October 27, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
It’s prAACtically November and we’re reprising some past posts in two popular series, Year of Core Vocabulary Words and School Year of Core Vocabulary Words. The initial series was based on a small set of core words for each month (see that post here). We followed that with a second set of Year of Core Vocabulary Word resources for a new list of words (click here for that post). Among the many resources are the activity calendars created by AAC SLP and co-founder of Talking AAC, Rachael Langley. There were many other contributors over the years who added to these efforts. The School Year of Core Vocabulary Words, authored by guest contributors Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, and Beth Lytle, was first published in 2020. If you’re following along and utilizing these resources, which were developed by quite a few people in the AAC community, you can access the content for... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
October 24, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
In homes and clinics, at schools and community centers, people are getting ready for the spookiest holiday of the year. In today’s post we’re sharing some resources that you can download for anyone who needs a bit of communication support. Take a look. AAC Trick or Treat Bracelet, Switch and Bucket Labels from The AAC for ALL Trick-or-Treat AAC Bracelet and Visual by The Alternative Way to Pre-K Halloween Bracelet by Brittany Harmon Halloween Social Story by Natalie’s Nook Visual Supports for Trick-or-Treating by Kathy Kathy Babineau Monster Halloween AAC and Token Rewards by Speech Therapy with Lenden-Holt Trick or Treat Social Story & Communication Bracelets by Breezy Special Ed Halloween Social Narrative and Awareness Cards by TLC Talk Shop – Tamatha Cauckwell Boom Cards™ Halloween: Open Ended Language for Speech Therapy by Beautiful Speech Life Halloween-Themed Interactive Song and Circle Time Activities by The Singing SLP
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
October 23, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might like. Monday – AAC at the 2022 ASHA Convention: Presentations to Get Excited About Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: How Do AAC Apps Compare? Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC in the Community ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few more posts to browse? Take a look. PrAACtically Halloween! Considerations for an AAC-Friendly Holiday Halloween Recipes for Cooking AAC Style 5+ Fun AAC Things to Do to Get Ready for Halloween The Communication Book is Ready! Now, What? AACtual Therapy: Teaching the Use of Social Phrases and Comments How I Do It: Functional Ideas for AAC Use at Home
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
October 20, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for ideas on AAC use outside the home and school environments? Today’s edition of Throwback Thursday has some posts that might be helpful. Thumbs Up for AAC Support in The Community AAC-friendly Library Visits: 5 PrAACtical Ideas AAC Goes to High School: Community-based Instruction Community Participation Let’s Go Outside! Five PrAACtical Ideas AAC Goes to the Library AAC in Secondary School: AACcessibility during Community-Based Instruction
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
October 19, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
When considering which AAC apps to trial as part of the feature match process for SGD assessment, it’s helpful to do some side-by-side comparisons. The team at the Simon Technology Center, which is affiliated with the Pacer Center, recorded a webinar on this topic that might be of interest, Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ4u6vKxJN8&ab_channel=SimonPacer —
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
October 17, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, SLPs across the country are gearing up for a meeting of professionals in communication sciences and disorders. It’s especially exciting this year because AAC will have a very strong presence. We’re thrilled that an AAC user, Steven Gleason, will be receiving the 2022 Annie Glenn Award along with his wife, Michel. Additionally, there are at least two sessions featuring AAC users as the primary speakers (India Ochs, Jordyn Zimmerman), which is unusual for this particular conference, which focuses on SLPs and audiologists. If you’re on the fence about attending the 2022 ASHA Convention in New Orleans next month, we hope these presentations will inspire you to book your tickets. Take a look at some of the sessions we’re most excited about. You can click on the title to learn more about these presentations. Bilingualism in AAC: Challenging the Monolingual Mindset (Master Class, MC10 ) presented by... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
October 16, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that may be of interest. Monday – 7 Things That Every AAC Specialist Should Be Doing Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC Intervention for Teens Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Families & AAC ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Is there room for a bit more AAC in your day? If so, take a look at these past posts. Support for Beginning AAC Communicators TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘I Know a Lot!’! Narrative Skills in People with ASD Helping People with AAC Needs Develop Personal Narratives Using Animated Shorts in AAC Language Therapy Building Linguistic Competence in AAC Learner: 3 Areas to Consider Targeting
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
October 13, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Whether by birth or by choice, families play such an important role in our lives. They’re the focus of this edition of Throwback Thursday so if it’s a topic of interest, here are some posts to browse. Videos Growing Up with AAC in the Family From Presence to Contribution – A Family’s Journey Towards an Inclusive Life Family Collaboration by Dr. Barry Prizant Empowered Families in the World of AAC Articles Faces of AAC: Making It Work in A Busy Family PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: The Family Book Emergency Preparedness for the AAC Family AAC Therapy: Putting Parents in Charge
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
October 10, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
While our focus each October is on building awareness of AAC and promoting acceptance of those who use it, the month also gives us an opportunity to look inward. Today, we propose 7 activities that we believe to be the hallmark of those who specialize in AAC. If you consider yourself an AAC expert or someone who specializes in AAC, we invite you to reflect on these ideas. Those who specialize in AAC should belong to and engage with organizations in their state or region whose mission focuses on support for people with complex communication needs. Those who specialize in AAC should belong to and engage with national and/or international groups that elevate the role of AAC in society. Those who specialize in AAC should be active contributors to those organizations, whether it be through their time, expertise, or financial support. Those who specialize in AAC should critically evaluate new... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
October 6, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Telling stories is such an integral part of the human experience. While any symbolic communicator can create or co-create narratives, it’s not something that is taught as often as it should be. If you’re looking to enhance intervention to build narrative skills, these posts may be of interest. Helping People with AAC Needs Develop Personal Narratives Video: Personal Narrative Writing & AAC PrAACtical AAC & Personal Narratives Let Me Tell You Something- Narratives for the Beginning Communicator Narrative Assessment and People who Use AAC Narrative Skills for People With AAC Needs The PrAACtical Power of Co-Construction in AAC Support Video: Narrative Skills in Students with ASD
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking