March 21, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
In her role as the team’s SLP, Christy frequently collaborates with classroom teachers to identify areas of language development where students learning AAC need specific goals and instruction. Goals for her students address a range of areas. Given frequent aided language input, Evan will use 2-symbol sentences to make relevant comments at least twice per activity. When presented with preferred and non-preferred options, Sasha will independently request desired activities/objects with 70% accuracy. In the context of peer interactions, Tegan will ask a ‘What’ question in 3 out of 5 opportunities. Given gestural cues, Matthew will converse on a partner-selected topic for at least 4 conversational turns. With visual supports, Gabby will use subject + verb sentences to describe pictures, materials or events in 4 out of 6 trials. To help the students acquire these skills, Christy carefully plans the instructional sequence and selects contexts appropriate for the intervention targets. She... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: data dollection, generalization, language intervention
March 19, 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
March 18, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Many of us work with learners who have significant visual difficulties along with another disability such as hearing loss, autism, or intellectual disabilities. Today, we look at the Communication Resources from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired which is geared to helping teachers, therapists, and parents get familiar with some basic communication principles and instructional strategies. It includes sections on topics such as interaction/bonding, building security, play, calendars, and a video series by Sara Kitchener. Enjoy!
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: deafblind, multiple disabilities, vision impairment
March 17, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
It’s been a fun week of AAC. Here’s what we’ve been up to. Monday – 3 Ways to Use Visual Schedules for Language Building Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Parent-Implemented AAC Intervention for Young Children Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC & the IEP ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Stick around for a bit more if you can. Here are some posts that may be of interest. Let’s Go Outside! 5 PrAACtical Ideas At the Very Beginning: Working with Pre-Intentional Communicators Sometimes I Feel Sunny AAC Access for Individuals with Significant Motor Limitations Through Partner Assisted Scanning Supporting AAC Learners in Emergent Writing: 5 Helpful Resources
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: beginning communicator, IEP, visual schedules, writing
March 14, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Today we are looking back through the archives and revisiting posts on the topic of IEPs and how to best incorporate AAC and AT. Hope you find them helpful. 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: IEP, school
March 12, 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
March 11, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Visual schedules are powerful tools for supporting comprehension, reducing anxiety, and helping learners with AAC needs become more independent. They can also be used to build receptive and expressive language. To do that, though, the use of daily or mini/task schedules has to be part of an interactive experience, not an independent activity. If you’re willing to use schedules for language building, here are some ideas to consider incorporating. Sentence Building: This is an easy one. If you are working with an AAC learner who communicates primarily with one word/symbol at a time, slow down and take time to model short sentences every time you check the schedule together by adding a verb (e.g., GO to LifeSkills; EAT lunch, PUT AWAY your backpack). Once you’ve established that routine, you can pause to elicit those same sorts of sentences from the AAC learner. Verb Tense: As you use the schedule... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: language therapy, visual schedules
March 10, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends! Here are some posts you may have missed in your busy week. Monday – PrAACtical Resources: AAC for Caregivers Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Planning Your AAC Assessment Thursday – Crowdsourcing AAC “Better” Practices: The AAC Agreements ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Want to do some more AAC exploration? Here are a few suggestions. Observational Assessment of Beginning Communicators Helping Beginning Communicators Expand Their Sentence Length Breaking Through with Emerging Intentional and Beginning Communicators of All Ages Core Words, Direct Vocabulary Instruction, & The Beginning Communicator A PrAACtical Literacy Activity for Beginning Communicators
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: beginning communicators, caregivers
March 7, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
What would happen if a group of dedicated AAC stakeholders could come together around the idea of improving AAC services? Today’s guest authors, Chris Bugaj, Chris CichoskiKelly, and Shaun Pearson set out to explore issues around AAC practices and are inviting us all to join in the conversation. Let’s see where this takes us! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Genesis of the AAC Agreements In 2016, Chris CichoskiKelly went to the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference with a question: what are the best practices for AAC implementation? He saw a lot of great talks on AAC but found little in the way of common ground or agreement amongst them. One of those sessions was co-presented by Chris Bugaj. After the session, the two Chris’s got to talking about the differences. An idea emerged. Given all the difference, what would be the similarities? If all those invested in AAC got together in one... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC Agreements, ATIA
March 4, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for a way to help caregivers understand some of the basic ways to support AAC? Take a look at the AAC for Caregivers Manual produced by the Specialised Assistive Technology Centre (ATC) SPD in Singapore. It includes some of the key concepts in using these AAC and related topics: Following the child’s lead Keeping the AAC nearby Teaching core vocabulary Aided language input Use of pause time Prompt hierarchies Routines and schedules Customizing an AAC system Enjoy!
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC Resources, caregiver, Singapore