August 9, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
For children with complex communication needs, we often suggest starting AAC in early childhood as a way to support communication, speech, and language development. But in some cases, things don’t work out that way. Children with complex bodies have a lot to learn in those early years and families often prioritize things other than communication for lots of good reasons. They may be building basic survival skills, like breathing, swallowing, and eating. They may be adjusting to feeding tubes or tracheostomies. Some may be helping children learn to sit, hold their heads up, reach for things, or develop mobility skills. Others may be dealing with difficult-to-control seizures, debilitating sleep disorders, or significant medical challenges. Sometimes, things don’t come together to support AAC until years later. William’s team was learning to understand his sensory and behavioral challenges throughout much of elementary school, and exploring ways to support him so that he... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
August 8, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that you might have missed. Monday – AAC Goal Writing with Lauren Enders: Laying a Solid Foundation Tuesday – AAC link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Bridging Research to Practice with Visual Scene Displays Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC Intervention Strategies Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados Con Links :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Here are a few more for those who want to do a little more AAC reading. Back To School with AAC (printables) AAC Goes to High School: The Power of Peers AAC Goes to High School: Community-based Instruction Extension Activities for AAC Practice Making AAC Core Vocabulary Materials
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
August 5, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Engaging activities and materials are important in AAC instruction, but the real magic happens when we implement appropriate intervention strategies with fidelity and on a consistent basis. For Throwback Thursday, we raided the archives to revisit some previous posts on several key intervention strategies. Aided Language Input: How Much Language Should We Model? Aided Language Input in AACtion “I’m Using Aided Language Input. Now what??” From Referential to Descriptive Teaching with AAC Learners Recasting: A Language Facilitation Strategy F is for Feedback Environmental Communication Teaching
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
August 2, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Writing goals for AAC learners, whether they are beginning communicators or focusing on more advanced linguistic concepts, can be tricky and intimidating. Today, we introduce a new series authored by PrAACtical AAC friend and AAC/AT expert Lauren Enders to give us insight on the process and tips for developing strong goals and objectives. Throughout this series, Lauren shares her perspective developed from her years of experience in public schools and as a nationally recognized presenter. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Though it may be hard to believe, back-to-school is around the corner! As we get ready to head back into the classroom, now seems like the perfect time to launch a series exploring best practices to consider when writing IEPs for our AAC learners. The thought of crafting IEP goals and objectives for students who are learning to use AAC strikes fear into the hearts of many SLPs, special education teachers, and other school... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
August 1, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you might enjoy. Monday – AAC in Secondary School: Social Media Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: MASTER PAL Modules 7, 10, & 11 Thursday – PrAACtically August: AAC Resources for A 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 Books for Beginning Readers of Any Age Visual Supports in AAC Therapy with Older Student and Adults Have a great week, everyone!
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
July 29, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Here in Florida, we’re preparing to head back to school and that means thinking about support students who use AAC. Teachers, therapists, and aides play a pivotal role in helping AAC learners develop skills with core vocabulary so that they have a body of words that can be used across activities, environments, and communication partners. There are lots of ‘right’ ways to support these students. Among them is an instructional approach in which a new set of core words is introduced every few weeks in order to build their experiences with AAC. Our Year of Core Words materials has two versions, Set 1 (12 words/month) and Set 2 (16 words/month; Different than the previous year’s core words). If you’ve been following along, or are just getting started, these resources may be of interest. Set 1 Words: any, bring, day, fall, give, hot, job, know, other, sick, sorry, together Set 2 Words: aide, animal, clothes,... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
July 26, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Social media is highly motivating for teens and young adults, but how can we incorporate it into our AAC teaching? Today AAC SLP Ashley Larisey is back with some activity suggestions and ideas for implementation as part of the AAC in Secondary School series. Ashley is an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: SOCIAL MEDIA As learners get older, the use of digital communication tools (internet, social media, e-mail) often increases. Digital communication plays a huge role not only in communicating with someone who is not in your immediate environment but in making connections with others who have similar interests or lived experiences. Recent research suggests that social media can be an invaluable tool to support AAC users in many areas, including connecting with other individuals, making communication easier, gaining independence,... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
July 25, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might have missed. Monday – AAC Parking Spots Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Building an AAC Culture in Schools Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Thinking About Assessment :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Here are a few more to explore before you go. Why We Love Language Experience Activities 5 Things to Do If You’re Not Confident Teaching Core Vocabulary Building Sentence Length through Conversational Routines & Games 5 Quick & Easy Games That Build AAC Skills 5 Ways to Promote Generalization of AAC Use Have a great week, AAC friends!
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
July 22, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Need some tips for conducting good AAC assessments? Today we look back at some detailed posts on AAC assessment practices from Vicki Clarke’s series, AAC Assessment Corner. Enjoy! Ready, SETT, AAC Evaluate! AAC Skills Assessment for Direct Selectors Standardized Tests For AAC Users AAC Assessment for Emergent Communicators The Eyes Have It-Assessment Considerations for High Tech Eye Gaze Access Is AAC Feature Matching Still Relevant? Thinking Inside the Box for AAC Evaluations Procedural Resources Evaluating Skills for Use of Comprehensive AAC Dynamic Display SGDs Language Representation Elements – Noun Symbol Use for Functional Communication
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
July 19, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
As AAC practitioners well know, the ideal place for an SGD or communication board/book is on or near the communicator at all times. They may wear the device on a harness, carry it with a strap or handle, or have it mounted on a wheelchair so that it is easily accessible throughout the day. It’s clear: The best situation is for the device to be within arm’s reach of the communicator at all times. In the real world, however, it can take years to turn this best practice into a reality. In the meantime, it can help to find a space in each room or section of the classroom where the device will ‘live’ when not in use. What’s an AAC Parking Spot? Simply put, this refers to a designated place for the AAC device in each room of your home or each section of your classroom. When the AAC... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking