April 22, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Transitions can be hard for everyone, whether it is turning off the TV to finish grading papers or leaving a favorite place to go run some errands or following through to finish cleaning out the garage. For people with significant communication difficulties, there can be additional challenges. Here are some of our favorite tools and strategies for making transitions easier for everyone. – Visual Schedules: Our hands-down favorite way of helping people transition smoothly is to make the expectations visual and explicit. Lots of info on making this strategy successful here and here. Timers, timers, and more timers! We love them because, once the routine and expectations are established, they work so beautifully in so many situations. Social stories:Well-written social stories shared via high quality intervention can go a long way in preventing or minimizing transition issues. Transition items: Lots of families, teachers, and SLP have had success using objects... [Read More...]
March 9, 2012
by Robin Parker -
‘Gaming’- not something we typically associate with AAC, but we know that it is often the topic of conversation for kids, teens, and even adults, therefore, it is a topic that goes with AAC. Gaming can have a positive impact on socialization, interaction, communication, and inclusion associated with ‘gaming’. The gaming experience can be a topic of conversation before, during, and after the actual game experience. Gaming can be added to an activity schedule or on a choice board. A mini-schedule can be created to teach the steps to setting up a game, playing the game, or to invite a friend to game. Gaming is part of our pop culture (think Mario Brothers…). So we believe it should be an option if so desired. We would not be thought of as gamers. We have liked games and at times even loved them (think Astroids & Pac-Man), however we have not... [Read More...]
February 7, 2012
by Robin Parker -
Not only is a Speech Only Approach not good enough, but a Listening Approach is also not good enough… Because even though a young man I know can follow simple directions with contextual cues and his educators ‘feel’ he does not need any additional support, it does not help the young man when he should be doing the task independently. . Because even though a bakery employee I know is usally fine (just a little nervous??) when his job coach explains changes in other employees attendance at work, he sometimes gets so upset he has to leave his job… Because a little girl asks every day (many, many times) to go to Disney World even though her parents and teachers have told her they always go over the summer. And because she now has a formal behavior plan to help her stop perseverating on questions, and becasue this means she... [Read More...]