March 24, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
If you like learning from AAC professionals who support individuals with complex communication needs in schools, clinics, online, and elsewhere, read on! We’re reaching back in the archives again on this Throwback Thursday to hear about their experiences, perspectives, suggestions, and materials. You can see the previous post on this topic here. How I Do It Angela Adams Starting AAC with Teens & Young Adults Conversation Practice with Teens and Young Adults Katie Bernadkin Building Friendship Skills with Peer-A-Mids Rebecca Bright Helping Clients Who Use AAC Connect with their Grandchildren Karen Natoci Florka Connecting with Colleagues in a Shared Community of Practice Carole Zangari Preparing AAC Learners for Their First SGD Rachael Langley PODD in the Classroom: Portable, Wearable, & Comfortable PODD in the Classroom – Quick Tips for Teams Georgia Karavias Using an App to Create AAC Materials & Visual Supports Laura Tarver Using PODD books and Aided Language... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 21, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Language experience surveys are versatile tools with considerable applicability to AAC learning. These involve creating an informal survey based on a single question that was selected specifically to support communicative development. They can be used to give AAC learners more opportunities to learn from others in focused and specific ways. They also offer ample opportunities to practice emerging skills and generalize those skills from the therapy space or classroom to real-world contexts. You can learn more about them here. How can we use language experience surveys in our AAC work? Here are a few ideas. Introduce new words or concepts: We often precede direct instruction on a new word or concept with experiences that provide exposure to those. Using a language experience survey can be a powerful way to introduce AAC learners to a new vocabulary word in ways that are engaging, enjoyable, and memorable. Examples: “Can you tell me... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 17, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
In today’s Throwback Thursday, we learn from AAC professionals who’ve shared their experiences, perspectives, suggestions, and materials. We’ve had a lot of these posts over the years, so we’ll do this in two parts, both with lots of great content. Take a look. How I Do It Tabi Jones-Wohleber Classroom CORE Book AAC Inservices The All-in-One-Visual-Support Tool Deanna Wagner Supporting Spanish-speaking AAC Learners Lindsay Oesch Bilingual AAC Assessment Tips Kim Ho Video Read-Alouds with Aided Language Input Krista Hadeed Building & Using Language Kits Jesse Kleinman Functional Ideas for AAC Use at Home Kathrine Dally Pocket Flipbooks for Teens Pocket Flipbooks for Adults & Teens Pocket Flipbooks for Adults & Teens, Part 2 Amanda Samperi Teaching the AAC Helpers Planning AAC Therapy Activities Across Grade Levels Putting the FUN Back in FUNctional Working with Multiple Symbol Sets Tina Moreno Classroom Support for Students with AAC Needs Laura Hayes Using Videos... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 14, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for some stories, activities, and recipes that are AAC-friendly? Here are some resources that might be of interest. Reading It’s St. Patrick’s Day This is St. Patrick’s Day What Do You See St. Patrick’s Day Parade? Clovers for Me and You What People Like About St. Patrick’s Day St Patrick’s Day How to Catch a Leprechaun At the End of the Rainbow Pat the Leprechaun Shamrocks Everywhere! Activities St. Patrick’s Day Treasure Hunt by A Cupcake for the Teacher St. Patrick’s Day ‘Would You Rather?’ Questions by Rachel Lynette Make a Wish Lucky 4-Leaf Clover by Expressive Monkey Limerick Writing by Rockin Resources Write Your Own Limericks by Addie Williams I Have Who Has? St. Patrick’s Day by Kathryn Knight Lucky Scavenger Hunt by Julie Hipple St. Patrick’s Day Sorting Mat by Juanita Pritchard... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 13, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts you might enjoy. Monday – SGDs and AAC Apps: Thinking About the Evidence Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC in Schools Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Becoming an AAC Professional ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In the mood for some more AAC reading? Here are a few suggestions. SGDs for People with ASD “What Should I Program on the SGD?” Feature Match Chart 5 Features to Look for in SGDs and AAC Apps Making a Back-up for High-tech AAC
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
March 10, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
For today’s Throwback Thursday, we’re revisiting some posts featuring faculty members and students who are hoping to become AAC professionals in the not-too-distant future. Many of these posts have AAC resources that will be of interest to clinicians, educators, and families. Take a look. Growing AAC Professionals AAC-friendly Classrooms, AAC for Toddlers, & AAC for Healthcare Providers AACessible Literacy: Emergent Literacy Resources for the AAC SLP Resources for Self-Advocacy, Reducing Abandonment, Medical Encounters, & More ALS Communication and Assistive Technology Learning Lab Introducing Middle School Students to AAC Through Project HOPE Resources for Mythbusters A Virtual AAC Camp When Learning Meets Service AAC-friendly Books Learning about Safeguarding Practices AAC Awareness Month Many thanks to Vicki Haddix, Krista Davis, and others who are continually working to educate future generations of AAC professionals.
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 7, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Professionals who teach people with complex communication needs to express themselves with AAC frequently ask about the evidence base for AAC devices and apps. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has three basic pillars: Clinical expertise, external and internal evidence, and the perspectives of clients and caregivers. We have good evidence for the effectiveness of SGDs and AAC apps as a general category of communication tools, rooted in a strong array of research studies, a great deal of clinical expertise, and extensive experiences of consumers and families. As in many areas of clinical practice, though, more work still needs to be done. It’s not as easy to get this sort of research evidence as it may seem. A medical device like a speaking valve may have an evidence base tied to a specific brand and model of the equipment because there isn’t a great deal of variability in what it is expected to... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 6, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some good posts for you to explore today. Monday –The PrAACtical Power of Co-Construction in AAC Support Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Alternative Access for AT & AAC Thursday – PrAACtical Reading for March: AAC-friendly Book Suggestions Friday – CAA Con Links: Marzo 2022 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have a little more time, stick around to browse some of these past posts. “Can I Ask You a Question?” Language Experience Surveys Language Experience Surveys: 8 Fun Ideas Strengthening the Communication Environment Barriers to Access for AAC Learners Living an Accessible Life
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 3, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for some books to use in your AAC support? In today’s Throwback Thursday, we’re highlighting 8 books that PrAACtical AAC guest authors Karen Natoci, Maggie Judson, and Jeanna Antrim discussed in previous posts. Check out their articles for supportive strategies, extension activities, read-aloud videos, and more. Karen Natoci In My Pot of Gold I Like Myself Yo! Yes? April Fool’s Day Maggie Judson & Jeanna Antrim The Skin You Live In Where’s Spot? Not a Box! I Know a Lot Happy reading!
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
February 28, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Independence is so highly valued in our society that the contributions of interdependence often get overlooked. Today, we’ll dive into an approach to AAC support that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves. Co-construction In a general sense, co-construction is a collaborative process where two or more parties work together to build or create something. When this is applied to teaching and learning, co-constructive approaches feature collaborations, partnerships, coordination, and cooperation. With young children, for example, we co-construct meaning by having sustained interactions in contexts where they feel respected and secure in their sense of agency. We play a supportive role in their play, activities of daily living, and formal learning experiences by… In the world of language, co-construction has a more specific meaning. Linguists use the term to indicate a single syntactic entity developed jointly within a conversation. In discourse, co-construction happens when sentences are built collaboratively by two... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking