573 Search Results for video school
September 13, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Measuring progress is part of good therapy and instruction, but knowing how to address this in meaningful ways for AAC learners can be tricky. In today’s post, AAC expert Gail Van Tatenhove discusses the who, what, when, where, why, and how of AAC data collection for school-based teams. The video is part of the Power AAC initiative at PaTTAN. Many thanks to their wonderful AT Team and to Gail for this wonderful presentation. Handouts for this presentation can be downloaded here. You can see more videos and material from Gail in these previous posts.
September 6, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Throughout the world, teachers, therapists, and parents are busy doing the real work of AAC. Making sure AAC materials are available all day long. Modeling language with SGDs, apps, and communication boards. Let’s take a peek into their classrooms, therapy rooms, and homes. Macomb Intermediate Schools Shared Reading Shared Reading with the Comment-Ask-Respond Strategy Sentences After School Pop-up Pirate
August 30, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
How do we make it feasible to implement AAC throughout the school day? Arizona-based SLP Anne Page, of Beautiful Speech Life, has some ideas for us. This presentation is packed full of prAACtical tips and was made possible by CoughDrop’s AAC in the Cloud Conference. Many thanks to Anne and to CoughDrop for sharing this positive approach to AAC in the classroom! Enjoy! Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohvOfkyejso&list=PL8oiM_hsU8kYofdlpC4vcYX49yuBZvv9v&index=10
August 2, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Getting ready to head back to school? There are lots of things we can do to help our AAC learners be successful in the classroom and develop their language skills. In today’s post, we feature another wonderful video in the Power AAC series sponsored by PaTTAN. Master AAC clinician Gail Van Tatenhove is the speaker and shares essential information about ways in which partners can support students who are learning to use AAC systems. Before beginning, you may want to download this handout with links to video clips of the target strategies being used. We’re grateful to Gail and PaTTAN for making this video and sharing it so that we can all benefit.
June 7, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Do you know students like these? In therapy sessions, Victor uses single words on his SGD to participate in games and activities, but doesn’t use it much during other daily experiences. Bella uses PECS quite capably at mealtimes but rarely uses it at other times during the day. Karina can use her AAC app to put together short narratives to tell about things that happened recently. Most times, though, she expresses herself with single word utterances. As therapists, teachers, and families who support people who use AAC, we do a lot of hand wringing when there is a discrepancy between what students KNOW HOW to do and what they DO do. We are perplexed and frustrated when these students have everything they need to utilize a particular skill, yet fail to do so. It’s a common concern, but here’s a question for us to ask ourselves: Don’t we do the... [Read More...]
June 1, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Today, guest blogger Sarah Mueller, a special education teacher in Rochester Michigan, shares her thoughts on supporting core vocabulary learning while working on functional life skills. Sarah teaches high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and strives to embed language and communication throughout her students’ entire school experience. Sarah helps her students become strong self-advocates as they prepare for adult life. Marlene Cummings, Sarah’s colleague and mentor, introduces the post. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: I (Marlene Cummings) had the pleasure of meeting Sarah 2 years ago as a new teacher in one of my districts. She immediately engaged in our county level professional learning opportunities in AAC and Literacy. The AAC focus presented strategies to support AAC and language learning including: core vocabulary, aided language input, vocabulary instruction and opportunities. The literacy focus was designed to create and implement a comprehensive literacy program taught by Drs. Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver. The outcome:... [Read More...]
April 26, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
At school In clinics and hospitals At home In restaurants and shops People are supporting children with complex communication needs by speaking AAC and building opportunities for communication learning. Here are a few short videos showing what they’ve been up to. Vanderbilt’s Early Intervention Program are getting some communication in while playing and making music in preschool. Check out Shelane Nielsen and her handsome guy gooping it up in AACtion at home. Jill Baldessari explains how Miguel and his SLP get their eye gaze on. Take a peek at Deb using both prestored messages and single word vocabulary at a restaurant. Let’s see how these classmates are working together in their general education classroom. Ready for a bit of reading instruction, AAC style? Do you have videos of AACtual communication? We’d love to have you share them!
March 16, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Have you ever thought of making short videos to illustrate the meaning of the core words you are teaching to your AAC learners? If so, this post is right up your alley. Teacher Angie Sheets and SLP Nicole Wingate have teamed up to bring the power of video to core vocabulary instruction and are here to share the fruits of their labor. For the past 17 years, Angie has been teaching Intense Interventions to students from kindergarten through grade 4 at Bluffton Harrison Elementary School. Her AAC experiences range from “DIY on the fly” (anything that can be made in a classroom at little to no cost and meets an immediate need) to high tech. (You can follow her on Twitter @asheetsroom14). Nicole also works for the Bluffton Harrison school system, servicing pre-k through 12th grade students. Her AAC experience includes no tech (e.g., picture boards, PECS), low tech (e.g.,... [Read More...]
March 8, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
The good news is plentiful. A growing number of classrooms incorporate some form of AAC. Teachers and therapists are increasingly aware of the value of augmentative forms of communication and are recognizing the potential for communication growth in all of their students. School teams are stepping up to provide access to activity-based communication boards, communication books, low tech SGDs, and AAC apps. They are creating opportunities for teaching and using these forms of AAC in specific classroom activities. In many cases, teachers and therapists are growing dissatisfied with the outcomes. Students are more engaged in the activities are improving their ability to participate appropriately. They aren’t always becoming competent communicators who can express themselves independently throughout the day. It’s frustrating to scramble to find and/or create materials and resources, make significant changes to activities, work hard to implement them, and still not get the expected outcome. It’s exhausting. It’s disappointing,... [Read More...]
February 8, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Chances are, you are already using visual supports with your AAC learners. If they aren’t as effective as you imagined they would be, or if you need ideas for how to make them more appropriate for middle and high school students, this video is worth watching. Karine Gleason helps us learn more about making age respectful visual boundaries, cues, and schedules, and gives us tips for fine-tuning our implementation. Many thanks to TASN and the Tri-State Autism Spectrum Disorder Network for making and sharing this video.