August 6, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Children who grow up hearing Mandarin generally learn to speak Mandarin. Deaf children who grow up with parents and teachers who use sign language, generally learn to communicate in that sign language. It doesn’t take much imagination to see why children with AAC needs are likely to do best when they are able to see and hear competent communicators use AAC throughout the week. There is a growing body of evidence for the use of aided language input to support AAC learners at the beginning stages of language development and a great many more teachers, therapists, and families are employing these practices. That’s a very good thing. But is aided language input alone sufficient? Research studies have not yet addressed this question, but it is doubtful. Many AAC learners are not able to use observation and incidental opportunities to their advantage. For example, some are challenged with sensory issues that... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: explicit instruction, language therapy
August 2, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
It’s Throwback Thursday and today we’re revisiting some past posts on making AAC materials that include core vocabulary. Getting Ready for a Core Vocabulary Journey Manual Communication Boards with Core Vocabulary Make It Monday: More Words, Please! Expanding Our Manual Communication Boards Super Size It: 5 Ideas for Making Large Communication Boards
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: core vocabulary
July 31, 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. The AAC Link Up is moderated to keep us from being spammed, so it may take a little while for your link to show up. Note: If you... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: AAC Link Up, preschool AAC
July 30, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
self-ad·vo·ca·cy: self ˈadvəkəsē/ Noun: the action of representing oneself or one’s views or interests. —————————- Empowering AAC learners to advocate for themselves may be one of the most important and impactful things that we can do to help them stay safe and achieve their goals. Here are some ways we can support that process. Provide messages for self-advocacy behaviors: It’s hard to represent your own interests without the appropriate set of vocabulary and messages. Words and prestored messages for protesting and rejecting are essential (e.g., No; Stop; No, thank you; I don’t want to). In addition, consider adding messages which allow the communicator to express disagreement or negative opinions (e.g., I don’t like it; I don’t think so; That doesn’t work for me; This is unfair; That’s disrespectful) and proactively provide self-advocacy information (e.g., Please do what I asked; It’s on my IEP; I have a right to be heard; I... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: advocacy, self-advocacy, vocabulary selection
July 29, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Hope you are having a good weekend, AAC friends. Here are some posts from our prAACtical week for you to check out. Monday – PrAACtically August: AAC Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: The Bliss iBand Thursday – PrAACtical AAC Question of the Month: July 2018 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Still have an appetite for some AAC reading? Here are a couple of suggestions. PrAACtical Teaching in the ASD Classroom: Predictable Chart Writing with Core Vocabulary PrAACtical Resources: AAC Assessment Modules A Tool for Identifying Features for AT Selection Supporting People with Significant Communication Challenges in Medical Encounters AAC Apps and Devices: Thoughts on Conducting AAC Trials And if you’re doing some advance planning, we’d love to see you at this full-day workshop at ATIA in Orlando this coming January. On the graphic below, use the slider on the right to scroll through... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: assessment, ATIA, summary post
July 26, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we’re taking a break from writing and asking you to take a turn at sharing your thoughts. Our topic is AAC Skills, and we’re curious about which ones you feel most confident in. Take a moment, if you would, to answer the short, 1-question survey. You can use the slider on the right side of the graphic to scroll up and down to see all the options. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Interested in what others have to say? Stay tuned! We’ll post the results in the following edition of PrAACtical Question of the Month. Loading…
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: AAC skills, Question of the Month, survey
July 24, 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. The AAC Link Up is moderated to keep us from being spammed, so it may take a little while for your link to show up. Note: If you... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC Link Up
July 23, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
The summer is zooming by here in Florida and lots of professionals and families are starting to think about heading back to school. Teachers, therapists, and aides play a pivotal role in helping AAC learners develop skills with core vocabulary so that they have a body of words that can be used across activities, environments, and communication partners. There are lots of ‘right’ ways to support these students. Among them is an instructional approach in which a new set of core words is introduced every few weeks in order to build their experiences with AAC. Our Year of Core Words materials has two versions, Set 1 (12 words/month) and Set 2 (16 words/month; Different than the previous year’s core words). If you’ve been following along, or are just getting started, these resources may be of interest. Set 1 Words: any, bring, day, fall, give, hot, job, know, other, sick, sorry, together Set 2 Words: aide,... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: A Year of Core Words, Another Year of Core Words
July 22, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Hope you had a wonderful, AAC-filled week. Here are a handful of posts you may have missed. Monday – Beyond the Basics: Thoughts On Effective Language Instruction for AAC Learners Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Aided AAC and the IEP Thursday – Beyond the Big Core Board :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Still have room for more? Here’s a small selection for you to peruse. “Can I Ask You a Question?” Language Experience Surveys Language Experience Surveys: 8 Fun Ideas Strengthening the Communication Environment Barriers to Access for AAC Learners Living an Accessible Life
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: language intervention, summary post
July 19, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Poster-sized communication boards with core vocabulary have become popular additions to many classrooms and therapy rooms. Having these AAC options so readily accessible made it easier for some therapists, educators, paraprofessionals, and families who were relatively new to AAC, begin to embed it in conversations, lessons, and naturally-occurring routines throughout the day. And that’s a good thing! But…it’s just the beginning. Effective AAC service providers know that there are many more steps on the path to communicative competence. Let’s keep going! One important thing to do at this stage is to customize the AAC display to meet the specific needs and abilities of our individual students. One size doesn’t fit all. If you’re ready to move forward in your own AAC support practices, here are a few questions you can ask yourself to identify some potential next steps. How can I ensure that my beginning communicators have access to words... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: core vocabulary, precision AAC