1457 Search Results for link up
December 17, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
We’re so pleased to welcome back Sarah Mueller, who teaches high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Rochester, Michigan. In this post, she shares her experiences in working with peer mentors and how she has helped to facilitate meaningful relationships between students with and without disabilities. Don’t miss her video or the links to download some of the materials they used. Enjoy! The Power of Peers We often talk about the functions of communication and their importance in developing and expanding the students’ communicative repertoire. Moving beyond requesting to protesting, commenting, and greeting and other functions is often the focus. But as high schoolers included in the school community, my students want to be social with their peers without disabilities. What does that look like for students with complex communication needs? How, as a teacher, can you structure social opportunities to teach and practice core? What... [Read More...]
December 12, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Today’s video features the work of Mary Louise Bertram (Australia) and Caroline Musselwhite (US), both of whom are well-known to PrAACtical AAC readers, and focuses on journal writing, a writing activity that takes places in homes and classrooms around the world. In this video, we learn ways to make it meaningful and successful for beginning communicators who use AAC. Many thanks to the presenters and to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation for making and sharing this helpful video. To learn more about literacy and communication for early communicators from Dr. Musselwhite and others, check out the AAC in the Desert Conference. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoHlga-xemU
December 5, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Interested to learn more about how AAC is implemented in classrooms at the elementary level? In today’s featured video, Colorado-based special educator Sarah Fischer shares thoughts, examples, resources, and reflection on her journey to support AAC learners. Many thanks to Sarah and to Saltillo for making this video available. In her presentation, Sarah refers to a video about another project that was implemented in her classroom. You can learn more about Twin Powers here. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZHchn6T1z0&t=231s
November 28, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Transitions usually seem a bit daunting, but the move from the school system to post-school life is one fraught with a great many challenges. For people who use AAC, a group with unemployment rates exceeding 90%, the path to a rich and fulfilling life in adulthood requires a great deal of support. In many cases, the systems and individuals who are in the position to provide that support lack the information, experience, training, and resources they need to be effective. In today’s video, we hear from Dr. Rackensperger, Vice President for Persons who Use AAC and Their Families at USSAAC, who has a unique perspective on these issues. She shares ways that we can address these challenges by using person-based panning and strengths-based approaches in our efforts to foster self-determination and build self-advocacy. This video is part of the USSAAC webinar series and is made possible with the support of... [Read More...]
November 26, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for resources that promote successful school experiences? Need tools that support inclusive educational practices? Developed by Communication Rights Australia, the Teachers’ Toolkit for Students with Little or No Speech is a website that school personnel can use to identify effective strategies and supports for students with complex communication needs. Their Teachers’ Checklist contains a series of questions that are linked to topics on a range of supports and strategies that can make a big difference in the lives of AAC learners. There are also helpful forms for teams to develop a Student Profile and Individual Learning Plan. You can begin to explore their AAC resources here.
November 21, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we continue to learn from the AAC in the Cloud conference, hosted by CoughDrop AAC which organizes and runs this wonderful professional development event each spring as a service to the AAC community. In this post, former teacher and veteran AT and Education Consultant veteran Kelly Fonner gives us a variety of suggestions for creating and using alphabet books to build language and literacy skills in AAC learners. We are grateful for CoughDrop’s generosity is organizing their annual AAC in the Cloud Conference and offering it for free so that so many parents and professionals can advance their knowledge. Kelly’s engaging style and top-notch content in this session are not to be missed. Enjoy! You can obtain the handout for this session here. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTAfiW-pMKw
November 14, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
As AAC practitioners, we sometimes lose sight of how our prognostications impact the individuals we serve. In today’s featured video Rob Rummel-Hudson provides some perspective on this important issue. Many thanks to Mr. Rummel-Hudson, the AAC RERC, and the AAC team at Penn State for making this video available. Direct Link to Video – https://aac-learning-center.psu.edu/2018/10/14/the-folly-of-fortune-telling/
November 8, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Thanks to all who reached out to express appreciation for Tabi Jones-Wohleber’s training resources in the MASTER PAL series. Many of you have already used the slides, video links, handouts, and discussion points that were shared over the past few months, and others have plans to do so. In this final post, Tabi shares some of the ‘lessons learned’ in creating and utilizing these materials. If you’re new to the series, you can check out each of the 11 modules here. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::; Over the last 11 weeks, facilitation strategies for communication partners have been shared through the Model as a MASTER PAL series. Model as a MASTER PAL is a framework for supporting communication partners of those who use AAC that evolved in response to the need go beyond the imperative and always present conversations of “use core words” and “model AAC”. It started as a list of ideas to... [Read More...]
November 7, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Hearing the AAC stories of people with complex communication needs is always enlightening, but even more so when the narratives are told directly by those individuals. In today’s featured video, we hear from South African teenager Zainab Omar. Enjoy! Many thanks to Zainab for sharing her story and to ISAAC for making this available to all of us. Please consider supporting this wonderful international organization (here’s how). Communication is everyone’s birthright. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrAe7oc-Rjo
November 5, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for literacy resources to help in your teaching of individuals with AAC needs? Today, we travel to the UK to learn from the team at Communication and Learning Enterprises (CandLE). Their Literacy for All program has been in development for over 15 years and is broken down into 6 elements: Communication Emergent literacy Literacy needs assessment Conventional literacy Thinking skills Mainstream curriculum support On the site, they detail their process for each of these elements and give implementation tips and examples. For those who are interested, they also link to a companion site where their literacy resources are sold. You can explore their site here.