Sunday: Video of the Week – Direct Selection Using Laser Pointers Monday: Strategy of the Month – The Power of Positive Reinforcement Tuesday: A PrAACtical Look at Access YouTube Wednesday: Understanding Rett Syndrome bySally-Ann Garrett Thursday: A Day in the Life of an AAC Chick SLP Friday: Make it PrAACtical – DIY Cellphone Stand
In terms of reinforcement, Jamie kept me on my toes. Initially, she preferred to be by herself so that she could do her own thing without any demands placed on her. Solitary time is not our favorite way to reinforce desired behavior, but it was a start. Jamie earned little bits of free time where she could have some uninterrupted play. Then, she seemed to like anything that she could line up. No sweat. (This is progress! We were much happier to see her desire things as opposed to the absence of company. We had lots of things that we could use and she loved the novelty of materials we presented…for short awhile). Quickly, that morphed into things that she could line up that had letters. Got it! (We can repurpose some alphabet puzzles/games and we’re good!). Then, things got interesting. One week there was an intense love of... [Read More...]
There’s an old joke about a tourist wandering around New York City in search of the famed musical venue that has been home to countless performances of classical music. After walking in circles, he finally stops a resident to ask for directions, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” “Practice, practice, practice,” was the reply. And so it is with AAC. No matter what their age or disabling condition, there is one thing that every AAC learner needs: Practice. A lot of it. It takes a lot of daily practice for people learning to use AAC in order for them to: Become fluent with their AAC systems Build their vocabularies Develop their syntactic skills Respond more quickly Communicate less effortfully As we’ve said before, we tend to like things that we’re good at and things that are relatively easy for us. It time and a lot practice for some of... [Read More...]
This month, we’ve been talking about how to support individuals who are at the earliest levels of communication: the perlocutionary or pre-intentional stage. Although everyone goes through a stage at which behavior is considered communicative only because the partner perceives it that way, some individuals linger there for months or years. What steps can SLPs take in order to help these children and adults have meaningful interactions and build more effective communication skills? Here are some prAACtical thoughts on the matter. Prepare for Skepticism Some people in the client’s life may not believe that there is real potential for communication growth. This is particularly true for learners who are a bit older. When children reach the late elementary school and are still at the pre-intentional stage, there is a tendency to fear that ‘real’ communication is beyond the learner’s grasp. In our view, that is rarely the case. VERY rarely.... [Read More...]
Earlier this month, we talked about the communication journey, from communication that is completely partner-inferred (pre-intentional) to communicating purposefully. The fastest route that we know of for helping clients become more purposeful communicators is a 3-step process. Select a Signal Believe it or not, we can get real intentional communication going with just a single motor act that will function as a signal. The Signal should be something the learner already does, such as moving an arm, tapping the tabletop, vocalizing in a certain way, or rocking. The Signal can also be the absence of movement. One beautiful little girl comes to mind as an example. She paced constantly, enough to wear down a track in the family room carpet – a neat little triangle from the TV to the sofa to her grandma’s recliner. When she wanted something she’d just stop pacing. (Sounds pretty straightforward but it took us... [Read More...]
Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a first grader who was able to do many things: flash a dazzling smile, grab and hold onto materials on his laptray, vocalize loudly, visually track peers as they moved around the classroom, reach and take a toy that was offered to him, and laugh in such an engaging way that two girls immediately went to his side. What he DIDN’T do, though, was communicate purposefully. How do you address the learning needs of a 7-year-old who is not yet communicating with intent? Here are some initial thoughts. Getting him to learn to communicate purposefully, frequently, and in a way that is obvious (not subtle) is Priority #1. The way we typically approach this is to work with the team (teacher, OT, PT, aide, family) to decide on a motor movement that he can do, and agree to shape that into a... [Read More...]
Vocabulary instruction involves a systematic TEACHING process. Core vocabulary words are harder to represent with pictures but still need to be taught with direct instruction. Many of the strategies and activities are part of general vocabulary teaching. Decide your core word vocabulary to teach and begin with strategies, steps, and fun activities. Teaching Strategies Teach in Meaningful Language Experiences– Create activities about the words but also about the communication behind the words. Develop activities that are meaningful to the learners. Provide Active Participation Opportunities- Develop many, many (many) opportunities for the learners to use the vocabulary as an expressive communication tool as well as for receptive language. Have the learner interact with the core word vocabulary rather than just listen to explanations. Give the vocabulary communicative power for the learner. Use Aided Language Input– Model AAC style. Use Focused Language Stimulation – Highlight new words and use them repetitively. We like... [Read More...]
Teaching new words is something SLPs plan for in almost every service delivery setting. This month, we’ll focus on vocabulary instruction for core and extended vocabulary. Thoughts on Teaching Core Vocabulary In Advance Plan ahead. Make a rough plan of the core words you will teach and when you will introduce them to the AAC learner. Make sure there is plenty of variety, especially pronouns, verbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and determiners. Words for talking about time (e.g., now, later), asking questions (e.g., what, where), and negation (e.g., not) are important, too. Here’s a link to our post on A Year of Core and A Year of Core, Unity Style. Ensure that the AAC learner has access to communication aids with an adequate base of core vocabulary. What if the learner doesn’t have an SGD or AAC app that is core language based? If you can update that to something with good core... [Read More...]
A Few Great Posts From Around the Web to Illustrate This: His Body Does His Feelings by A Diary of A Mom We Knew She Understood but Now We Know She Minds by Living with Rett Syndrome Yellow- Living with Rett Syndrome Life with Lief: We are Different But Same by Sunshine Bodey Perception Drives Everything – Uncommon Sense Share your stories of perception and competence.
Celebrating AAC Awareness Month is fun and exciting. We are hearing great stories about how AAC is impacting students, children, adults, families, educators, & SLP’s. Our PrAACtical AAC celebration could not happen without the generosity of so many companies and developers. We have been overwhelmed by their continued support. We could not be more THANKFUL. Their apps, software, and products help AAC users learn communication and language with optimal success. Be sure to enter for a chance to win awesome prizes that will help you teach AAC to ALL people who need it. From AAC, assessment , continued professional development, literacy, to communication everywhere there are amazing options. GOOD LUCK! Ablenet, Inc Abilipad Alexicom BeeVisual/ChoiceWorks Close 2 Home Apps Dynavox/Mayer Johnson Handhold Adaptive Hump Software MarbleSoft Mozzaz News-2-You Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company Safe N Sound Mobile Silver Lining Multimedia Smarty Ears Speak For Yourself SpeechPathology.com SpeechTree TapSpeak TherapyBox/TBoxApps TouchChat... [Read More...]