Last month we discussed strategies for building language skills with people who use AAC. Learning to use those skills to speak up and advocate for yourself is another process altogether. In this week’s feature videos, we share a link to the work of Dr. Pat Mirenda, hosted on the wonderful SET-BC site. –
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: ASD, developmental disability, positive behavior support, self-determination
Most of our posts are about teaching language, but today we take a little side trip into nonverbal communication. We’ve all worked with folks who have difficulty maintaining appropriate distance and making eye contact, and know how problems in these area can really impede a person’s ability to relate well to others. Our video for this week, from Autism Teaching Strategies, illustrates how to use pictures supports to teach appropriate nonlinguistic conversational behaviors. – Of course, we were drawn to it because of our own experience that using pictures as a reminder is much easier to fade than oral language prompts (e.g., ‘Don’t forget to look at me when you talk;’ ‘Quiet hands’). – What we also love about this video is the teaching strategy: role reversal. In this strategy, the SLP (or teacher/parent) provides a model of both positive and negative examples of the target skill. The learner’s job... [Read More...]
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: Conversation, intervention, visual supports
This week, we’ve been talking about feedback as a language facilitation strategy and when I came across this video of a mom interacting with her deaf or hard of hearing daughter, I knew it was worth sharing. What I love about this video is how consistently the mom both provides good models and responds contingently to her daughter’s utterances. Watch how she skillfully avoids over-interpreting the little girl’s message and how effective that is in getting her daughter to use more complex language. I wonder if she ever considered a career as an SLP… –
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: home, intervention
Schools are out for the summer in our area, but that doesn’t mean the work or planning stops. In fact, summer is the time when we catch up on projects, learn new things, make materials, and plan for the fall. One of my goals is to do some thinking and planning about how to help some of our preschool AAC kids make a good transition to inclusive environments in the fall. – One of our little AAC friends will be starting kindergarten in a few months, and the excitement is infectious. Support for the SLP and the teachers, both new to AAC, is high on the priority list. Something I hadn’t thought about until a recent team meeting, though, was the role of the administrator, particularly the principal. We’re big believers in the notion that the school culture is built by the principal, so it stands to reason that if... [Read More...]
Filed under: Video of the Week
Last week, we visited with a wonderful early intervention team who is committed to helping their program better serve babies and toddlers with AAC needs. Like any program, funds are limited and while we talked a bit about high tech AAC equipment, most of our conversation was about how simple solutions can make a big difference. – Simple is good. – We love finding low-cost ways to help children play, sit, move, learn, and communicate. But buying or making the materials is just the beginning. The real power comes from figuring out how to use it to give children control and allow them to be actively involved in the world around them. – For this week, we return to SET BC for their outstanding 3-part series by Susie Blackstien-Adler on this topic. Each segment of the Simple Technology for Participation series is less than 30 minutes long and is full... [Read More...]
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: intervention, low tecg, no tech
Not sure how we missed this great video when it first came out, but it is worth sharing. It was made by Michael Brian Reed and friends for the Many Stories, One Voice Online Collection in support of International AAC Month back in 2008. Michael also posted some tutorials on how to create animated video stories and posted them to his YouTube Channel.
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: phone
– For many people who use AAC, one of the biggest hurdles to communicating more effectively involves physically accessing their SGDs and/or mobile devices. – In this week’s video, we feature a collection of resources on this topic by SET BC. The collection has 7 complete modules, with print information, presentations, and videos. We’re linking to the series here so that you can explore any of the ones that are of interest to you. –
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: access, alternate access, schools
If you follow our blog, you know how strongly we feel about the wonderful work done by the team at SET BC. This week we feature a set of videos and supplemental resources on AT considerations for school teams. This 5-part series by Penny Reed has a wealth of prAACtical information.
Filed under: Video of the Week
AAC Extreme Makeover: Classroom Edition is a recorded presentation based on a full workshop for educators and clinicians. In this 3-part series hosted by SET BC, Gail Van Tatenhove provides an overview of 6 fundamental concepts for implementing AAC in special and general education classrooms. Each segment is less than 30 minutes and has narrated PowerPoint slides.
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: intervention, schools
Yesterday, we posted about using special interests to create prAACtical communication opportunities, our AAC intervention strategy of the month. Today, we share this Video of Week on the same topic. The team at ConnectAbility presented this video workshop on Special Interest Areas and Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. –
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: ASD