March 16, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
No matter where you live, chances are good that the coronavirus has been on your mind. In today’s post, we share an interactive graphic with many free downloadable resources that can be used to support the AAC learners in your life. You can access visual schedules for handwashing, social narratives, videos, educational materials, and more by clicking the links embedded in the graphic below. Use the slider on the right to navigate up and down, or click the image to go to the full-sized version. This is an evolving resource that will continue to be updated. If you know of things that we should add, please tell us in the comments below. Stay safe and healthy, AAC friends.
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: coronavirus, Covid-19, pandemic
March 15, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends! Here are some posts that may be of interest. Monday – TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘No, David!’ Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Art Therapy and AAC Thursday – 5 Things to Avoid in Core Vocabulary Teaching :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In the mood for some more AAC reading? Here are a few suggestions. SGDs for People with ASD “What Should I Program on the SGD?” Feature Match Chart 5 Features to Look for in SGDs and AAC Apps Making a Back-up for High-tech AAC
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 12, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
There’s no doubt that core vocabulary plays an important role for the majority of people with AAC needs. When using and teaching them, however, there are some common pitfalls. Here are some thoughts on avoiding them. Don’t equate high-frequency words with ‘first words.’ There is some overlap in core vocabulary and an initial lexicon but they are different things. Both are important. Don’t assume that just because someone has a significant intellectual disability that core vocabulary is irrelevant or too difficult. Many, many people with complex communication needs who have significant cognitive impairments have been successful in learning to use these words. Don’t limit the AAC learner to only core words. If we exclude words that are of great interest or highly motivating, we take the fun out of communication. Don’t get stuck with just the root word. Instead, use various forms of the word (e.g., go, goes, going; big,... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: core vocabulary
March 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
March 9, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Maggie Judson and Jeanna Antrim are back with another guest post in the series, TELL ME About It. These two AAC SLPs work in the Assistive Technology Department for the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative (BASSC) in southern Illinois. In today’s post, they cover ways to promote AAC use while focusing on the book ‘No, David!’ In this series, they discuss how they support preschool teachers who are implementing the TELL ME program with their young students. Maggie and Jeanna are both AT/AAC facilitators who provide evaluations, direct therapy, and consultations, and train school teams on AAC implementation. Enjoy their prAACtical suggestions and don’t miss their Lesson Plan, video demonstrations, and other resources at the end of the post. TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘No, David!’ TELL ME About Reading: The seventh book in the TELL ME program (Teaching Early Language and Literacy through Multimodal Expression) is “No,... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: TELL ME
March 8, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you may have missed in your busy week. Monday – PrAACtical Resources: Analyzing Language with the Quick AAC Developmental Profile Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Safeguards for AAC Users Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC Research ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have a little more time, stick around to browse some of these past posts. PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: In My Pot of Gold “Can I Ask You a Question?” Language Experience Surveys Language Experience Surveys: 8 Fun Ideas Strengthening the Communication Environment Barriers to Access for AAC Learners Living an Accessible Life
Filed under: Featured Posts
March 5, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
It’s Throwback Thursday and today we’ve reached into the archives to revisit past posts on research in the field of AAC. Enjoy! PrAACtical Research with Kathy Howery Profiles of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities AAC Intervention for Children with ASD Aided Language Input for People with Developmental Disabilities Meta-synthesis of AAC Team Members’ Voices Effects of Parent Instruction on SGD Use Recasts in AAC Mediated Interaction Research Support for Aided Language Input AAC & Challenging Behavior Research Tuesday: Photos Versus PCS – Babies Weigh In Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities Comparing Picture Exchange and SGDs Research Reviews Supporting the Use of AAC Supporting Children with Severe and Profound Multiple Disabilities Sensory Intervention for Individuals with ASD: What Does the Research Say?
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: research
March 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
March 2, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Are you interested in being more systematic in looking at the language that AAC users produce? Today, we feature a user-friendly resource to help you get started. The Quick AAC Developmental Profile (the QUAD Profile), developed by veteran AAC SLP Russell Cross over a decade ago, is a set of four checklists that help us look at various aspects of language. Vocabulary Checklist (Q-Voc) Morphology Checklist (Q-Morph) Sentence Types Checklist (Q-Syn) Language Functions Checklist (Q-Funct) These checklists make it easy to track different aspects of language and flag those areas that need additional assessment. The QUAD has had a longstanding presence in our AAC toolkit and the clinicians to whom we’ve recommended it value the checklists for their simplicity and ease of use. You can view the QUAD tool and download a copy here. Many thanks to Russell Cross (co-founder of The Speech Dudes) for creating and sharing this helpful... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: language sample analysis
March 1, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you may have missed in your busy week. Monday – PrAACtically March: More AAC Resources for a Year of Core Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Communication-The Sky’s the Limit! Thursday – PrAACtical Resources: Tar Heel Shared Reader :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have the time, here are a few more posts to check out. PrAACtical Teaching in the ASD Classroom: Predictable Chart Writing with Core Vocabulary PrAACtical Resources: AAC Assessment Modules A Tool for Identifying Features for AT Selection Supporting People with Significant Communication Challenges in Medical Encounters AAC Apps and Devices: Thoughts on Conducting AAC Trials
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking