January 1, 2014
by Robin Parker -
We are delighted to have the opportunity to ring in the New Year with a giveaway for an AAC app that’s gotten a lot of buzz lately. Aacorn is a comprehensive AAC app that brings a new twist to the AAC app options. aacorn- is a comprehensive AAC app designed to provide free flowing natural-sounding speech to children with who have limited or no ability to communicate verbally. AACORN learns to PREDICT what a child wants to say based on previously used utterances. Aacorn introduces the concept of a ‘word tree’. Words present themselves automatically, via a series of branching pathways. Aacorn is very intuitive for the general user. It is designed especially for children and the iPad You can choose between boy and girl US, UK, and Australian voices, speaking many hundreds of very expressive words that can be used to form an infinite number of sentences. Or you can use the built-in recording studio to record new voices.... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC app, aacorn, Giveaway
December 31, 2013
by Robin Parker -
It is just about 2014. Hard to believe another year is finished and we are moving on once again. Our wishes for 2014 are for ALL Learners to have access to: Aided Language Input Communication Displays that meet their needs Role Models Presumed Competence Core Word Instruction Fringe Word Instruction Friends Many Meaningful Language Experiences Frequent Communication Opportunities Fun Learning Our Wishes for ALL SLP’s and Educators to have access to: An Exciting and Stimulating Personal Learning Network (PLN) Appropriate Goals and Strategies Meaningful Language Experiences Role Models Laminator and Laminator Materials Literacy Materials Core Word Highlighter Tools, Page Fluffers & Spacers, Apps for Learning Language An AAC Philosophy Fun Teaching
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: new year
December 30, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
This month, we’ve been talking about ways to support beginning communicators, particularly those at the pre-intentional stage. In this brief post, we share a resource that you can use for graphing data. You can download the packet here or go to the e-Toolbox and look in the Downloads area. Direct Link to File – https://praacticalaac.org/?wpfb_dl=95
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: assessment, beginning communicator, download, preintentional communication
December 27, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
It’s been a wonderfully prAACtical year. Here’s a look back at our top 10 most popular posts. Anyone see any patterns? 🙂 How I Do It: Writing IEP Goals for Students Who Use AAC by Lauren Enders Teaching Core Vocabulary 5 Great Resources for Pre-Made Communication Boards Core Samples A Year Of Core Vocabulary Words AAC ‘Must Haves’ the the Classroom and Therapy Room Pivotal Skills for AAC Intervention: Aided Language Input How I Do It: AAC in the IEP by Lauren Enders Getting Started with Core Vocabulary More on Teaching Core Vocabulary
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: aided language input, communication boards, core vocabulary, IEP, Lauren Enders
December 26, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
We’re so thrilled to have Shareka Bentham back as an AACtual Therapist, this time talking about her journey into high tech AAC. You can see other posts from Shareka here. One of our colleagues completed the AAC evaluation on a client of Shareka’s. While preparations for that evaluation were underway, we were fortunate enough to learn of an AAC device that was no longer needed. The family agreed to donate it to this little fellow, and that seems to have launched a whole chain of prAACtical events. Shareka takes it from here… Sadly, this is not the first step into my career as a rapping superstar, but more a description of my journey from ‘no tech’ to high tech in AAC use. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be showing off my skills on a high tech AAC device, and teaching children, parents, and teachers... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
December 25, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Christmas
December 24, 2013
by Robin Parker -
Use social narratives to explain happy upcoming events, stressful upcoming events, and out of the routine type events. Not only do social narratives help with understanding, but they can also help with ways to talk about activities and events. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to model. It will show that even when there is a lot going on, AAC is still important and a high priority. Give out some AAC related presents to educators, professionals, families, and AAC users. Create the visual supports for holiday songs and poems. Or use a single step or sequential message device to record the songs, so everyone can sing together. You can even program the songs into high tech devices and have quite the good singing voice. Provide frequent communication opportunities for the AAC user to make choices, give opinions, rate activities and events, vent, ask questions, tell, and share information. Make talking photo... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC ideas
December 23, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a laminator with a warranty. On the 2nd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 2 eye gaze systems and a laminator with a warranty. On the 3rd day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 3 custom keyguards, 2 eye gaze systems, and a laminator with a warranty. On the 4th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 4 switch toys, 3 custom keyguards, 2 eye gaze systems, and a laminator with a warranty. On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 5 SGDs, 4 switch toys, 3 custom keyguards, 2 eye gaze systems, and a laminator with a warranty. On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 6 smiling kids, 5 SGDs, 4 switch toys, 3 custom keyguards, 2 eye gaze systems, and a... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas carol
December 20, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Teaching core vocabulary is the best way to pack a lot of power into an AAC system. As some of you know, we post things to the PrAACtical AAC Facebook Page a few times/day. Recently, we shared a link to a core word board from the I Can Newsletter folks that was posted on Boardmaker Achieve. We asked for suggestions for what you could say with those words. Here’s are some great ideas from our prAACtical friends: Come again: Love that this can be used in a literal sense, but also as a snarky comment Get help Go away: Language learning and self-advocacy – this one’s a two-fer! Your bad Stop it. Ready, go! Go get it. I like it. I want all done! I want more You do/did it. You stop it. You want it. What you want? We’ll take any opportunity to model questions and teach how to... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Boardmaker Achieve, communication book, core vocabulary, I Can
December 19, 2013
by Robin Parker -
The Strategy of the Month for December is about Pre-Intentional and Beginning Communication. We knew this topic meant a lot to us because these learners are often overlooked or given up on just when they need help the most. We didn’t realize how important it was to us, until we started ’rounding up’ our past posts and found so many. We are fortunate to have worked with many pre-intentional and beginning communicators because they often teach us the most, and we love learning. Presuming Competence 3 Responses to Programs that Make Kids “Prove Worthiness” Prior to Providing Access to AAC Does AAC Benefit Individuals with Profound & Multiple Disabilities Strategy of the Month Strategy of the Month: Supporting Pre-Intentional Communicators Breaking Through with Pre-Intentional & Beginning Communicators of All Ages Supporting Pre-Intentional Communicators Teaching Basic Requests Making it Work: The PrAACtical Side of Therapy to Teach Requests Literacy Lessons for... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: beginning communiator, beginning communicators