The Baby, The Bathwater, and Core Vocabulary

July 20, 2015 by - 17 Comments

The Baby, The Bathwater, and Core Vocabulary

When we first started writing to advocate for core vocabulary, it was as a counterpoint to the noun-heavy, activity-specific AAC supports that were widely used among beginning communicators. Many times, those communication aids were great for getting communication started with our beginning communicators, but limited their ability for generative language development. Adding core vocabulary provided a lot of linguistic power, and for many learners, that’s a great thing. These days, most clinicians serving people with AAC needs are well aware of the need to populate their AAC systems with a sizable array of high-frequency core words. SLPs have, by and large, gotten the message that core vocabulary plays an important role for AAC learners. In some cases, though, the pendulum has swung a bit too far. An AAC a system built exclusively of single words with only core vocabulary is not likely to meet the needs of most AAC learners.... [Read More...]

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AAC Posts From PrAACtical Week # 29: July 2015

July 19, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts From PrAACtical Week # 29: July 2015

It’s been a fine week for AAC! Monday – Beyond the Core: A Guide to Teaching New Words for Students Who Use AAC Tuesday – PrAACtical Resources: Activities and Materials to Download or Explore Wednesday – Video of the Week: Narrative Skills in Students with ASD Thursday – Remembering Robin: AAC and Autism Spectrum Disorders Hope you had some AAC fun, too!  

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AAC and Autism Spectrum Disorders

July 16, 2015 by - 4 Comments

AAC and Autism Spectrum Disorders

In Robin’s honor, we revisit some of her most popular posts. Please share them with people who might find them helpful. Beyond Requesting: Let’s Chat with Peers Begin AAC Now: 10 Things to Do AAC Must-Have’s for the Classroom and Therapy Room The First 12: Getting Started with Core Words Literacy For Everyone with Adapted Books Beyond Requesting: Using Scripts to Teach Conversation AAC Goals That Matter Creating Communication Boards: There are Lot of Apps for That! Join Together: Core and Fringe Vocabulary 30 Ways to Celebrate Autism Awareness Month

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PrAACtical Resources: Activities and Materials to Download or Explore

July 14, 2015 by - 1 Comment

PrAACtical Resources: Activities and Materials to Download or Explore

The great thing about getting stuck at an airport these days is that almost all of them have free internet connections. Some people surf the web for celebrity news, fashion tips, or recipes. AAC people, on the other hand, never miss an opportunity to search out interesting tools and resources. Here are a few from my latest airport adventure. Communication Games and Activities from AAC Scotland: Lots of fun and prAACtical ideas, like the Roving Reporter activity. Graphic Organizers  with Teaching Notes: Graphic organizers are some of my favorite tools, but it takes time to convert the paper-based ones to interactive PDFs that our AAC learners can use. When I found this site from Holt McDougal (part of Houghton Mifflin), I squealed with joy. It’s a real time-saver! Story Visualizer: This website from the Education Team at Lego is a great way to motivate kids to communicate and build narratives.... [Read More...]

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Beyond The Core: Guide to Teaching New Words for Students Who Use AAC

July 13, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

Beyond The Core: Guide to Teaching New Words for Students Who Use AAC

Teaching AAC learners to expand their vocabularies beyond a basic set of core words is an important goal to target in language development, and a topic that we’ve written a lot about in this space. For the student to be successful, SLPs need to think of vocabulary instruction as an ongoing process that has a clear 3-part structure.       Introduction: Word is used in context, defined, and produced by the learner. Students assess their own knowledge of the word.       Explicit Instruction: Activities are created to help the student really understand what the word means and how to use it. Students begin using it throughout the session.       Continued Practice: We continue to use these words and help the student use the target words in the session. Engaging activities, often with technology, are used to help our learners deepen their understanding of the word. This will be accomplished over multiple sessions. In this... [Read More...]

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5 Ways to Use Judgment Tasks in AAC Therapy

July 9, 2015 by - 2 Comments

5 Ways to Use Judgment Tasks in AAC Therapy

Judgment tasks refer to situations in which we present some examples and have the learner pass judgment on them. They can be examples of words used correctly/incorrectly, word endings used properly/improperly, or responses that fit well/poorly with a situation. We can set them up so that the learner weighs in with a binary judgment (e.g. thumbs up/down), gives them points (e.g., 2 points=perfect, 1=good, 0=wrong), a letter grade (e.g., A+ to F), or rates on a scale (e.g.,Excellent Okay Terrible). There are several reasons why I love judgment tasks. It can be a fun, low-stress way to increase their awareness of specific linguistic concepts. Think of it as giving them receptive exposure to the concept. In these tasks, we’re highlighting the concept but not expecting them to produce it. They put the learner in a position of power. Our prAACtical friends often don’t get enough experiences with that role, so... [Read More...]

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