September 18, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Tuesday, AAC friends! Once a week, we invite you to share your own AAC-related content so that others may learn from you and benefit from your efforts. Schedules are often a little more relaxed in the summer, so share away! It may be a recent post you’ve written, a slide deck from your AAC presentation, a handout, video, or meme that you’ve posted online, an AAC product you’ve created, an announcement for an AAC camp or conference, or any other prAACtical content you developed and want to share with the AAC community. To post your own link, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post and complete the form. Enter the URL and the name/title in the boxes provided below. If you are on a mobile device, click over to the full website version to do this. The AAC Link Up is moderated to keep us from... [Read More...]
Filed under: AAC Link Up, Featured Posts
Tagged With: AAC Resources, download
September 17, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Once a month we like to turn the tables and see how PrAACtical AAC readers respond to a quick question. Our first AAC Question of the Month asked: What AAC skill is your biggest strength? Here’s how readers weighed in. Aided language input 38.1% Coaching communication partners 9.5% Assessment 8.3% Creating visual supports 7.1% Programming SGDs/AAC apps 6% Teaching early communicative functions 6% None, I don’t feel strong in any of these areas. 4.8% Collaborating with other service providers 3.6% Supporting AAC families 3.6% Report-writing and documentation 2.4% Supporting eye gaze users 2.4% Signing 1.2% PECS 1.2% Today, we turn our attention to AAC teams and who is one them. In the textbook, there are lots of disciplines listed but there is probably wide variability in which ones actually participate in AAC teams in different parts of the world. Take a minute, if you can, to tell us which... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC implementation skills, AAC team, question
September 16, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
We’re wrapping up the week with a summary of posts. Here are some AAC posts you may have missed in your busy week. Monday – Building Your AAC SLP Toolkit: Obtaining Free Apps for AAC Evaluations Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Integrating AAC into the Classroom Thursday – Building AAC Facilitation Skills with Tabi Jones-Wohleber: MASTER PAL Training, Module 4 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Still have time for a little more reading? Here are some additional posts for you to explore. Beyond Requesting: Thoughts on Teaching Information Transfer How I Do It: Encouraging AAC Implementation (Lauren Enders) PrAACtical Ways to Make Decisions About Thematic Therapy Materials In the Treasure Bag: Using Sharing Time to Focus on Vocabulary AAC in Motion: Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk with Tanna Neufeld
Filed under: Featured Posts
September 13, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Ready for more AAC training materials? In today’s post, Tabi Jones-Wohleber is sharing another module in the MASTER PAL series. This 30-minute session focuses on the role of multiple modalities in AAC. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Model as a MASTER PAL Module 4: Accept Multiple Modalities Facilitator Guidelines We all use multiple modalities to communicate…speech, text, email, a gesture, facial expressions. In much the same way we encourage young children to interact by assigning meaning to their gestures, expressions, and utterances, responding meaningfully to the communicative attempts of those who use AAC validates and encourages the effort. Honor all modalities and respond by modeling AAC as much as possible(regardless of the modality used by the PWUAAC) teaches AAC. Seize the opportunity to teach and expand language. After all, multi-modal communication shapes the human experience. For this training you will need: The Presentation Slides The Presentation Handout The Facilitator’s Guide Warm-up Discussion: Thinking Prompt... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC partner training, AAC Resources, Tabi Jones-Wohleber
September 11, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Tuesday, AAC friends! Once a week, we invite you to share your own AAC-related content so that others may learn from you and benefit from your efforts. Schedules are often a little more relaxed in the summer, so share away! It may be a recent post you’ve written, a slide deck from your AAC presentation, a handout, video, or meme that you’ve posted online, an AAC product you’ve created, an announcement for an AAC camp or conference, or any other prAACtical content you developed and want to share with the AAC community. To post your own link, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post and complete the form. Enter the URL and the name/title in the boxes provided below. If you are on a mobile device, click over to the full website version to do this. The AAC Link Up is moderated to keep us from being... [Read More...]
Filed under: AAC Link Up, Featured Posts
Tagged With: AAC Link Up
September 10, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
A carpenter without a hammer? A painter without a brush? A surgeon without a scalpel? No matter how skilled these professionals are, they can’t do their work without the tools necessary for the job. SLPs need their tools, too. Sometimes those tools are tangible items, like formal tests, mirrors, computers, and penlights. And sometimes those tools are less tangible, like software, digital subscriptions, and apps. Most service delivery settings where AAC evaluations take place (e.g., clinics, schools, hospitals), though, fail to provide SLPs with the adequate range of AAC tools they need to do their jobs well. And, as any practicing SLP knows, the budget for materials ranges from minimal to non-existent. So, what’s a clinician to do? Savvy SLPs have a variety of strategies for getting the resources they need. It’s disheartening that they need to even do this, but, for many, the reality is that either the SLPs... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC apps, AAC evaluation, Angela Moorad, Omazing Kids
September 9, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Well, hello, AAC friends! Thanks for checking in with us during your busy week. Here are some posts that may be of interest. Monday – On Labor Day Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Strategies for Helping Early AAC Users Engage and Interact Thursday – Building AAC Facilitation Skills with Tabi Jones-Wohleber: MASTER PAL Training, Module 3 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Still have time for a bit more? Here’s a sampling of past posts for you to browse. PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: Apples AAC Partner Training Strategies AACtual Therapy: From PECS to iPad with Jason Butcher 5 Things We’ve Learned from Our AAC Families Understanding and Supporting Families of AAC Learners
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: AAC partner training, partner training, PECS, reading
September 6, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Our training series continues with West Virginia-based SLP Tabi Jones-Wohleber, who works with the AT Team for Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland and provides services to infants and toddlers in the West Virginia Birth to Three programs. In the first two posts, Tabi shared the Overview and Modeling modules and their accompanying resources. In today’s post, the training focuses on an important topic, motivation. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Model as a MASTER PAL Module 3: Motivate Facilitator Guidelines Genuine motivation goes well beyond gummies and goldfish; reinforcers are only one small part of the picture as we endeavor to understand what truly drives an individual’s desire to learn and communicate. So much of the time it is the quality of the relationship and the meaningfulness of the interaction. This module discusses the importance of motivation in learning and engaging, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, as well as the undesirable consequences that occur when lack of motivation... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC partner training, motivation, reinforcement, Tabi Jones-Wohleber
September 3, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, we are celebrating Labor Day and that gives us the opportunity to reflect on all things work-related. Join us as revisit some posts about AAC and the world of work. Enjoy! Transitioning to the Workplace: Resources for AAC Learners with Significant Disabilities Building an Awareness of AAC in Your Workplace Starting AAC with Teens and Adults Employment is for Everyone Learning About ACES
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: employment, Labor Day, transition, work
September 2, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
We’re saying goodbye to summer, and, heading full steam ahead into fall. Here are some posts from our prAACtical week. Monday – PrAACtically September: AAC Resources for a Year of Core Vocabulary Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Addressing the Social, Communication, and Behavioral Needs of Secondary Students with ASD using Visual Supports Thursday – Building AAC Facilitation Skills with Tabi Jones-Wohleber: MASTER PAL Training, Module 2 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have time for a bit more browsing, here are some posts you can explore. AAC Printables The Crust of AAC Every Second Counts Goodbye, Summer! A Clinician Prepares for a New School Year 3 Ways to Use AAC Goals to Strengthen Implementation
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: summary post