February 4, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
As expected, the ATIA Conference in Orlando last week had a robust selection of AAC learning opportunities. Here are two of the fun finds we thought you’d like to explore. The AAC Strand Spotlight Session This panel asked four thought leaders in AAC to each identify two intervention challenges and discuss their ideas for addressing them. The speakers were from a variety of practice settings and addressed a range of implementation issues. Christopher Bugaj, AAC and AT Specialist at Loudoun County Public Schools Transitions & Turnovers: Killers of Language Learning Progression Keeping Up With The Training Demand Vicki Clarke, SLP/CEO, Dynamic Therapy Associates, Inc. Addressing Opportunity Barriers to Participation Facilitator Attitude, Knowledge, & Skill Barriers Caroline Musselwhite, Literacy & AAC Specialist Facilitating Generalization Age-Respectful and Engaging Materials/Activities for Adolescents & Teens Gail VanTatenhove, SLP/CEO, AACell, Inc. Providing Person-Specific AAC Design in an App/MAP Happy World The Aging of AAC Users... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC implementation, ATIA 2019, handouts, professional development
February 3, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Hello, AAC friends! We’ve been busy at the ATIA conference, and have enjoyed connecting with several of you. Here are some of the posts from the week that you may have missed. Monday – Beginning Communicators: Learning Through Touch Cues Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Apps and Resources for Core Vocabulary Teaching Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC Instructional Strategies :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Stick around for some more AAC reading if you can. Here are some suggestions with info and resources from conferences in previous years. Enjoy! Resources to Review from the ATIA 2018 Conference Fun Finds at ATIA 5 AAC-related Handouts from ATIA 2015 PrAACtical Resources: Partner Strategies Handout 3 Presentation Handouts on Core Vocabulary Implementation
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ATIA, conferences, summary post
January 31, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Engaging activities and materials are important in AAC instruction, but the real magic happens when we implement appropriate intervention strategies with fidelity and on a consistent basis. For Throwback Thursday, we raided the archives to revisit some previous posts on several key intervention strategies. Aided Language Input: How Much Language Should We Model? Aided Language Input in AACtion “I’m Using Aided Language Input. Now what??” From Referential to Descriptive Teaching with AAC Learners Recasting: A Language Facilitation Strategy F is for Feedback
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC intervention, intervention strategies
January 29, 2019
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 while... [Read More...]
Filed under: AAC Link Up, Featured Posts
Tagged With: AAC Link Up
January 28, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
15-year-old Jodi has cerebral palsy and significant intellectual disability, among other things. In the most recent assessment of her motor, cognitive, communication, and self-help skills, scores ranged from 6-15 months. She spends most of her school day in her wheelchair. Jodi’s teacher affixes interesting toys to the lap tray so that she can explore them, but has become discouraged that Jodi mostly bangs them, puts them in her mouth, or tosses them to the floor. Her team struggles to find ways to teach Jodi to communicate more effectively. 10-year-old Nathaniel’s team notes that he shows little awareness of his classmates or teachers throughout the day, though he will smile and laugh when they take his hands and clap with him. As a younger child, he demonstrated more awareness of his surroundings but after his seizure activity spiked, it became more and more difficult to get him to engage. 6-year-old Jarrod... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: beginning communicator, deafblind, Touch Cues
January 27, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you may have missed in your busy week. Monday – Book Adaptations: Resources and Materials Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Important Considerations in the AAC Selection Process Thursday – PrAACtically February: AAC Resources for a Year of Core Words ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: And while you’re here, check out some of these past posts. 5 Ways to Promote Consistent AAC Use Twin Powers Unite: Teaching AAC and Sight Words Pragmatic Skill Instruction and AAC with Matthew Baud and Dr. Jill Senner Parent Collaboration in AAC Therapies PrAACtical Questions with Vicki Clarke: What’s the Role of Core Vocabulary? Finally, here’s one last chance to weigh in on a prAACtical question. Look for the results to be posted soon. Loading…
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC terminilogy, parent collaboration, pragmatics, summary post
January 24, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
As we prepare to bid January a fond farewell, we’re looking ahead to ways we can highlight more of the core vocabulary words in our clients’ AAC devices and communication aids. One approach to boosting practice opportunities is to select a dozen or so core words to focus on each month. Throughout the month, we can then pay special attention to that small group of words by highlighting them with focused language stimulation, aided language input, and specific activities designed to teach or practice those words. In previous years, we shared lists of some core words to help you do just that and every month we share some ideas for prioritizing a small set of words. You can use these materials to remind yourself which words to highlight this month, with using aided language input and focused language stimulation. What else? Here are some ideas to get you started. Print them... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: A Year of Core Words, Another Year of Core Words
January 22, 2019
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 while... [Read More...]
Filed under: AAC Link Up, Featured Posts
Tagged With: ATIA, preschool, terminology
January 21, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
This is an updated version of a post originally authored by Dr. Robin Parker in 2013. We hope you find something of value in the resources that were shared. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: To integrate reading and writing into communication and language learning we need to have lots of books that are easily accessible. Books should be accessible physically as well as through content and interest. This holds true for ALL learners even those that don’t like books but do like…… wheels. We have made literacy accessible for a young girl who only liked elevators, and a boy who only liked balls, and a young adult who liked Barney books but not much else. It holds true for ALL disabilities and ALL levels of reading and writing. Today, we share resources for making and using adapted books to make literacy more accessible. Check out these awesome resources for making your own adapted books... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: accessible materials, adapted books, robin parker
January 20, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Well, hello, AAC friends! If you’re looking to catch up on some AAC content, you’re in the right place. Here’s what we’ve been up to. Monday – Core Boards in the Classroom: 3 Ways to Individualize to Meet Student Needs Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Language Development Across the School Day Thursday – PrAACtical Resources: Social Stories and Narratives :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, could you do us a favor? We’re trying to get input on AAC terminology from the people who use it most. Click here to complete a quick survey. It’s all multiple choice (checkboxes) and shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. No names or emails are collected. Thank you! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Still have an appetite for some AAC reading? These posts from the archives may be of interest. Reducing Prompt Dependence in AAC Learners: 5 Things to Try When Helping Isn’t Helping: Prompt Awareness... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: prompting, social narratives, summary post