February 23, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Planning for comprehensive core vocabulary instruction? The Year of Core Vocabulary Words and The School Year of Core Vocabulary Words, two series of monthly resources for core vocabulary teaching, both have resources that can be helpful to therapists, educators, and families. We’re reprising those posts for anyone interested in following along and utilizing the resources developed by quite a few people in the AAC community. The initial series was 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). Among the many resources are the activity calendars created by AAC SLP and co-founder of Talking AAC, Rachael Langley. There were many other contributors over the years who added to these efforts. The School Year of Core Vocabulary Words, authored by... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
February 16, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
If you’re in the role of supporting people with AAC needs who have vision difficulties, this edition of Throwback Thursday is for you. Check out these previously published articles and videos. Supporting Communication Development in Children with Vision and Hearing Impairments AAC & CVI: Can We Chat? Video of the Week: Exploring the Complexity of CVI and CCN Video of the Week: CVI – The Everyday Impact on People Who Use AAC Video of the Week: Supporting the Communication Needs of Children with CVI Video of the Week: The SLPs Role in Cortical Visual Impairment
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
February 14, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Valentines Day, AAC friends! Once a week, we invite you to share your own AAC-related content, product news, or anything else that you’d like others in the AAC community to know about. It may be a recent post you’ve written, a slide deck from your AAC presentation, a handout, video, or meme that you’ve posted online, an AAC product you’ve created, an announcement for an AAC course or conference, or any other prAACtical content you developed and want to share with the AAC community. To post your own link, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post and complete the form. Enter the URL and the name/title in the boxes provided below. If you are on a mobile device, click over to the full website version to do this. The AAC Link Up is moderated to keep us from being spammed, so it may take a... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
February 13, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we continue our series sharing an AAC Implementation Framework for classrooms, featuring guest author, Vicki Clarke. In her initial post, Vicki shared the contours of the framework. In this post, she digs into the specifics, with prAACtical strategies and downloadable forms that you may find helpful. Don’t miss the video at the end. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AAC 101 Steps of Learning: Step One- Target In Step One, we will be determining which words and messages we need to specifically target for instruction. We often complete the step, not only for targeting specific words and messages, but also when we are first designing the AAC system that our students will be using. We will use three techniques to choose our target words and messages: Consider which words and messages are important to the individual student, their family, friends, and teacher. We will be asking all of these partners for their input as we... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
February 12, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Monday – Planning AAC Device & App Trials: 3 Questions to Ask Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Supporting Young AAC Users in the Classroom Thursday – AAC-friendly Resources for Black History Month :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, stay awhile and browse the selection of AAC stories below. An AAC Journey: From “No to AAC” to “AAC All Day, Every Day” with Desirae Pillay Faces of AAC – Zainab Omar The Faces of AAC: Dianna and Brian The Faces of AAC: Justyna and Wiktoria Faces of AAC: Making It Work in A Busy Family
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
February 9, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, we’ve celebrated Black History Month each February for several decades. It’s a time for learning, reflection, and celebration. Today, we’re reprising a past post with resources that can be incorporated into your AAC teaching or therapy. Learn with BrainPop and BrainPop, Jr which offers videos, writing and drawing activities, graphic organizers, worksheets, jokes, and more. Brown vs Board of Education Civil Rights Fannie Lou Hamer Harriet Tubman Jackie Robinson Jim Crow Malcolm X Martin Luther King, Jr Mohammed Ali Reconstruction Rosa Parks Ruby Bridges Slavery Tuskegee Airmen From BrainPop Jr 2. Read “The Poet Diaries,” a guest post by inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman. View a video of her reading her poem, Rise Up as One, California. 3. Explore a virtual exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
February 6, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
In an earlier post, we discussed some of the elements that factor into decision-making about trials for AAC devices and apps. Today, we’re focusing on some of the questions for teams to address in the planning stage. What is the appropriate length for each trial? In some situations, this may be dictated by the funding source, as some of them have specific requirements for how long each trial must run. In other situations, the length of time an AAC learner spends trialing each device/app is at the team’s discretion. How will the individual be taught to use the trial device or app? Having access to it is necessary, but not sufficient. To be fair to the individual and to gather meaningful data, the SGD or app being trialed must first be customized and then taught to the person being evaluated. What data will be collected? Again, the funding agency may... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
February 5, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you may have missed. Monday – AAC at ATIA 2023: Presentations to Get Excited About Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Challenging False Beliefs About AAC Use Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC-friendly Valentine’s Day Resources Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links Febrero 2023 Have a few more minutes for AAC browsing? Check out these posts from our AAC archives. 5 Ways to Use Books to Build Interaction with AAC Learners Alphabet Books and AAC Implementation Calendar Time & Weather Report, AAC Style Using Adapted Books with AAC Learners: 3 Important Questions to Ask
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
February 2, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
It’s prAACtically Valentine’s Day so we’re reprising this past post with AAC-friendly resources for one of our favorite holidays. Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love and romance, is just around the corner. We’re keeping up the tradition of sharing ideas for an AAC-friendly holiday so that you can focus your attention on the supportive strategies that facilitate AAC learning. Take a look. Have fun with this animated PowerPoint poem, 5 Little Valentines, from Bloom. Print and send these Valentine’s Day cards from CoughDrop Valentine’s Day Is Here: Enjoy a video sing along with the Swingset Mamas Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR2S1AanFmFOY-W42JGdsuloRizrpmEE9e-YcrqU_Aqmo4McFJpqRfDnokY&v=Rbtgl9n3mJg&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=Swingsetmamas Supporting someone in a virtual platform? Check out these Boom cards From Beautiful Speech Life: I LIKE Activity From Welcome to Words: Cupid, Cupid, What Do You See? Make a bracelet with Valentine’s Day vocabulary and print out fun gift tags with this packet from... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
January 31, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Tuesday, AAC friends! Once a week, we invite you to share your own AAC-related content, product news, or anything else that you’d like others in the AAC community to know about. It may be a recent post you’ve written, a slide deck from your AAC presentation, a handout, video, or meme that you’ve posted online, an AAC product you’ve created, an announcement for an AAC course or conference, or any other prAACtical content you developed and want to share with the AAC community. To post your own link, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post and complete the form. Enter the URL and the name/title in the boxes provided below. If you are on a mobile device, click over to the full website version to do this. The AAC Link Up is moderated to keep us from being spammed, so it may take a little... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking