December 27, 2022
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 course 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: PrAACtical Thinking
December 26, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
As we prepare to say goodbye to December and welcome the New Year, let’s revisit some of the most popular posts of 2022. PrAACtical Goals That Matter How I Do It: Writing IEP Goals for Students Who Use AAC with Lauren Enders AAC Assessment Forms How I Do It: Using PODD books and Aided Language Displays with Young Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder How I Do It: Planning AAC Therapy Activities Across Grade Levels Building Your AAC SLP Toolkit: Obtaining Free Apps for AAC Evaluations The First 12: Getting Started with Core Vocabulary Teaching Core Vocabulary Literacy for Everyone with Adapted Books A Year of Core Vocabulary Words Communication Boards: Colorful Considerations School Year of Core Vocabulary Words: AAC Resources for Month 1 (August) by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, & Beth Lytle Make It Monday: Manual Communication Boards with Core Vocabulary Do you have a favorite that didn’t make the... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
December 25, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Christmas, AAC friends. We hope all who celebrate this holiday have a happy, meaningful day. For those who are looking for some AAC reading, we have some ideas for you. Monday – Resources for an AAC-friendly Hanukkah Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Attribution of Meaning & AAC Thursday – PrAACtically Christmas: AAC-friendly Resources Friday – An AAC Christmas Tale :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Interested in a few more articles to browse? Here’s a selection to choose from. Got Holiday Cards? 5 PrAACtical Suggestions AACtual Therapy with Deanna Wagner: Why Cook When You Can’t Eat? Communication Access Cards Visual Organization, Themes, & Duct Tape Beyond Requesting: Thoughts on Teaching Information Transfer
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
December 23, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the town Not a creature was stirring, they were all safe and sound. The stockings were hung by their chimneys with care, In hopes that AAC Elves would soon visit there. The teachers were nestled all snug in their beds, With visions of lesson plans banished from their heads. The therapists with data sheets and the strategies they love best, Had just settled in for a good winter-break rest. When outside the schoolyard, there arose such a clatter I rushed toward the window to see what was the matter. Stepping on Legos (does that pain ever fade?) I ran to the window and lifted the shade. With her silvery face, the moon shone from the night sky, Illuminating the landscape from her perch way up high. And what to my sleep-deprived eyes should appear But an accessible sleigh, and 8 AT reindeer.... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
December 22, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for some last-minute activities to use in your AAC work? Here are some AAC-friendly materials to explore. Communication Boards for Hanukkah and Christmas for AAC Users by Susan Berkowitz Help Santa by Joyful Occupational Therapy Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas Visual Supplement by Paige Sullivan Christmas Helpers Adapted Book EASY READER (Autism Support) by Alicia Mitchell Santa Emotions Boom Cards™ by Speechie Adventures There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell – Companion AAC Materials by Weave Chat AAC The Ninjabread Man (by C.J. Leigh) – AAC Companion Material by Weave Chat AAC How the Grinch Stole Christmas Adapted Book for Autism / Special Education by Anna Waddell Christmas Visual Grounding Mindfulness Activity by Behavior Belle Christmas Conversation Starters Visuals Task Cards Social Skills by LitRead Christmas Cookie AAC Mat by Sped Ventures Christmas Core Vocabulary Book by B and B SLP No Print Boom... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
December 19, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Yesterday was the start of the 8-day celebration of Hanukkah. In recognition of the holiday, we’re sharing some AAC-friendly resources that might be helpful to those who celebrate or are learning about this festival of lights. This treasure trove of resources from Gateways includes symbols for prayers and songs, social narratives, instructions for lighting the menorah, Hanukkah fire safety, games, and activities. Hanukkah Resources Hanukkah Crafts with Visual Directions by Simply Visual Communication Boards for Hanukkah and Christmas for AAC Users by Susan Berkowitz Hanukkah Short Story Comprehension and Retell with Visuals by MollyB SLP Hanukkah Shared Reading | Project & Trace Chart Worksheet by Cooper’s Crayon Box Digital Token Boards FREEBIE (Hanukkah Edition) – BOOM Cards by Speech Bop Hanukkah/Dreidel Classroom Supports by Miss Laidlaw’s Classroom Free Spanish / English “My Hanukkah” Emergent Reader Mini-book by Miss Shibz Hanukkah recipes and books from PreK Pages Silly Hanukkah Joke Tellers... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
December 15, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Though I’ve participated in several of them, the truth is that I have never been a big fan of formal mentorship programs. Whether arranged by an employer or offered by a professional organization, formal mentorship programs just never seem to live up to their promise. In my experience, informal mentorships that emerge organically are more appealing and effective. In the field of AAC, there are too few mentors, too many people who need mentorship, and too few opportunities for them to connect. But if we think about mentoring more broadly and characterize it as a learning relationship, solutions start to emerge. In the spirit of the holiday season and the feelings of generosity and gratitude that it inspires, we offer a few ideas for how each of us can contribute to the AAC learning and growth of others. Notice the positive. Draw attention to it so that others see those... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
December 12, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
If you’ve been following along in our PrAACtical Questions series, you know that we’ve been contemplating the role that symbols play in AAC decision-making. Previously, we addressed: “How can we make data-based decisions about AAC symbols?” “How important is symbol selection in choosing AAC devices/apps?” and, “What symbols are used in AAC apps & SGDs?” If you’ve followed this series, you know that we’ve advocated an individualized approach to determining which type of symbol to use for AAC. Informal assessment tasks, such as the ones we discussed in a past post, can be helpful in gathering data to use in making this decision. Today, we’re exploring additional factors to consider in symbol selection. When there doesn’t seem to be a clear preference and/or when the performance is similar across symbol types, we turn to some other factors that are worth considering as you make your selection. AAC User Perspective A... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
December 8, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
The Teaching Early Language & Literacy through Multimodal Expression (TELL ME) program that I co-authored with Lori Wise, is a classroom-based approach to supporting core vocabulary learning in preschool students who use AAC. In today’s post, we reach into the archives to revisit past posts on this program. Video Overview: AAC in the Preschool Classroom TELL ME About It Series by Maggie Judson & Jeanna Antrim Creating TELL ME AAC Literacy Kits TELL ME Virtual Classrooms TELL ME Books Max’s Breakfast If You’re Angry and You Know It The Lunch Box Surprise Come Out and Play, Little Mouse No, David Go Away Big Green Monster What Do You Like? Here Are My Hands From Head to Toe I Went Walking Brown Bear, Brown Bear Using the TELL ME Approach with Other Books If You Give a Mouse a Cookie I Like Myself Where’s Spot All Are Welcome! I Know a... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
December 5, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Data isn’t the only thing we use in AAC decision-making, but it’s a good-sized slice of the pie. Those using the feature match approach to AAC device/app selection, a gold standard for several decades, use direct assessment procedures to guide the selection of AAC devices and apps based on the features they contain. The symbol set(s) or systems(s) available in each AAC tool is one of the features that we consider. In this post, we share some of the assessment tasks that can be used to gain insight into how individuals do with different types of AAC symbols. In each one, the task is repeated with a specific type of symbol, so that we can make an apples-to-apples comparison. This part of the assessment is time-consuming and generally done over multiple sessions. These are drawn from the work of the later Dr. David Beukelman, and his co-authors, Dr. Pat Mirenda... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking