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
August 7, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Monday – Overlooked AAC, Part 3 Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Partner Assisted Scanning + Eye Gaze Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC & Questions Friday – CAA Con Links: Agosto 2022 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few more places to browse? Check out some of these posts on working with teens and young adults. Starting AAC with Teens and Young Adults Conversation Practice with Teens and Young Adults 5 Ways to Use Magazines in AAC Therapy Books for Beginning Readers of Any Age Making the Environment Communicatively Accessible Visual Supports in AAC Therapy with Older Students and Adults Have a great week, everyone!
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
August 4, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Whether we’re asking them or answering them, questions play an important role in casual conversation, academic discussions, and formal exchanges. In today’s installment of Throwback Thursday, we’re sharing some past posts on interrogative language and AAC. Hope you find something useful. Asking Good Questions During Interactive Book Reading with AAC Learners Holiday Talk: AAC Conversations Using Partner-focused Questions On Full Sentences and Questions in AAC Systems “Can I ask you a question?” Using Language Experience Surveys PrAACtical Suggestions: 5 Ways to Elicit Language Without Asking a Direct Question Don’t Ask: 5 Reasons to De-Emphasize Questions in Your AAC Therapy Beyond Requesting: Thoughts on Teaching Interrogatives
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
August 1, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
There are a lot of aspects of AAC service provision, and usually not enough time to address all the things that need to be done. In today’s post, we continue the conversation of things that often take a back seat in AAC services, hoping that it inspires a few of you to action. This time our focus is transitions. Going to nursery or preschool for the first time. Moving from one teacher or therapist to another. Exiting the school system. Transitions always seem to bring a little extra anxiety and a few additional bumps in the road. Here are some things that make some of those changes go a little more smoothly. Entering a New Environment Prepare the individual: Explain what will be happening. Use visual supports, like a picture schedule or calendar, to show when the transition will occur. Keep it in a visible spot and review it periodically... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
July 31, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts from our prAACtical week. Monday – Overlooked AAC, Part 2 Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Making Connections Between Language, Literacy, & AAC Thursday – August Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few more places to browse? Check out some of these posts on working with teens and young adults. Starting AAC with Teens and Young Adults Conversation Practice with Teens and Young Adults 5 Ways to Use Magazines in AAC Therapy Making the Environment Communicatively Accessible Books for Beginning Readers of Any Age Visual Supports in AAC Therapy with Older Student and Adults Have a great week, everyone!
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking