September 5, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
In a previous post, guest author Sara Ware shared a tool for progress monitoring. Today, she returns to discuss how it is used in her own clinical practice. Evolving Progress Monitoring for Beginning AAC Users- Where Do I Begin? As AAC SLPs, we often also assume the roles of coach, cheerleader, teacher, mentor, team member and advocate. However, in order to advocate for AAC, we need to be able to identify the benefits that AAC brings to the lives of our clients. As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, progress looks different for everyone, particularly beginning AAC users. This is what led to the development of the “Pediatric Prelinguistic and Linguistic Skill Assessment for AAC Users.” You may be asking yourself, where do I begin with this tool or how do I use it? Let’s dive in with a few examples by meeting AAC users Eddie and Abigail... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
September 1, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: On Effort, Energy, and AAC Thursday – School Year of Core Vocabulary Words – Older Student Lessons: AAC Resources for September ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 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 How I Do It-Strengthening our Remote AAC Sessions
Filed under: Featured Posts
August 29, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
As August draws to a close, we welcome guest authors Michaela Sullivan and Lindsay Dougherty, who are back with another set of core vocabulary resources for teaching older students. Today, they share sets of curated materials and suggestions to help students gain fluency with the September core vocabulary words. They also discuss a key AAC support strategy, using pause time in AAC interactions. SCHOOL YEAR OF CORE- Older Student Lessons The Google Slide Resources Access & Copy below: Weeks 1-2 Google Slides Weeks 3-4 Google Slides INTRODUCTION- SEPTEMBER 2024 School is back in session across the country, and fall is upon us. This is a busy time of year as we prepare for the year ahead. We hope that the School Year of Core-Older Student Lessons (SYOC-OSL) resource can provide you and your students with additional support in learning about core vocabulary through thematic, engaging, and motivating activities and icebreakers.... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
August 25, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that may be of interest. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Getting Ready for September School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Older Student Lessons Thursday – September Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: And if you are still in the mood for some AAC reading, here are some suggestions. 5+ Ways to Make Page Fluffers and Spacers AAC Vocabulary Lists PrAACtically Reading: Books Featuring Children & Youth with Disabilities Make It Monday: Manual Communication Boards with Core Vocabulary Communication Boards: Colorful Considerations
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August 22, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
In 2013, when schools and other clinical programs were expanding their emphasis on teaching core vocabulary words, Robin Parker and I developed 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 launched, School Year of Core Vocabulary Words, authored by guest contributors Michaela Sullivan, Alisa... [Read More...]
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August 18, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that may be of interest. Monday – AAC & Community with Stepping into AAC (Weeks 18-19) Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC Resources to Guide Families Thursday – AAC for Older Students ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 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
Filed under: Featured Posts
August 15, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for information, tips, or resources to support older students who use AAC? Here are some articles and videos that may be of interest. AAC in Secondary School Series by Ashley Larisey Centering AAC Users in the IEP Process Collaborative Teaming for High School Students Who Use AAC Social Media 5 AACtionable Steps to Support the Transition Process 5 Progress Monitoring Tips for Secondary Students Using Games to Support AAC Learning for Older Students Defining Age Respectful AACcessibility during Community Based Instruction Using Surveys to Support Language Learning Research Project AACtivity Party Planning AACtivity Others AAC Goes to High School: The Power of Peers AAC Goes to High School: Community-based Instruction PrAACtical Solutions: AAC Goes to High School Progress Monitoring for Secondary School Students AAC in the High School Classroom: Where Core Vocabulary Meets Life Skills
Filed under: Featured Posts
August 11, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends for you. Here are some posts you might have missed. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Supporting Families Through Effective AAC Teams Thursday – AAC Printables for the New School Year :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few more places to browse? Check out some of these posts on working with teens and young adults. Starting AAC with Teens and Young Adults Conversation Practice with Teens and Young Adults 5 Ways to Use Magazines in AAC Therapy Books for Beginning Readers of Any Age Making the Environment Communicatively Accessible Visual Supports in AAC Therapy with Older Students and Adults
Filed under: Featured Posts
August 8, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
In the US, the new school year is underway in some places, and others are gearing up for the return in a few weeks. Here are a few things from previous posts that might come in handy. AAC 101 Flipbook This all-in-one resource contains information on how to implement key AAC support strategies: AAC 101 Handout. AAC Options Ensure that every student who needs AAC has access to at least a starter set of words and phrases. There are plenty of core communication boards and flipbooks to choose from, and this post has links to a variety of them: Core Boards. Hands-on AAC Interactive experiences where communication partners get to try out and use AAC to learn and express themselves can be very powerful. If you need ideas or materials to use, check out the options we shared in an earlier post: Hands-On Activities. Parent Training Materials The Stepping into... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts
August 6, 2024
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... [Read More...]
Filed under: AAC Link Up, Featured Posts