June 24, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Looking to freshen up your library of books that include characters with disabilities? This updated list has a few that you may want to check out. The books in these lists vary in terms of their subject, target audience, and reading level. As with any book that you consider providing to children and youth, be sure to review it first to determine its appropriateness for the individual reader. Some of the books, particularly those for teens, have scenes that are intense and may contain mature content, and/or strong language. Note: If you have others that you would recommend, please reach out to us and we will update the list. Books Featuring Children & Youth with Disabilities AAC Dancing Daisies (2013) by Sara Pyszka Fur Cubs Present First Day of School (2010) by C. Lynne Luster How Katie Got a Voice (And A Cool New Nickname) (2012) by Pat Mervine Inside... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
June 21, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Many students who use AAC spend some time in community-based instruction during their teenage years. In today’s post, AAC SLP Ashley Larisey discusses this topic in a continuation 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. Additionally, Ashley presents on AAC topics at professional conferences. Enjoy! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AACcessibility During Community Based Instruction Community-Based Instruction (CBI) is a meaningful, engaging, and highly motivating experience for many students with disabilities, particularly those students who are high-school-aged and beyond. For AAC users, CBI provides opportunities to communicate with unfamiliar communication partners for many different purposes. However, when students are out and about, it can be easy to overlook the ease of access that can exist within the educational environment. However, it is just as important for AAC... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
June 20, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that may be of interest. Monday – TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘If You Give a Mouse a Cookie’! Tuesday – AAC Link Up Saturday – AACtual Celebrations: Juneteenth We’re celebrating Father’s Day in the US and are sharing a few past posts on that topic here. These were authored by PrAACtical AAC co-founder Robin Parker. Fun Father’s Day AAC Activities It’s PrAACtically Fathers Day PrAACtical Reflections About Father’s Day Father’s Day Language Facilitation Activities and Gifts ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Are you looking for some AACtivity suggestions? Here are a few from past posts. Sometimes I Feel Sunny: AT Recipes for Success from CHoR PrAACtical Supports for AAC Learners: AT Recipes for Success – Sensorimotor Activities Pete the Cat, Rockin’ in My School Shoes: AT Recipes for Success PrAACtical Supports for the Young AAC Learner: Recipes for Success (Bubbles, Cars) PrAACtical Supports... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
June 19, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Whether you are relatively new to an understanding of Juneteenth or have been celebrating it for decades, we hope today’s post has some ideas for integrating it into the AAC work you do. It became a federal holiday this week and we thought you might enjoy this reprise. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: PrAACtically Juneteenth In the US, June 19th is a day that commemorates the ending of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation became effective on January 1, 1863, it took an additional two and half years for it to take root in all of the states. It wasn’t until June 19th, 1865 that Texas became the final state to uphold the proclamation. There are other days that memorialize the freedom of enslaved people, but Juneteenth is the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration. Traditionally marked primarily by African Americans, there is a growing awareness of Juneteenth across a broad spectrum of people. In modern times, it... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
June 14, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Ready for another post with book-related ideas for supporting core vocabulary learning in preschool classrooms? Today, we end another wonderful year of Jeanna Antrim and Maggie Judson’s TELL ME About It series with a terrific post featuring the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. If you’re in search of ways to support preschool teachers who are implementing the TELL ME program with their young students, this post will give you lots of tried-and-true ideas. Maggie and Jeanna are speech-language pathologists who work in the Assistive Technology Department for the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative (BASSC) in southern Illinois. They are AT/AAC facilitators and provide evaluations, direct therapy, consultations, and trainings with school teams. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TELL ME About The Book The last book in this series is “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” by Laura Joffe Numeroff. Such a fun book that introduces a simple plot line to our... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
June 13, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are a few posts you may have missed. Monday – Growing AAC Professionals: AACessible Literacy: Emergent Literacy Resources for the AAC SLP Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Life Participation & AAC Device Personalization for Adults with Aphasia Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Summertime AAC ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have a few more minutes, stick around and explore some more. From Activity-based AAC to Robust Language Activity Schedule AACtion AACtual Therapy with Jeanne Tuthill: An Informal Assessment Activity A PrAACtical Literacy Activity for Beginning Communicators 10 Posts on Activity Ideas for Language Therapy with AAC
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
June 10, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
In today’s throwback Thursday post, we’re gearing up for summer. If summer is only a few weeks away where you live, you might want to check out these past posts. PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: How Do You Know It’s Summer? A Recipe for Summer AAC Summer Reading A Few AAC Blog Suggestions 5 AAC Suggestions Apps to Prepare, Learn, & Talk About Summer Vacation PrAACtical Summer Activities AAC-focused Summer Camps
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
June 7, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
It’s graduation season here in the U.S. and there’s no better time to celebrate the graduates and those future professionals who have developed a passion for AAC. In today’s post, Krista Davidson introduces us to her student, Madie Kroehler, who generously shares the work she did for an independent study on AAC and emergent literacy. Enjoy! Growing AAC Professionals: AACessible Literacy: Emergent Literacy Resources for the AAC SLP This month I am excited to bring you a post from one of our first-year graduate students, Madie Kroehler! Madie participated in an Independent Study with me this Spring. After discussing numerous possibilities for topics, we settled on AAC and literacy. We met every other week to consult on her readings and research. What evolved from those initial discussions culminated in something quite impressive. And with that, I’ll let Madie tell you in more detail how the project developed… The final project... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
June 6, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that you may have missed in your busy week. If you serve a Spanish-speaking population, don’t miss the videos, articles, and resources that were posted on Thursday. Monday – Memorial Day Thoughts Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Talking About Feelings Thursday – School Year of Core Vocabulary Words: AAC Resources for Month 11 (June) by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, & Beth Lytle Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados Con Links ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: For those of you who want to browse a little bit more, here are a few suggestions. Supporting AAC Learners in Working with Words Teaching AAC and Sight Words AT for Writing Supporting AAC Learners in Emergent Reading: 5 Helpful Resources Using Adapted Books with AAC Learners: 3 Important Questions to Ask
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
June 3, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
We’re jumping into June and wrapping up the School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Series by guest authors Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, and Beth Lytle. This series focuses on a selected set of words to highlight for the month along with a suggested order in which to teach them. Therapists and teachers will appreciate the Activity Packets, containing suggestions for highlighting these words in a variety of activities. Their Data Collection Forms and tips on using shared reading in our AAC teaching are appropriate for AAC learners of various ages. If you are new to this series, you may want to review the introduction that our series and check out the first 10 months of the School Year of Core Vocabulary Words using the links below. You can find posts for previous months in the School Year of Core Vocabulary Words below. Introduction to the School Year of Core Vocabulary... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking