April 27, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
We’re back with core vocabulary resources and focusing on a new set of words for May. In 2013, when schools and other clinical programs were expanding their emphasis on teaching core vocabulary words, PrAACtical AAC published a set of resources for families and professionals that included symbol cards, sample sentences to model, activity suggestions, and more. All of these were based on a small set of core words for each month (see that post here). We followed that with a second set of Year of Core Vocabulary Word resources for a new list of words (click here for that post). Over the years, the resources were expanded and grew to include a wonderful series of calendars with daily activity suggestions developed by AAC SLP and co-founder of Talking AAC, Rachael Langley. There were many other contributors over the years who added to these efforts. In 2020, a new series was... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
April 25, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Tuesday, AAC friends! Once a week, we invite you to share your own AAC-related content, product news, or anything else that you’d like others in the AAC community to know about. 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 course 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 spammed, so it may take a little... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
April 24, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
One of the most exciting trends in higher education is a movement to support the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities on college campuses. In today’s post, we’re sharing a resource that is not specific to AAC but may be of interest to many readers. Think College is a program of the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. They are a national technical assistance, research, and evaluation center dedicated to developing, expanding, and improving higher education options for students with intellectual disabilities. Think College addresses four main areas: raising awareness, increasing post-secondary options, conducting research on best practices, and providing training. Here are some of the ways they can be helpful. You can search a database of more than 300 post-secondary programs. They have a helpful guide to selecting programs that might be a good fit for an individual student. There’s also a Self-Advocates Guide... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
April 23, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you may have missed. Monday – AAC Online Learning: 5 Free Courses to Explore Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC for Students with Visual Challenges Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Everything Eye Gaze ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, check out some of these past posts. PrAACtically Reading: Over in the Garden with Karen Natoci Talking Mats: A PrAACtical Tool AAC & CVI: Can We Chat? Using Metaphors to Support Vocabulary Teaching AACtual Therapy: “At first I was afraid, I was petrified…” AACtual Therapy: Running AAC Groups
Filed under: Featured Posts
April 20, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
One of the significant changes in the AAC field over the last decade relates to the increased availability of affordable options for accessing SGDs and tablets through eye gaze and eye pointing. Here are some past posts on that topic. Articles PrAACtical Resources: Eye Gaze Set-up and Software PrAACtical Resources: Developing Touchscreen, Switch, and Eye Gaze Skills AACtual Therapy with Shareka Bentham: Navigating Eye Gaze for Beginning Communicators Speak to Me With Your Eyes, My Love Eye love… AAC Assessment Corner with Vicki Clarke: The Eyes Have It-Assessment Considerations for High Tech Eye Gaze Access Videos Getting Started with Eye Gaze SGDs Partner Assisted Scanning + Eye Gaze Methods of Accessing AAC Systems Communication Through Eye Pointing From Switches to Eye Gaze Raising a Child Who Uses Eye Gaze AAC Technology Using an Eyegaze Board Eye Gaze Research Building PVC Stands for Eye Gaze & Tablets
Filed under: Featured Posts
April 3, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
April is HIE Awareness Month, which offers a great opportunity to share information and resources for those who want to learn more. It doesn’t get as much attention as other disabilities in the AAC community, but some people with complex communication needs can trace the cause of their disability to Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). Let’s start by breaking down the term HIE. Hypoxic = lack of oxygen Ischemic = restricted blood flow Encephalopathy = affecting the brain Whether diagnosed as newborns or later in development, this form of brain injury is frequently associated with other conditions, such as cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, limited hearing and vision, feeding difficulties, and developmental challenges. There are many causes of HIE, including uterine ruptures and placental issues, near drowning, cardiac arrest, and other things that interrupt oxygen flow to the brain. By some estimates, 75-80% survive HIE, 50-70% experience seizures, and 40-50% develop a... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
April 2, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you might enjoy. Monday – April Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Mindset Shifts that Empower Communication Partners & AAC Users Thursday – AAC Sales for Autism Acceptance Month ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In recognition of Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, here are some autism-related posts to get you in the mood to celebrate those around us who have autism. Building Engagement in Young Students with Autism AACtual Therapy: Making Core Words Fun for Students with Autism Evidence-based AAC Strategies for Students with Autism with Betsy Corporale Before you go, enjoy the ABC’s of Autism support…
Filed under: Featured Posts
March 30, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Twice a year, AAC and AT specialist Lauren Enders Gonzales works with a variety of AAC vendors to highlight the deep discounts that they offer each April and October. If you click on the graphic below, you’ll be able to download a version that has hyperlinks to each vendor. Many thanks to Lauren and all of the participating AAC vendors! You can download a screen reader-friendly version here. About the Contributor Lauren Enders, Gonzales MA, CCC-SLP is a licensed and ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist working as a school-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Assistive Technology (AT) Consultant for Bucks County Intermediate Unit in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She has had a passion for using AAC and other forms of assistive technology to support students with complex communication needs and complex bodies since she began her career in 1995. Lauren presents regularly at national conferences, including Closing the Gap, ATIA,... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
March 28, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Tuesday, AAC friends! Once a week, we invite you to share your own AAC-related content, product news, or anything else that you’d like others in the AAC community to know about. 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 course 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 spammed, so it may take a little... [Read More...]
Filed under: AAC Link Up, Featured Posts
March 27, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Core vocabulary resources are the focus of today’s post. In 2013, when schools and other clinical programs were expanding their emphasis on teaching core vocabulary words, PrAACtical AAC published a set of resources for families and professionals that included symbol cards, sample sentences to model, activity suggestions, and more. All of these were based on a small set of core words for each month (see that post here). We followed that with a second set of Year of Core Vocabulary Word resources for a new list of words (click here for that post). Over the years, the resources were expanded and grew to include a wonderful series of calendars with daily activity suggestions developed by AAC SLP and co-founder of Talking AAC, Rachael Langley. Many other contributors over the years added to these efforts. In 2020, a new series was launched, School Year of Core Vocabulary Words, authored by guest contributors... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts