April 4, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
What began in 1970 as a day to raise public awareness of autism has evolved to focus on building acceptance and support of autistic people. Support comes in many ways, of course. Teachers, therapists, and parents, can and do support autistic children and adults in a multitude of ways based on their individual priorities, strengths, and needs. But that’s not all we can do. Among other things, professionals can support autistic individuals by: Learning from them through watching their videos and attending their presentations, as well as by reading their books, articles, and posts; Purchasing things they create; Bringing attention to their work on social media; Contributing to their crowd-sourced efforts (e.g., Patreon, GoFundMe), and Hiring them to speak, consult, write, etc. Today, we open our pages to all of you in an effort to raise awareness of autistic individuals who are creators, presenters, authors, mentors, and consultants. Share what... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
April 3, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that may be of interest. Monday – April Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Addressing Barriers to AAC Learning Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC Considerations When Dealing with Illness or Injury Friday – CAA Con Links: Abril 2022 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Still have time for a little more reading? Here are some additional posts for you to explore. Beyond Requesting: Thoughts on Teaching Information Transfer How I Do It: Encouraging AAC Implementation (Lauren Enders) PrAACtical Ways to Make Decisions About Thematic Therapy Materials In the Treasure Bag: Using Sharing Time to Focus on Vocabulary AAC in Motion: Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk with Tanna Neufeld
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 31, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
The world seems a little heavier these days, and that serves as a good reminder that many of our clients who use AAC need a bit of extra support. In this edition of Throwback Thursday, we’re reprising a handful of the previous posts that deal with supporting AAC users when they are ill or in distress. 5+ Things to Do to Help AAC Learners Communicate About Illness or Injury Supporting Children in the Pediatric ICU 5 PrAACtical Resources For Better Communication Experiences with Healthcare Providers Free Communication Tools for Patients with COVID-19 “What’s Wrong?” AAC Messages for Negative Emotions and Feelings
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 28, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Core vocabulary resources are the focus of today’s post. In 2013, when schools and other clinical programs were expanding their emphasis on teaching core vocabulary words, PrAACtical AAC published a set of resources for families and professionals that included symbol cards, sample sentences to model, activity suggestions, and more. All of these were based on a small set of core words for each month (see that post here). We followed that with a second set of Year of Core Vocabulary Word resources for a new list of words (click here for that post). Over the years, the resources were expanded and grew to include a wonderful series of calendars with daily activity suggestions developed by AAC SLP and co-founder of Talking AAC, Rachael Langley. There were many other contributors over the years who added to these efforts. In 2020, a new series was launched, School Year of Core Vocabulary Words, authored... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
March 27, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that you may have missed in your busy week. Monday – Language Experience Surveys: 3 Ideas for AAC Implementation Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: SMoRRE Partner Training Supports Thursday – How I Do It: AAC Practitioners, Part 2 Friday – Autism Acceptance Month 2022: AAC App Discounts ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have the time, check out these posts from the archives. Faces of AAC: Making It Work in a Busy Family PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: The Family Book Family Collaboration by Dr. Barry Prizant How I Do It: Digital Connections With Families to Support AAC Users Using Visual Sidekicks to Support Language Intervention From Presence to Contribution: A Family’s Journey Toward and Inclusive Life
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
March 25, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Looking to purchase some AAC and related apps? Longtime PrAACtical AAC friend Lauren Enders is continuing her tradition of compiling information from AAC app developers and others who offer deep discounts for Autism Acceptance Month. With April just around the corner, you might want to mark your calendars with dates for any planned purchases. Those of you who run large AAC or AT programs, take note of the discounts for Apple’s Volume Purchase Program. You can click on the image below (or here) to access an interactive version of this graphic. That version has clickable hotspots to allow for easier navigation to each company’s website for those who want more information or to purchase the product. Thank you, Lauren, for this wonderful act of service to the AAC field. Note: This may be updated with additional discounts over the next week or so.
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
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