May 15, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
It’s Better Hearing and Speech Month ( #BHSM) and we are highlighting the work of talented AAC SLPs. We’re so happy to have Georgia-based Vicki Clarke back, this time with Holly Schneider, to talk about a longstanding collaboration that more AAC teams need to know about. Vicki’s private practice, Dynamic Therapy Associates, centers on AAC assessment and intervention. She works both with individuals and school districts, and serves children and adults with a variety of challenges and etiologies (e.g., motor disorders, memory, attention and learning difficulties, sensory impairment, neurological differences, syndromes and seizure disorders, congenital and acquired difficulties).Holly is a full time employee of Tobii Dynavox on the Clinical Content and Training Team. She is responsible for developing AAC training materials; and educating teams, professionals and families on AAC applications and implementation. In this post, they tell us about the development of the second edition of the Dynamic AAC Goals Grid.... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
May 14, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Mother’s Day! Here are some posts you may have missed in your prAACtical week. Monday: Site of the Month: Preschool AAC and Visual Supports from Orange County Public Schools Wednesday: Video of the Week: AACtual Advocacy Thursday: How We Do It: Pragmatic Skill Intervention in AAC with Dr. Jill Senner & Matthew Baud
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: summary post
May 11, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Better Hearing and Speech Month is in full swing and we are excited to see SLPs talking about tools and strategies for supporting people with AAC needs. Many individuals with AAC needs have difficulty using language in expected ways, particularly in social interactions. In this post, we welcome back guest authors Jill Senner and Matthew Baud to discuss ways in which they target pragmatic language in their clinical work. They have a prAACtical approach to this subject and are generous in sharing AAC resources, including vocabulary/pagesets for some popular AAC apps/SGDs. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Chat with Me: Pragmatic Skill Intervention in AAC with Jill E Senner, PhD, CCC-SLP & Matthew R. Baud, MS, CCC-SLP Pragmatic skills, commonly referred to as social skills, play an important role in the successful integration of individuals with disabilities. People with disabilities need adequate social skills to live and be educated in the least restrictive environment, to be... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: EBP, intervention, pragmatics, Social Language
May 8, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Where can I go to get AAC-friendly resources for preschool children? Join us as we explore the Wiki sharing space by the Exceptional Student Education Program of Orange County Public Schools in the Orlando, Florida area. Over the years, their AT team and others have compiled an impressive group of materials that can be used by teachers, therapists, and parents. You can see guest posts on Essential Tricks for Supporting AAC in Schools by some of the team here and here. In this post, we feature one of their webpages that is used for resource sharing. Many of the files are in Boardmaker format, but there are also some in Word and PDF document formats. Most of the resources are available from the menu on main page (click here). Highlights from this site include: Unit-based Resources (including classroom and therapy materials, parent letter, & more) are accessible from the main page Me &... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: downloads, Orange County Public Schools, preschool, Site of the Month
May 4, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
In today’s post, we welcome Dr. Kathy Howery who will be appearing here periodically to review some of the AAC research that is published in journals around the world. Kathy joins us from Alberta, Canada, and has worked in the field of assistive technology and special education for over three decades. Most recently she has completed her doctoral studies where she used phenomenological methods to seek understanding of the lived experience of speaking with/through a speech generating device. Kathy is currently working as consultant to schools and school districts across Alberta focusing primarily on children and youth with complex communication needs. In this first post, she helps us understand a study by Drs. Karen Erickson and Lori Geist published in the AAC journal last year. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Erickson, K. A. & Geist, L. A. (2016). The profiles of students with significant cognitive disabilities and complex communication needs. Augmentative and Alternative Communication,... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
May 1, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, today is the start of Better Hearing and Speech Month (#BHSM).This year’s theme, Communication-The Key to Connection, has lots of prAACtical implications. The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) sponsors activities and shares resources every year, encouraging us to build awareness of communication and the professionals who serve those with speech, language, hearing, and swallowing disorders. For those of us interested in AAC, it’s also an opportunity to help our fellow professionals better understand the needs of people with complex communication needs. There are lots of ways that you can get involved to support AAC and spread the word about effective AAC practices to colleagues and families. Click on the image below to learn about what the ASHA is doing and to get a few ideas to get you started. Let’s make an impact.
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ASHA, Better Hearing and Speech Month, BHSM
April 30, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Just when it is time to say goodbye to April and wrap up Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, we have another reason to celebrate. May is Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM), and that gives us a powerful opportunity to spread the word about supporting people who use AAC. Stay tuned for BHSM ideas and resources. In the meantime, though, why not catch up on some of last week’s posts? Monday: Using Adapted Books with AAC Learners: 3 Important Questions to Ask Wednesday: Video of the Week: AACtually Communicating Thursday: PrAACtically May: AAC Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: summary post
April 27, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
It is just about time to flip the calendar to a new page, and that means it’s time for a new set of core words to model, elicit, and practice. In this post, we have a number of resources and an announcement (**scroll to the bottom**) for those who’ve tried their hand at implementation. Thanks to all who’ve reached out with questions, comments, and words of appreciation for the Year of Core Vocabulary series. Here are some helpful resources for those who are using the words in Set 1 ( 2013 Year of Core Words) or Set 2 (Another Year of Core Words). If you are contemplating this approach, feel free to jump in at any time. The best time to start (or re-start) is right now. Don’t worry about retracing steps, or not ‘doing it right.’ The best way to get better at core vocabulary instruction is just to... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: download, resources, Year of Core Vocabulary
April 24, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
We’re seeing a big increase in the number of families and professionals who are prioritizing literacy instruction for people with AAC needs, and that makes us VERY happy. In some cases, families, teachers, and therapists are using adapted books in their shared reading activities and making them available for self-selected reading, too. There are lots of ways to adapt books, though, and not every adaptation is appropriate for an individual who uses or is learning AAC. In this post, we talk about some of the things to consider when making decisions about adapted books. The term ‘adapted book’ refers to a book that was altered in some fashion to make it more accessible to people with disabilities. There are different ways of modifying books including: Simplifying or revising the text, Adding AAC symbols to the text, Changing the format (e.g., cutting it apart, binding it at the top, and reassembling,... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: adapted books, Books, literacy, reading
April 23, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Hope you had a fulfilling week. Here’s couple of posts that may be of interest. Monday: Site of the Month: AT Makers Wednesday: Video of the Week – Twin Powers Unite: Teaching AAC and Sight Words
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: summary post