610 Search Results for visual support
June 7, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
June is National Aphasia Awareness Month here in the US and there is no better time to share some wonderful resources on using AAC with people who have aphasia. – – Things to Do In Support of Aphasia Awareness Read this article on AAC and aphasia by Dr. Joanne Lasker and Dr. Kathryn Garrett Download some AAC Assessment Materials, also by Drs. Lasker and Garrett View a recorded webcast on a visual scene AAC project for people with aphasia from the University of Nebraska and free templates for visual scenes Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a less common form of the disorder and leads to a gradual reduction in language abilities. You can learn more about it here. View a recorded webcast on PPA by Dr. Melanie Fried Oken. Check out these free apps designed specifically for people with aphasia. Download Small Talk AAC apps (free) for people with... [Read More...]
April 30, 2012
by Robin Parker -
Nooooo, not again. A myth about visual schedules continues to rear its ugly head in a prAACtical situation (maybe we can reframe it into a learning opportunity??). Some history- A parent of twin girls with autism (age 15 and two other younger children– yes total 4) stopped by our office to pick up some autism awareness materials yesterday (a super busy mom in so many ways —going out of her way to help our community). As we were exchanging pleasantries and getting updates on how the girls were doing, we heard something that continues to surprise us–(and not in a good way). What did we hear? We heard that the girls were doing relatively well (not the surprising comment) but that mom was extra busy because the girls were no longer independent in taking their showers. They could do it by themselves but didn’t like the sensory input of soap... [Read More...]
March 31, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
In this last post on our March Strategy of the Month, visual schedules, we address a couple of questions about using schedules and end with a list of helpful resources. Lots to click on and explore! – What about activities that don’t happen very often? How do we incorporate those into the schedule? Many of the learners with whom we work get quite stressed when the typical routine is violated. It could be an undesired change, like a fire drill or a dentist appointment. Or it could be that a regular event gets cancelled, such as when our music therapist is out sick or when outdoor recess is cancelled due to bad weather. Even changes that involve the addition of a positive event, such as a birthday party or a special classroom guest, could lead to stress and meltdown. If we have advance notice of the change, we can use... [Read More...]
March 29, 2012
by Robin Parker -
Visuals Work– We just love the name of this app developer company. They describe themselves as providing visual learning strategies for the autism and related communities. We know that visuals work but are so glad that the word continues to spread. We hope soon everyone knows and then makes the decision to incorporate visual language into the education of children and students with communication difficulties. Visuals Work develop great e-book apps (iOS format/iTunes) that incorporate information about different holiday themes. The apps usually teach new vocabulary, prepositions, and questions within a commenting format. The apps are usually customizable so that the story can work for any age. Most of Visuals Work apps usually are free or very low cost (.99 cents). Well, they have done it again. They just released Easter with Bunny, Rabbit, and Me (eBook/App). It’s Available Free through iTunes! This Easter story was created by Lorrie Ann... [Read More...]
March 24, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
There’s nothing more depressing to us than walking into a classroom in the spring and seeing pristine visual schedules. Why? Because it probably means that the students aren’t really using them. We cheer when we see schedules that are rumpled and dog-eared, not shiny. Show me a battered and tattered visual schedule, and I’ll show you one that gets used every day. Sadly, that’s not always the case. – The bridge between having a visual schedule and consistently using it is one that many learners don’t seem to cross. Here are some of our ideas for helping your AAC learners to the other side. – 1. Have a plan to teach the schedule. If you are working one-on-one with a learner, you can easily implement the schedule and get them using it with most-to-least prompting. If you’re working with a group or a classroom, consider staggered implementation. Teaching 12 beginners... [Read More...]
March 17, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
When people think about visual schedules, they tend to think about a classroom schedule with PCS for each major activity of the day. These are great and we look for them whenever we do classroom visits. In this post, we hope to inspire some of you to use other types of visual schedules as well. We haven’t quite worked out the right terms for these (and we welcome your suggestions) but, conceptually we know that there are three main levels of visual schedules. Each level conveys information about what is happening in a specific segment of time. – At the Calendar Level, the schedule represents what’s happening throughout the month and/or week. – At the Schedule Level, we’re representing the events of a particular day, a portion of a day, or a session (or class period). – At the Task Level, the schedule reflects discrete steps of an activity or... [Read More...]
March 10, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Visual schedules come in all shapes and sizes. The process of deciding which one to use begins with two questions: What is the purpose of this particular visual schedule? How will it be used? Both of these drive the decisions you make about which format to use. If my primary purpose in making the visual schedule is to help a student become more independent in following the steps in a task, and I know the person is going to be seated at a desk while doing this, I may choose a horizontal layout that shows the sequence. Because it is a school-aged child and we are activity working on literacy skills, I consider a stationary format on the desk surface that has the student use a check-off system. Having the student cross out or check off the steps as they are completed, gives authentic practice with writing skills. On the... [Read More...]
February 25, 2012
by Robin Parker -
I was in the mall with my teenage daughter yesterday (because that is her favorite place to go) and we saw a group of adults with developmental disabilities. Some of the group members were in wheelchairs and others walked. It appeared that they were on a ‘field trip’ or community outing. My daughter has been ‘working’ with me since she participated as a ‘typical’ peer for various pragmatic groups while she was in preschool. She has been known to regularly (and not always so quietly) identify people who I must know since “they probably go to my clinic”. This would occur even if we were nowhere close to the geographical location of ‘my’ clinic. She has been known to find people who probably need my services so I can help them ‘talk better’. Although my daughter seems to be doing a lot of identifying without any formal training, I have to... [Read More...]
November 24, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends, and a good Thanksgiving to those who celebrate that holiday this week. In the meantime, we’ve got some posts you may want to look through. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Getting Ready for December School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Older Student Lessons Thursday – PrAACtically Thanksgiving: AAC-friendly Resources for Turkey Day Fun ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few more places to browse? Here are some selected posts on making and using visual supports. Free Resources for Making AAC and Visual Supports How I Do It – Using an App to Make AAC Materials and Visual Supports AAC Teaching Tips on Scaffolding and Visual Supports Designing and Using Visual Supports for Older Students 5 Visual Supports for the AAC Classroom Wishing a meaningful week to all of our readers!
October 17, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for some resources to make Pumpkin Day a little more AAC-friendly? Here are some from previous years that might come in handy. Holidays are special, and Halloween is a favorite among many. As much fun as it is to dress up and get candy, though, there are lots of ways that Halloween can be stressful for AAC learners. From the change in routine, to the costumes and scary decorations, to talking with neighbors and other less familiar communication partners, to the overabundance of sugar, there are lots of ways in which Halloween can trip us up. If the AAC learners in your life celebrate Halloween, Fall Festival, Harvest Parade, or any other celebration with similar traditions, we SLPs can help them to have a positive experience. Here are some ideas. Use a social narrative to prepare everyone for what to expect on and around Halloween. Read them often in the... [Read More...]