August 18, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Across the world, therapists, teachers, and parents are getting ready for AAC lessons or therapy sessions. Robust AAC systems? Check! Goals that matter? Check! Effective intervention strategies? Check! Let’s put them all together with some engaging activities that won’t break the bank in terms of materials. Here are some suggestions for tried-and-true activities. Language Experience Surveys: Looking for a fun activity that gives your AAC learner an opportunity to prAACtical his/her skills with a variety of communication partners? Language experience surveys are a great tool for that not just because they are a great way to build generalization in a way that kids really love, but also because it helps the communication partners have supported conversations with AAC users. This helps them get comfortable in interacting with our AAC learners which, in turn, increases the chances that they will want to interact with these students in the future. This is... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: activities, implementation ideas
August 14, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Are you doing some planning for students with AAC needs? Here are a handful of resources that may be helpful. Vocabulary graphic organizer by Speak for Yourself Form to collect information about fringe vocabulary for home and school by Gateway to Language and Learning Needs assessment by Gail Van Tatenhove
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: downloads, forms, planning
August 13, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends! Here are some posts that may be of interest. Wednesday – Video of the Week: Implementing AAC at Home Thursday – Using Multiple AAC Symbol Sets and Systems with AAC Learners: Considerations for Thoughtful Interventionists ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Still in the mood to browse? Here are some posts on semantic intervention: Thoughts on Teaching Core Vocabulary (with visual support download) Using ‘Sharing Time’ to Focus on Vocabulary AAC Vocabulary Instruction Roundup 5 Things to Do to See If Your Vocabulary Instruction is Effective (And 5 Things to Do If It’s Not)
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: summary post
August 10, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
PCS, Pixons, Minspeak symbols, Smarty Symbols, Symbol Stix, CoughDrop Symbols, ARASAAC symbols, Mulberry symbols, Lesson Pix, Sclera symbols, and more. In terms of AAC symbol options, we are living in plentiful times. It isn’t uncommon to see situations like Jonah’s. On a typical school day, Jonah is likely to encounter at least three types of pictures for the same words. He has Smarty Symbols on his AAC app and a classroom core board with PCS, and is using instructional materials using Symbol Stix. These are each great ways of visually representing language, but here’s something to think about: Does it help or hurt Jonah to have 3 different pictures for the same word? There are many options in symbol sets and systems, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Here are some things to think about as you and your team are making these decisions. There is no empirical... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC system, picture symbols
August 6, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
How was your week, AAC friends? If meetings, classes, clients, paperwork, or other things kept you busy, you might want to check out some of these posts. Monday: 5 AAC Downloads To Use and Share Wednesday: Video of the Week: Supporting AAC Learners in the Classroom We’ve been doing a lot of learning, making, and doing around the topic of emergent literacy lately. If that topic is of interest, here are some posts that you may want to browse through. Supporting AAC Learners in Emergent Writing: 5 Helpful Resources Using an Alphabet Flipbook for Writing Building Communication Skills During Book Reading A PrAACtical Literacy Activity for Beginning Communicators As They Grow: Books for Beginning Readers of Any Age Happy reading!
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: summary post
July 31, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Need a handout on AAC modeling? Want some AAC swag for your wall? Looking for a way to assess classroom communication opportunities? Today we revisit some tools from previous posts. Feel free to download and share. AAC: Model It! Handout by the AT Team at Orange County Public Schools Caught or Taught? Recognize someone who supports AAC Teach AAC Facebook Cover Image Classroom Observation Tool (COCOA)
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: download
July 30, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Therapy sessions, interviews, classes, make-and-take, hands-on strategy practice, report-writing….It’s been an action-packed week around here, full of AAC and literacy learning. If you also had a busy week, you probably missed a few of these posts. Monday: PrAACtically August – AAC Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words Wednesday: When Helping Isn’t Helping-Prompt Awareness in AAC Instruction Thursday: Throwback Thursday – Support for Beginning AAC Communicators :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few other posts to browse through? Here are some on AAC assessment that might be of interest. AAC Skills Assessment for Direct Selectors Observational Assessment of Beginning Communicators AAC Assessment for Children Who Speak AAC assessment modules AAC Assessment Forms See you next time!
Filed under: Featured Posts
July 27, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Do you work with people who are just starting to get the hang of communicating with symbols and using SGDs? Today. we’re revisiting some posts that may have some helpful information on ways to support beginning users of AAC. Recommended Practices for Beginning Communicators Using Symbols with Beginning Communicators 5 Facebook Groups for Families of Beginning Communicators Helping Beginning Communicators Expand Their Sentences A PrAACtical Literacy Activity for Beginning Communicators
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: beginning communicator
July 24, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
The summer is flying by here in Florida and we’re 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, one from 2013 (12 words/month) and one from 2014 (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 (2013) Words: any, bring, day, fall, give, hot, job, know, other, sick, sorry, together Set 2 (2014) Words: aide, animal, clothes,... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: A Year of Core Words, Another Year of Core Words, downloads
July 23, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
The hot and hazy days of summer are upon us but the AAC work continues. Here are some posts that may be of interest. Monday: 5 Ways to Make Semantic Maps More Effective in AAC Therapy Wednesday: Video of the Week: AAC Teaching Tips on Scaffolding and Visual Supports ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you’re looking for ways to build AAC and language skills during book reading, here are some suggestions from guest bloggers. Erin Sheldon on books for beginning readers of any age Karen Natoci’s series on classroom lessons based on various books Sara Barnhill and the AT Team at Children’s Hospital of Virginia on Pete the Cat Rocking My New School Shoes, Bear Wants More, Bark George, and Sometimes I Feel Sunny. Happy reading!
Filed under: Featured Posts