April 2, 2013
by Robin Parker -
Enjoy! Voices of Autism- The SongStream Project explores the role of music in the lives of four young musicians on the autism spectrum. This project contributes to the conversation about autism beyond statistics and into the domain of appreciation and celebration. AAC Image Links (Great for training and education)- Speak for Yourself – Autism & AAC Awareness (bonus- enter to win Speak for Yourself AAC App) AAC Do’s & Dont’s by Lauren Enders AAC It’s Easy as 1,2,3 by Marcia Sterna World Autism Day Free or Discounted Apps- These are worth checking out! Look for more at the Appy Mall.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Apps, Autism World Day
April 1, 2013
by Robin Parker -
There are a lot of celebrations this month. It is officially Autism Awareness Month. A new name for this that has popped up & taken hold is Autism Acceptance Month. Awareness and/or Acceptance seems to mean different things to different people but hopefully the intent is similar. We hope that this month is filled with great ideas to support ALL people with autism and their families. We hope that educators, clinicians, and whole communities are inclusive, that they presume competence, and that they support communication and language using best prAACtice information and research. We do know that there is more to hope for than just this, like better employment outcomes, more appropriate accommodations, and more individualized support but if focus stays on the former, it seems then that the latter would improve. Plus we have more control (if there is such a thing) on facilitating inclusivity, presuming competence, and of course... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: 2013, Autism Acceptance, Autism Awareness, literacy, Poetry
March 29, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
In the past few months, we’ve shared some articles on AAC in general education. We’ve looked at the development of an AAC intervention plan that relates to curriculum standards and using math and science standards as a context for building AAC skills. In this post, I’d like to share my own contribution to that issue of ASHA’s Special Interest Group (SIG) quarterly publication, Perspectives on AAC. Although the final versions are available only to SIG members, clearance has been given to post the original articles. As we all know, AAC skills are best learned when the entire team is headed in the same direction, using robust instructional methods, and communicating well with one another. In this article, I discuss some of the ways that we can clarify the expectations of each team member so that all the bases are covered and our individual efforts complement one another. Thoughts on managing assessment... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: classroom, cocoa, general education, goals, inclusion, observation, team
March 28, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Tanna Neufeld hits another homerun with this post about co-treating children with multiple disabilities. Collaborating with our colleagues is both fun and challenging. Let’s take a look at the prAACtical ways that Tanna and her colleagues support kids with motor and visual impairments who are learning to use AAC. Fridays are my favorite. And not just for the obvious reasons (TGIF), but also because Fridays are one of the most challenging and exciting days of my work week. Every Friday, I am lucky enough to team with my favorite PTs for joint treatment sessions to support several children with multiple motor and communication challenges. Around our center, we lovingly refer to these kids as our “motor kids”. All of these little ones are nonverbal, and all have very complex motor challenges that significantly limit their ability to interact with traditional play and learning environments. Many of these kids also... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: co-treating, cultural diversity, CVI, families, interpreter, low vision, PT, Tanna Neufeld, vision impairment
March 27, 2013
by Robin Parker -
A family, a sibling, and autism. A positive message from a loving family who is doing an amazing job spreading the autism acceptance message. Loved watching this, but we just have 1 question- why no AAC? Seems like there would be so many options. We continue to need to spread the AAC word…
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: autism spectrum disorder
March 26, 2013
by Robin Parker -
We love getting EVERYONE involved in Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month. We like to take a goal focused approach to our autism activities by choosing projects that facilitate autism awareness & acceptance, positive attitudes, and autism & communication learning. We pass out materials, have contests, go to events, do extra talks, and try and engage EVERYONE we know and even some we do not know. We do a lot of shopping (with small amount of money, but we have to EAT and accessorize). Our families, pets, friends, and students all participate. It is a month filled with purposeful fun. Here are some of the things we will be doing. Please share any activities or projects that you know about. Read & share 5 references that support the use of AAC & Autism (evidence based research) Check out the Online Autistic Carnival which is currently accepting submission of various video documentaries (music, art, writing,... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
March 25, 2013
by Robin Parker -
Happy Passover & Easter to those who celebrate! There are some great free visual supports to help ALL children participate in the holiday routines. We are thankful to Gateways Access to Jewish Educationand Positively Autism– Daily Autism Freebie for making these readily available. Whether you use them for your students, clients, family, or guests, we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and everyone is included. Passover The Seder Order, The Ten Plagues, Passover Social Stories, Passover Prayers, Passover Songs, Passover File Folder Activities Easter Going to Church on Easter Travis the Train Goes on an Easter Egg Hunt Decorating Easter Eggs Going on an Easter Egg Hunt Easter Vocabulary Easter Songs (scroll to the bottom of the page for the videos)
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: easter, inclusion, Passover, visual supports
March 22, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: robust teaching, semantics, vocabulary instruction
March 21, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
As much as we love fresh new voices in the AAC community, there is simply nothing like the voice of experience. When a program has had more than 40 years of experience providing AAC services, we listen! Today, we are honored to have Marlene Cummings, an AAC SLP from Michigan, share the collective wisdom of her team. I have found that one of the joys in my professional life is asking hard questions about my present work and then figuring out ways to address those questions. Much of my 30 + years have been spent designing and implementing programs, systems and materials to support young children with complex communication needs in the role of the teacher in these classrooms. I explored ways to design environments and develop curricular frameworks and instructional materials, which would provide students with the instruction and opportunities to become competent communicators, all from the view of... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: classroom, How I Do It, Marlene Cummings, schools, teams
March 20, 2013
by Robin Parker -
Spring break brings a lot of change in routine, unstructured time, & different expectations for most families and clinicians. The changes usually happen even before the break begins because everyone is getting ready (in school, clinics, & at home). When you add daylight savings time, holidays, field trips, travel, family gatherings, and more there is potential for lots of learning of language as well as possible challenges. At this time, it is often helpful to use AAC & visual support strategies for supporting meaningful language experiences and preventing disorganization and meltdowns. We love going through the Watson Institute You-Tube video channel (thank you, thank you , thank you Watson Institute) and looking for demonstrations of visual strategies that are effective for helping learners visually organize and communicate all kinds of information. We use the videos for training and education of clinicians and families. The list of videos is also a... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: videos, Visual Strategies