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Growing AAC Professionals: Resources for Mythbusters

September 10, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Growing AAC Professionals: Resources for Mythbusters

We’re excited to have another guest post today by Vicki Haddix, an AAC SLP and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis. Vicki joins us periodically to share some of the work completed by her SLP graduate students. Under her leadership, they create videos, handouts, and other materials that can be used by families, clinicians, and educators. Let’s take a look.   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: As I have said in previous posts about teaching the graduate class on AAC, I find Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to be a very helpful framework when designing the course, although I’ve realized I don’t typically name UDL when I discuss activities or assignments. But I was thrilled when Lindsey Hull came to me wanting to look at integrating students who use AAC within the general education classroom, and we got to talk about UDL. She put together a narrated PowerPoint full of great ideas for... [Read More...]

Video of the Week – AAC Device Mounting Fundamentals 

September 9, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week - AAC Device Mounting Fundamentals 

Mounting AAC devices and switches is a bit intimidating to some AAC service providers, so when I saw that the wonderful team at Tobii Dynavox created a video on this topic, I marked it for sharing with you. In today’s featured video, you’ll learn about different kinds of mounts, their components, and get some ideas about deciding which one is the best for a particular individual. Many thanks to Tobii Dynavox for creating and sharing this presentation. Direct Link to – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdaDOwIF-Ho

Growing AAC Professionals: AAC-friendly Books

September 3, 2020 by - 1 Comment

Growing AAC Professionals: AAC-friendly Books

Today, we welcome back Vicki Haddix to these pages. Vicki is an AAC SLP who has had a variety of experiences and is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis. She joins us periodically to share some of the fine work that her graduate students. In today’s post, Vicki shares the work of students who created AAC-friendly books and other resources on important topics, like water safety.  You can learn more from Vicki and her students here. Make sure to check out the link at the bottom to access the full array of materials that these talented students created. Enjoy! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: As a professor, it’s always exciting when you see the great work that graduate students are doing and think about the potential that they are bringing to the field. I’ve taught the AAC class at the University of Memphis’s SLP graduate program for 5 spring semesters.... [Read More...]

Video of the Week: Report Writing Tips for AAC Device Funding

September 2, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Report Writing Tips for AAC Device Funding

It can take a lot of practice to learn how to write a successful SGD funding report. In today’s featured video, SLP Teri Wofford, of the Wyoming Institute for Disabilities, guides us through the process and shares some of her best tips. Many thanks to Terri and the University of Wyoming ECHO Project for this helpful presentation. You can download the handout here.  Direct Link to Video – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mv6Qy1PH6il3VUJKGGinhV_IcfdK1lkh/view

How I Do It-Strengthening our Remote AAC Sessions

August 27, 2020 by - 1 Comment

How I Do It-Strengthening our Remote AAC Sessions

As online instruction and therapy continue to be an important service delivery option, practitioners are growing their skills and expanding their toolboxes. Today, we welcome back PrAACtical AAC contributor Sarah Gregory with more tips and suggestions for how to make these virtual sessions more engaging and productive. Sarah is an AAC SLP and AT Specialist in Ithaca NY where she supports students in public school settings. In this post, she shares tips, videos, and activity downloads for AAC telepractice. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: A new and uncertain school year has arrived and many of us will be continuing with some form of remote AAC support. In my last blog post (click here), I shared tips for getting started with AAC teletherapy and now we will look at structuring virtual sessions, creating and using digital materials, and providing Aided Language Input. And although I am sharing many digital activities and tricks, the most important... [Read More...]

Video of the Week: Visuals, Timers, & Zoom

August 26, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Visuals, Timers, & Zoom

In many places, parents and professionals are struggling to help students acclimate to online learning. In today’s video, we feature a session hosted by the Indiana Resource Center for Autism. Check out the tips and suggestions that Leslie Brown provides to help learners be successful in online learning through the use of visual supports and timers. Click on the image below to view this video. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR8Odb6AgI0

PrAACtically September: AAC Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words (Remote or In-person Learning)

August 24, 2020 by - 1 Comment

PrAACtically September: AAC Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words (Remote or In-person Learning)

As we prepare to say goodbye to August and flip the page on the calendar, we turn our attention to a fresh set of core words. Are you supporting AAC learners who have SGDs or communication boards/books with high-frequency words? If so, join us as we work to model, practice, and teach these words throughout the day. It can feel overwhelming, so we tend to focus on a subset of words each month. The Year of Core Vocabulary Words approach isn’t a developmental list of words to be introduced in a specific order, but rather a way of gradually exposing learners to more and more words over time. We do that by modeling them on their device or communication aid when we talk and plan specific instructional activities to teach word meanings, play games to help them better recognize and understand the symbols for those words, and, elicit them frequently... [Read More...]

Heading Back to School with AAC: Tips & Tools

August 13, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Heading Back to School with AAC: Tips & Tools

Here in the US, millions of teachers, therapists, families, and students are planning to return to school, whether virtually, in person, or with some combination of the two. No matter what the format for instruction, one of the most important things for students who use AAC is having their SLPs, teachers, and families on the same page. They each have a different but very intense relationship with the student’s AAC system. Today, we reprise a popular post with some prAACtical thoughts on getting everyone pointed in the same direction. 1.  Develop a communication profile of the student: In the initial weeks, try to get a baseline of how the student is communicating at the start of the year. For beginning communicators, we track things like their communicative intents (WHY they are communicating), modalities (HOW they are communicating), and the frequency of their communication. We’ve written about one of our favorite... [Read More...]

Video of the Week: AAC Teletherapy Activities & Tips

August 12, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: AAC Teletherapy Activities & Tips

In many places, remote support of AAC learners will continue in some fashion even as we reopen schools and clinics. Today, we are back with AAC SLP Sarah Gregory who is taking us on a deep dive into her AAC teletherapy practices. Sarah practices in a New York public school where she is passionate about supporting students in inclusive settings. Earlier this year, we featured Sarah’s telepractice overview, which is a great resource for tools that you can use in remote AAC support. In today’s video, Sarah provides a more detailed discussion of integrating instructional strategies and gives us guidance on how to work effectively with caregivers or support personnel while providing AAC teletherapy. You can view the handout for this session here. Many thanks to Sarah and PRC Saltillo for this wonderful presentation. Enjoy!  Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goCNhuMALOU You can learn more from Sarah here.

Virtual AAC Training: Teletherapy & Distance Learning Edition

August 10, 2020 by - Leave your thoughts

Virtual AAC Training: Teletherapy & Distance Learning Edition

We continue to get requests for content that can help AAC practitioners deliver remote support and are happy to oblige. In today’s post, SLP Emily Diaz shares some videos she created on this topic. Emily is a school-based SLP specializing in AAC. She provides virtual training on the topic of AAC implementation both in the classroom and for teletherapy. In this guest post, Emily shares some of her favorite videos. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Virtual AAC Training: Teletherapy & Distance Learning Edition Whether you are providing synchronous or asynchronous services these virtual AAC training videos are a must have in your distance learning toolbox. Emily Diaz of emilydiazslp.com creates virtual training videos to support SLPs, teachers, and families with AAC implementation. Recently these videos have been focused on teletherapy and distance learning as we all try to restructure services during COVID-19 school closures. Check these out! AAC at Home Your child’s SLP sent... [Read More...]