November 16, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
You’ve developed a list of target words for vocabulary instruction and are modeling them frequently throughout the day using aided language input. Focused language stimulation helped, and when you created materials that have the target word with a student-friendly definition, a relevant picture, synonyms, and a sample sentence, things looked promising. Your client seemed to notice, was sometimes attentive, and showed indications that their awareness of these words was growing. However, in terms of truly understanding these words or using them, progress was s-l-0-w. Where can you go from here? Explicit instruction on these words will help speed up the learning curve. Here are some activities you can embed in your teaching and therapy to provide more experience with this new vocabulary. Work together to create picture collages for the target word: Do these interactively so you can discuss what belongs in the collage and WHY, and what does not... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: explicit instruction, language intervention, vocabulary instruction
November 15, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that you may have missed. Monday – TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘Dear Zoo’! Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Cooking with AAC Thursday – AAC Resources: A Look at Google Action Blocks ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you’re interested in a bit more AAC reading, check out some of these past posts. Breaking Down Barriers to AAC Implementation AAC and Emergent Literacy: 5 Posts with Implementation Ideas AAC Intervention That Teaches More and Tests Less: Thoughts on Implementation AAC in the Classroom for Students with Significant Disabilities – Implementation & Data Collection Three Ways to Use AAC Goals to Strengthen Implementation
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
November 12, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
We’re always excited to see innovations in assistive technology and AAC, and today, we welcome Charlie Danger of The Children’s Trust to tell us about one of them. Charlie is an OT and ATP who has been working with people with disabilities for over 20 years. In this post, he introduces us to Google Action Blocks and discusses some of the ways it can benefit those with AAC needs. A Look at Google Action Blocks When most of us consider the use of modern portable devices as communication aids we’re likely to refer to iPads running popular apps such as LAMP Words for Life or Proloquo2go. It is relatively rare that people first consider Android AAC apps, most likely because there are so few of them. Android Worldwide, Android devices outsell Apple by a factor of 3 to 1. In South America and Asia this is as high as 10... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC Apps & Software, Apps, device customization, mobile devices, phones, picture-based communication, SGD/Speech generating devices and AAC systems
November 10, 2020
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 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. 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
November 9, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Ready for another post with book-related ideas for supporting core vocabulary learning in preschool classrooms? We’re excited to welcome Jeanna Antrim and Maggie Judson back to these pages with another guest post the TELL ME About It series. Today, they share ideas for core vocabulary experiences with an old favorite, Dear Zoo.If you’re in search of ways to support preschool teachers who are implementing the TELL ME program with their young students, this post is for you. There are quite a few resource links embedded in this post, ready for you to download. Maggie and Jeanna are speech-language pathologists who work in the Assistive Technology Department for the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative (BASSC) in southern Illinois. They are AT/AAC facilitators and provide evaluations, direct therapy, consultations, and trainings with school teams. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘Dear Zoo’! TELL ME About The Book The third book... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: core vocabulary, downloads, TELL ME
November 8, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We’re breathing a sigh of relief today and smiling from ear to ear. If you were a bit distracted this week, you might have missed a post or two. Monday – AACtual Therapy: Chaining in AAC Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Achieving Authentic Communication Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC at School Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados Con Links – Noviembre ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you’re still in the mood for browsing, check out the selections below. PrAACtical Thoughts on Mastery 5 Things to Do When AAC Learners are Inconsistent PrAACtical Teaching in the Autism Classroom: Instructional Activities for Core Vocabulary Core Values: Suggestions for Language Building with AAC Learners More Words, Please! Expanding Our Manual Communication Boards
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
November 6, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Octubre – Mes de la CAA Las personas sin habla tienen mucho que decir. Esta comunicación no será posible si no disponen de las herramientas y los aprendizajes para conseguirlo. La Comunicación Aumentativa y Alternativa (CAA) es la vía de acceso a una participación plena para muchas, muchas personas. ¿Es necesaria una campaña de concienciación y sensibilización? Rotundamente sí. Familiares y profesionales de personas usuarias de CAA tienen todavía en este momento muchas dificultades para acceder a todas las opciones de SAAC, a veces por desconocimiento, a veces por cuestiones económicas e incluso por falta de un equipo de apoyo para su implementación. Nuestro objetivo para el mes de octubre ha sido ofrecer un espacio para dar a conocer en redes la realidad de nuestro día a día y cómo la CAA nos está proporcionando una herramienta de crecimiento personal. Así que bajo la guía de María @5sentidosymedio iniciamos el... [Read More...]
Filed under: AAC Link Up, Featured Posts
Tagged With: AAC Link Up, Spanish
November 5, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
It’s another Throwback Thursday, and today we’re revisiting posts on the topic of school-based AAC supports. Hope you find them helpful. Supporting Students Who Use AAC with School-wide Implementation Roadmap to a Communication Positive School Tips for Supporting Students Who Use AAC in School How We Do It: Incorporating Core Vocabulary Throughout the School Day AAC Goes to High School: The Power of Peers How We Do It: Increasing AAC Acceptance and Making Better Communication Partners In Our School PrAACtical Resources: AAC for School Staff AAC Goes to High School: Community-based Instruction Aided AAC & the IEP How I Do It: AAC in the IEP PrAACtical Resources: AT & the IEP AAC & the IEP: 5 Resources to Explore 5 Reasons to Put AAC Training for Staff and Parents into the IEP How I Do It: Writing IEP Goals for Students Who Use AAC with Lauren Enders
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Education & Schools, IEP/Individualized Education Plans
November 3, 2020
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 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. 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
November 2, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Effective AAC interventionists know the importance of being skilled in using a number of different strategies and techniques for building language. So we’re pleased that SLPs Kate Grandbois and Amy Wonkka are making a return visit to talk more about their favorite therapy strategies and how to apply them to AAC skill-building. In today’s post, they discuss the use of chaining in teaching individuals with AAC needs. You can see their previous post here. Also, don’t miss the link to their podcast at the end, especially if you are interested in earning CEUs for listening. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Bringing it all Together, Episode 2: Chaining in AAC As we mentioned in our previous article, most SLPs have come across popular AAC interventions, like aided language modeling. But there are other interventions, like chaining, that don’t quite get the time in the limelight that they deserve. Chaining is one of these interventions. Chaining... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Intervention & Instructional Strategies, Language Intervention/Therapy