_channel=callscotland1983   

Growing AAC Professionals: ALS Communication and Assistive Technology Learning Lab

December 21, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Growing AAC Professionals: ALS Communication and Assistive Technology Learning Lab

For people with complex communication needs to have access to stronger AAC services, we need more paraprofessional programs to provide mentored AAC experiences. In today’s post, we hear from Krista Davidson, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at The University of Iowa, on how she collaborated with a community organization to introduce student SLPs to AAC supports for people with ALS. Growing AAC Professionals: ALS Communication and Assistive Technology Learning Lab This December I thought I would share with you some more “gifts” of collaboration! The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Iowa uses a team approach to clinical education. Each student typically rotates through 6 specialty-based clinical teams, mine being the AAC Team. I am always looking for new opportunities for my team, especially experiences with client populations I may not have on my caseload. Fortuitously, I met Krista... [Read More...]

AAC Implementation from a ‘Communication World’ Perspective

July 16, 2020 by - 1 Comment

AAC Implementation from a 'Communication World' Perspective

AAC SLPs are a creative bunch and would do anything to help teams get on board with appropriate supports and services. In today’s post, we hear from Elena Feder, who introduces us to the ‘Communication World’ approach. Elena is an AAC SLP at the New England Assistive Technology (NEAT) Center in Connecticut and has a lot to share about AAC implementation. Don’t miss the wonderful planning tool that she shares at the end. Before we get to that, though, take a look at the AAC Summer Bash that she runs with her colleague and fellow SLP Sarah Brink. In normal times, this is a face-to-face experience but due to the novel coronavirus, it has migrated to an online event. There are a few other things that you might like to know about the AAC Summer Bash. It’s free! You’re invited! You must register by July 17th. The AAC Summer Bash... [Read More...]

PrAACtical Resources: Assessing Distress in Individuals with Communication Challenges

May 18, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

PrAACtical Resources: Assessing Distress

The use of pain scales is common in healthcare settings to help identify and monitor levels of discomfort. To better address the needs of individuals with significant communication difficulties, Northgate Hospital in the UK created a more detailed tool that expands this concept. Today, we look at the Disability Distress Assessment Tool (DisDAT) which identifies distress and things that signal that for a specific individual with a communication difficulty. DisDAT helps to identify the ways that a specific individual with complex communication needs shows signs of distress and discomfort. You can explore the DisDAT and learn more about how to use it here.   There is also a form for monitoring these signals over time (click here for download). Many thanks to the team at Northgate Hospital for creating these tools and making them freely accessible. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Regnard, C., Reynolds, J., Watson, B., Matthews, D., Gibson, L, & Clarke, C.... [Read More...]

Free Communication Tools for Patients with COVID-19

March 23, 2020 by - 11 Comments

FREE Communication Tools for Patients with COVID-19

Today, we turn the reigns over to our friends and colleagues at the Patient-Provider Communication Network. If you work in healthcare or know someone who does, please share these critically important resources. If you know someone who is seriously ill with the coronavirus, make sure they have a means of communication should they have significant speech difficulties or need to be intubated. Everyone else, bookmark the Patient-Provider Communication website for future reference. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: FREE Communication Tools for Patients with COVID-19 When it’s hard to breathe, it can be hard to speak! In light of COVID-related respiratory illness, a greater number of people need breathing tubes or ventilator support, which takes away the ability to speak. Hospitals and healthcare workers need resources to support communication in alternative ways. As a public service, the Patient-Provider Communication Forum, with support from the United States Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC), is providing... [Read More...]

Video of the Week: Exploring the Complexity of CVI and CCN

January 15, 2020 by - 2 Comments

Video of the Week: Exploring the Complexity of CVI and CCN

If you work with children with developmental disabilities, you almost certainly have worked with children who have some level of cortical visual impairment (CVI). In today’s featured video, Maren Barros and Kathy Howery team up to help us unpack the complex relationship between cortical visual impairment and complex communication needs.  Kudos to Maren and Kathy for this wonderful information. Many thanks to the team at the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium for creating this video and making it available to us all. We are grateful for their support of the AAC community through this archived webinar.  Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOPqfOYp35Y