June 29, 2012
by Robin Parker -
We have ‘grown up’ with many of our students and their families. We have learned from the students themselves, their parents, siblings, teachers, and their other SLP’s, OT’s, & ABA therapists. So when we recently met with a terrific mom and contemporary ABA therapist, we needed to speak about apps for adolescents (goals and activities had been discussed previously). The student communicates and organizes herself through natural speech, the Dynavox Maestro, apps on the iTouch, & apps on the iPad. The student is now 16 and she cooks amazing food, hikes through the mountains of Switzerland, takes inventory for her school, types shopping lists, puts together scrapbooks, and does a lot more really cool things. Here is the list of apps we recommended to support her favorite leisure & literacy activities, and quest to be more & more independent. We only stopped giving more apps when ALL of us were... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: adolescents, Apps, ASD, developmental disabilities, leisure activities, special needs
June 27, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
In honor of Helen Keller, June 27, 1880-June 1, 1968 – “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but no vision.” – Image
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
June 27, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
We can’t seem to stop talking about the power of aided language input. It’s one of those strategies that make our sessions more effective and make our clinicians more comfortable with the learner’s AAC system. And when other team members see us using it, they can’t help but pick up on the importance of aided modeling for people who are still learning to use their communication boards, books, SGDs, and mobile devices. – Modeling, AAC Style (clinical rationale, research supports) AACtual Progress: Learning to use Aided Language Input (lessons learned) Strategy of the Month: Aided Language Input (screencast overview) Using the Device/App: Getting the Team on Board (implementation) Teachers in AACtion: Aided Language Input (video) Why We Love Aided Language Input (clinical rationale) Curated Resources for Aided Language Input (miscellaneous info, videos) Video of the Week: Aided Language Input Demo (video) 5 Tools to Make Aided Language Input Easier –
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: aided language input, intervention
June 26, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
SLPs love to talk, of course, but sometimes that works against us. Over-prompting. Jumping in to repeat the last question. Re-phrasing the previous comment. Nature abhors a vacuum and sometimes we just can’t stop ourselves. What makes us fun at parties, though, can make it difficult for our AAC friends to become active, assertive communicators. Too much verbiage on our part can really slow down the journey toward communicative independence. We know better. We really do. But sometimes we need a little help to remind ourselves. And, so, a few reminders to us all… 1. Make the expectations clear using visual supports and aided language input. 2. Create a motivating context in which the learner needs to communicate in order to get his/her own agenda met. 3. Pause. Look expectantly at the communicator. Pause some more. Look even more expectant. 4. Keep pausing. Use a gesture for emphasis (e.g., cup... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: intervention
June 25, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
We’re in the first month of hurricane season and preparedness is very much on our minds. With that in mind, we thought it was a good idea to share a link to this important resource. The Royal Berkshire NHS Trust funded the development of this Communication Passport which is disseminated via the Widgit Symbol website. – This Communication Passport is designed to give important information about a person who uses AAC to healthcare professionals and first responders in case of accident or emergency. It uses a stoplight metaphor to guide the partner through important information, such as emergency contacts, health conditions, medications, how the person takes their medication, how to communicate with the person, and more. – Even those who are always accompanied by a familiar adult, such as a child, could benefit from this tool. In an emergency situation, there is often confusion and having all the key information... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Emergency, Medical, resources
June 24, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
In today’s post, we’re taking a big detour. For the next few weeks, some of our Sunday posts will deviate a bit from the world of AAC, AT, and disability and plunge into the world of the graduate student SLP. Every job has ‘other duties as assigned’ and part of mine involves helping our graduate students get ready for the SLP PRAXIS exam. At our university, we’ve had a structured review class offered online for almost 10 years and I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with that during its evolution. I frequently get requests from students at other universities to take the class, which we can’t accommodate, and it finally (!) occurred to me to write a blog post with some tips and suggestions. The result is this 3-part series. So…Let’s get this party started! –– Before You Start to Study – 1. Learn about the SLP PRAXIS exam... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: PRAXIS, SLP graduate students
June 23, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Yes, a picture’s worth a thousand words. But which pictures are the ‘right’ pictures for your client’s AAC system? There is a lots to be said on the subject of symbol selection but in this post we focus on exploring the options. This set of slides by Sally Millar and CALL Scotland is a concise chart with a great many symbol types. – The chart is packed with useful information, including examples, distinguishing features, intended use, associated software, comments and contact information. We love the section on picture symbols specifically for adults with symbols for self-advocacy and independent living. – Happy exploring!
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: resources, symbol
June 22, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
If you’ve been following our blog, you know that we consider aided language input to be a pivotal skill for any SLP working with a client who uses AAC. You can read more about aided language input on our earlier posts, but the shorthand version is this… – People learning AAC need to see/hear competent models of their AAC system frequently. As a clinician, you have to ‘speak AAC’ by using their communication tools or a reasonable facsimile. – The more WE use the communication boards, books, SGDs, and apps, the more the learner will, too. Sometimes, your finger is all you need. But what if you have a poster-sized wall mounted AAC display that you are using to ‘talk’? What if the AAC learner needs some help to notice what you are doing? Here are some tools that can help. – 1. Maglite or Laser Pointer (used with safe... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: aided language input
June 20, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
While I am not one of those folks who has a phone glued to her ear, I sure wouldn’t want to live without the ability to make a phone call. Here are some sites with information of interest to people with AAC needs. 1. Photo Phone Dialing: While many high tech SGDs can do phone dialing, sometimes the best solution is the simplest one. For some people, using a phone that has prestored numbers stored under photo buttons, provides just enough support to make the call. Once the call is placed, however, out comes the SGD so the conversation can proceed. – 2. Phone Skills: We’re not born knowing how to use the phone and some of our AAC friends have needed direct instruction and lots of practice phone skills. Making visual supports, like this one from SET BC, can help. Another neat tool is the Tele-Trainer, which is a... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: implementation ideas, phone, resources, visual supports
June 19, 2012
by Robin Parker -
“Making mistakes simply means you are learning faster”. ~Weston H. Agor I made a mistake about the dates of Fire Prevention Week. I was positive that I saw that Fire Prevention Week was 6/17- 6/23 2012. But I was wrong… again. I can not find where I got these dates and now I see ALL the Fire Prevention weeks are in October. Fire Prevention Week 2012 is October 7th -15th. Sometimes though in making mistakes you learn (A Lot) and this is what happened to me (and then I shared with Carole). In researching fire prevention and fire safety, we learned that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has incredible safety information for EVERYONE. In looking around the NFPA’s website, we saw the dedication in protecting ALL children and adults from the many dangers of fire. The Safety Signals Project is another great fire prevention resource funded by... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Fire Prevention Week, Fire Safety, Social Story