July 11, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
The SLP PRAXIS Exam: No big deal or VERY big deal? You’ll find graduate students and clinical fellows in each camp. Yes, there are lots of new grads who did well on it and swear that they hardly studied. We cheer loudly to welcome them to our ranks. There are others, however, who quietly regret not having gone the extra mile to prepare. We hate regrets, so our SLP PRAXIS prep posts are geared for those who want an extra measure of safety when they go in to take their exam. – In Part 1 and Part 2, we talked about getting prepared and setting a study schedule for the SLP PRAXIS. In this post, we wanted to share some resources that have been helpful to our students. — Online Flashcards There are many sites that offer the ability for users to create flashcards, use them to study, and/or print... [Read More...]
July 1, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Last week, we switched gears and began talking about the SLP PRAXIS exam. As clinical educators, we know how hard SLP graduate students work and how much pressure they are under as they finish up their master’s programs. Their days are busy from start to finish and finding additional time to study for something as big as the PRAXIS is daunting to even the best student. — In our experience, students do best when they study over time rather than trying to cram the last few weeks before the test date. Life is crazy enough without trying to rush things: We suggest that you begin preparing about 3-4 months before you take the exam. Some students need more time, and some need less. Here are some of our thoughts on how to prepare. – 1. Begin by taking a self-timed exam using the Mosby/Ruscello CD. Don’t use their timed mode (it... [Read More...]
June 24, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
In today’s post, we’re taking a big detour. For the next few weeks, some of our Sunday posts will deviate a bit from the world of AAC, AT, and disability and plunge into the world of the graduate student SLP. Every job has ‘other duties as assigned’ and part of mine involves helping our graduate students get ready for the SLP PRAXIS exam. At our university, we’ve had a structured review class offered online for almost 10 years and I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with that during its evolution. I frequently get requests from students at other universities to take the class, which we can’t accommodate, and it finally (!) occurred to me to write a blog post with some tips and suggestions. The result is this 3-part series. So…Let’s get this party started! –– Before You Start to Study – 1. Learn about the SLP PRAXIS exam... [Read More...]
August 1, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Biennial Conference: ISAAC 2012 PrAACtically There: ISAAC 2012 Day 1 at ISAAC 2012: What You Should Know About AAC’s Expanding Role in Health Care ISAAC 2012, Day 2: AAC Goes to Preschool ISAAC 2012, Day 3: Let the Games Begin ISAAC 2012, Day 4 – The Fives 5+5 Commandments for Speech Output Communication 5 Under-Used Strategies in AAC 5 Online Notebooks Full of AAC 5 Adapted Play Resources for Children with Motor Impairment – PrAACtical Thinking 92 Free or Lite Versions of AAC Apps PrAACtical Alert: Free AAC Evaluation App This Week Visualize 9 Nice Things to Say to Students who AAC PrAACtical Thoughts About Challenging Behavior PrAACtical Resource: Searching for AAC Devices with SpeechBubble AAC Assessment Round-Up 5 Ways to Use Rating Scales to Enhance Communication with AAC PrAACtical Alert: The World’s AAC Conference Comes to You (Well, a little bit of it) Power of the Visual Planner: 20... [Read More...]
July 2, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
The Fives PrAACtical Suggestions: 5 Ways to Elicit Language Without Asking a Direct Question 5 Tools to Make Aided Language Input Easier “Call Me Later:” 5 Supports for Phone Communication by People Who Use AAC Safety Matters: 5 Resources for People Who Use AAC – PrAACtical Thinking 72 Free and Lite Versions of AAC Apps AAC App Giveaway: It’s a PrAACtical Celebration 7 Apps for Adolescents with Special Needs “Not Dumb Now” (And Actually, Never Was) Pivotal Skills for AAC Intervention: Aided Language Input Before It’s Too Late: A PrAACtical Resource for Emergency Situations PrAACtical Tips for Passing the SLP PRAXIS on the First Try, Part 1 PrAACtical Resources: Making Sense of Picture Symbol Options PrAACtice Fire Safety 25 Under 5: AAC Apps PrAACtical Intervention Ideas: AAC Learning with the Toys, Websites, and Apps You Love PrAACtical Reflections on Father’s Day Introducing RELAAACs: Rubric for Evaluating the Language of Apps... [Read More...]
January 14, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
I had some great conversations with families this month about AAC and how to effectively translate strategies from therapy and school to a home environment. Although their children were all different ages, had various disabilities, and used a diverse set of AAC tools, there were a couple of common elements in those conversations.One thing that played a central role was this question: What IS an AAC system? We all know the textbook definition of AAC and that it refers to a set of tools, techniques, and strategies used to enhance the communication of people with significant language difficulties. We know that AAC is often subdivided into unaided communication (including gestures, signs, movement, vocalization, etc) and aided communication (such as communication books, speech generating devices [SGDs], and choice boards).But the general case is only helpful if you’re in AAC class or studying for the PRAXIS. In clinical practice, we need to... [Read More...]