September 5, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Unemployment and underemployment are chronic problems faced by people who use AAC. As we celebrate Labor Day, we’re thinking of those of you who are working to help people who use AAC find, get, and keep jobs that they enjoy. If you are advocating for people with AAC needs in the realm of employment, this video by SLP Megan Case may help the agencies and job coaches you’re connecting with to better understand the role of speech-generating devices and other AAC. Direct link to video – https://ohioemploymentfirst.org/view.php?nav_id=123 You can check out other employment-related resources in this past post.
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
September 4, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Take a look at some of the posts from this week. Monday – September Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Introduction to the Communication Matrix Resources Thursday – Sensory Stories: 5 Resources to Explore Saturday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have time for a bit more browsing, here are some posts you can explore. AAC Printables The Crust of AAC Every Second Counts Goodbye, Summer! A Clinician Prepares for a New School Year 3 Ways to Use AAC Goals to Strengthen Implementation
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
September 1, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Sensory stories, sometimes called multisensory stories, are short narratives that add sensory components to the story reading experience. After each sentence or two, there is an accompanying sensory experience – something to do, touch, smell, hold, or listen to – that relates to that part of the story. There are bespoke sensory stories, but also many that are summarized versions of popular books and movies. The props, movement, and singing/sound-making combine to make this an engaging way to promote active engagement in story reading. Sensory stories are fairly easy to develop and can be used in many ways. If you are new to sensory stories, this brief video provides some helpful information and a quick demonstration. Direct link to video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esqxROLqv-g&ab_channel=KidsIncludedTogether The engaging nature and opportunity for multimodal interaction make sensory stories an appealing activity for AAC learners. Here are some sensory story resources to explore. Inclusive Teach Sensory Stories... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
August 29, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
In 2013, when schools and other clinical programs were expanding their emphasis on teaching core vocabulary words, Robin Parker and I developed a set of resources for families and professionals that included symbol cards, sample sentences to model, activity suggestions, and more. All of these were 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). Over the years, the resources were expanded and grew to include a wonderful series of calendars with daily activity suggestions developed by AAC SLP and co-founder of Talking AAC, Rachael Langley. There were many other contributors over the years who added to these efforts. In 2020, a new series was launched, School Year of Core Vocabulary Words, authored by guest contributors Michaela Sullivan, Alisa... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
August 28, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you might like. Monday – Back to School with AAC: Materials for the Start of the Academic Year Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC for ALL for Dual Language Learners Thursday – Back to School with AAC: Encouraging & Supporting AAC Users with Lauren Enders :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have time for a bit more browsing, here are some posts you can explore. AAC Printables The Crust of AAC Every Second Counts Goodbye, Summer! A Clinician Prepares for a New School Year 3 Ways to Use AAC Goals to Strengthen Implementation How I Do It-Strengthening our Remote AAC Sessions
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
August 25, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for ways to help others know how to support people who use AAC? This image from our dear friend Lauren Enders Gonzales can be printed and displayed as a poster, given as a handout, or texted as an image. They are available in Spanish and English. Thank you, Lauren, for sharing this so generously! You can download this in English as an image (JPG) or PDF file. The Spanish language versions are also available in image/JPG and document/PDF formats. Many thanks to Claudia Marimón for the translation assistance!
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
August 24, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Preparing the next generation of special educators and SLPs to support students who use AAC is critically important. In today’s featured video, we learn about a project at San Francisco State University designed to help pre-professionals develop their knowledge and skills in assessing and teaching students with AAC needs who have a home language other than English. Join us in learning about this exciting work from the directors of this project, Dr. Gloria Soto and Dr. Nancy Robinson, and John Kim, the project evaluator. Enjoy! Direct link to video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4q_bxP7yeA&ab_channel=IDEAsThatWorkResources –
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
August 18, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Advocacy and AAC go hand-in-hand. In today’s edition of Throwback Thursday, we’re revisiting some past posts and videos on advocacy, self-advocacy, and support for people with AAC needs. Self-Advocacy & AAC: 5 Skills to Consider Targeting Growing AAC Professionals: Resources for Self-Advocacy, Reducing Abandonment, Medical Encounters, & More Celebrating Independence Day with a Touch of AAC 5 Ways to Support Self-Advocacy in AAC Learners AACtual Advocacy 5 Kinds of Pre-stored Messages That Put the AAC Learner in Control AAC in Secondary School: Centering AAC Users in the IEP Process
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
August 11, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, we’re heading back to school. Check out these posts if you need a little extra inspiration for an AAC-friendly experience. Roadmap to a Communication Positive School Video of the Week: Back to School AAC Tips Heading Back to School with AAC: Tips & Tools Back to School with AAC Progress Monitoring for Secondary School Students AAC Goes to High School: Community-based Instruction PrAACtical Resources: AAC for School Staff
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
August 8, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Most employees have job descriptions that offer clarity about what is expected of them and what they are supposed to achieve. Countless professionals work in fields where a Scope of Practice helps them know what they should and shouldn’t be aiming for. Many students have syllabi and rubrics that show them what they’ll need to do for a particular course or assignment. When people, organizations, and systems point us in the right direction, it’s easier for us to meet expectations and achieve goals. This holds true for individuals with AAC needs as well, but professionals often have so many competing priorities that we don’t always make a plan for how to do it. And when we do, we don’t always have the time and bandwidth to fully implement it. Today, we continue the Overlooked AAC series with a look at things that professionals often miss in supporting AAC users when... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking