August 2, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you may find interesting. Monday – PrAACtically August – AAC Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words: The Learn-at-Home Edition Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Making the Environment Communicatively Accessible Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC, IEPs, & Data Collection :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 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 Visual Supports in AAC Therapy with Older Student and Adults Have a great week, everyone!
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: A Year of Core Vocabulary Words
July 30, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
We’re reaching back into the archives today to spotlight some past posts. If you’re looking to tune up your IEP or data collection processes, these may be of interest. DATA COLLECTION Video: AAC Data Collection by Gail Van Tatenhove Data Collection for the Beginning AAC User: Essential Things to Measure to Expedite Progress 5 Things to Consider About Data Collection & AAC Realizing the Power of Data Logging THE IEP 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: Data & Data Collection/Logging, Education & Schools, IEP/Individualized Education Plans
July 28, 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
July 27, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Well this is certainly shaping up to be a strange summer. Here in Florida, lots of professionals and families are starting to think about heading back to school whether it is virtual learning or going back into the classroom. 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, Set 1 (12 words/month) and Set 2 (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... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: A Year of Core Vocabulary Words
July 26, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that you may have missed in your busy week. Monday – The Role of Meaning Making with Beginning Communicators: Motivating Interactions Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Teaming with Related Services to Support AAC Users Thursday – PrAACtical Research: Improving Accessibility for People with Significant Speech Disabilities :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Have a little more time? You might be interested in these posts from the archives. Back to School with AAC A Collaborative Approach to Implementing Core Vocabulary in a School-based Setting Goodbye, Summer! A Clinician Preps AAC Materials for the New School Year Essential Tricks for Supporting AAC in Schools AAC in the High School Classroom: Where Core Vocabulary Meets Life Skills
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
July 23, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
When clinicians, researchers, and individuals with AAC needs come together to work on a problem, good things can happen. In today’s post, SLP Katie Seaver tells us about her experiences with Project Euphonia. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: My name is Katie Seaver and I have been an SLP for 16 years. For the past 10 year I have been an SLP and AAC Specialist at the Leonard Florence Center in Chelsea MA at their ALS Residence (see ALSRI.org for more information). The center is uniquely built to meet the extensive accessibility obstacles pALS experience. Each room is private with a fully automated environmental control with a program called PEAC. Once a resident has a device that allows them to access WiFi (e.g. an iPhone or even a Tobii Dynavox SGD) then they have access to their environment as well, from heating and TV, to doors and elevators. My passion for AAC has been... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: accessibility, ALS, research
July 21, 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
July 20, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Finding ways to engage AAC learners is important to professionals across disciplines and service delivery settings. In today’s post, we feature guest author Kate McLaughlin, who is an SLP serving individuals with AAC needs in Connecticut. She shares a perspective on building engagement through the perspective of meaning making. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: “Motivating” Emergent Communicators through Shared “Meaning-Making” & Communication Responsibility Are you a speech-language pathologist (SLP), teacher, or parent supporting an emergent AAC learner? Maybe you are just starting AAC with a learner who has a complex profile (for example, significant motor impairments, difficulties with motor planning, and/or sensory processing differences)? Maybe you have a learner who has learned to ask for some favorite things, but is not communicating beyond that? Do you struggle to “motivate” them? You’re not alone. I’ve met many kids who have been described as “not motivated to communicate.” I’ve also met many parents and professionals... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: emerging/beginning communicators, Implementation Ideas & Tips
July 19, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends! Here are some posts that might interest you. Monday – TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘Max’s Breakfast’ Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: “I Have an AAC Device. Now What?” Thursday – AAC Implementation from a ‘Communication World’ Perspective :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: We’ve had AAC and book reading on our minds this week. It seemed like a good time to share some book-related posts from the archives. 5 Ways to Use Books to Build Interaction with AAC Learners Alphabet Books and AAC Implementation Adapting Books with Visual Scenes Make It PrAACtical: Display Stand for Visual Supports or Books Using Adapted Books with AAC Learners: 3 Important Questions to Ask
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: adapted books, implementation ideas, shared reading
July 16, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
AAC SLPs are a creative bunch and would do anything to help teams get on board with appropriate supports and services. In today’s post, we hear from Elena Feder, who introduces us to the ‘Communication World’ approach. Elena is an AAC SLP at the New England Assistive Technology (NEAT) Center in Connecticut and has a lot to share about AAC implementation. Don’t miss the wonderful planning tool that she shares at the end. Before we get to that, though, take a look at the AAC Summer Bash that she runs with her colleague and fellow SLP Sarah Brink. In normal times, this is a face-to-face experience but due to the novel coronavirus, it has migrated to an online event. There are a few other things that you might like to know about the AAC Summer Bash. It’s free! You’re invited! You must register by July 17th. The AAC Summer Bash... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: & Tools, Checklists, forms, Implementation Ideas & Tips