June 4, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Karen Natoci is back just in time for the end of school and the start of summer break. Karen is an AAC Supervisor with The Speech Pathology Group in Walnut Creek, California. In this post, she gets us thinking about summer and shares suggested extension activities for home and a lesson plan for how to implement these materials at the return of school after summer break. Be sure to download the packet of materials using the link at the bottom of this page. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Book: How Do You Know It’s Summer? (Rookie Read-About Science) by Lisa M. Herrington It’s time to wrap up the school year! In the northern hemisphere, we are looking forward to summer break or a more relaxed school schedule. This is a great book to kick off the final week of school and to send along summer homework in preparation for the first week of school. The... [Read More...]
May 30, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
How can we help families better understand ways to support the social skill development of learners with autism? Today’s featured videos, presented by Julie Short and hosted by the wonderful team at OCALI, offer a variety of practical suggestions for parents to use at home. While not specific to AAC, these concepts, tools, and strategies can easily be applied to learners with autism spectrum disorder and others with complex communication needs. Part 1 Direct Link to Video -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OawYYpl6Ys Part 2 Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2MXqdeR7gg
May 23, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
If you appreciate the Communication Bill of Rights, you won’t want to miss today’s featured video. Kudos to the leadership, clients, and staff of the Communication Technology Education Center (CTEC) for this wonderful video. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6Q44HuMvG0&t=3s
May 16, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Hospitalization can be difficult and scary under any circumstance, but when the individual uses AAC, there are increased risks for adverse effects and other problems. How can we reduce risk and improve communication between healthcare providers and people who use AAC? Today’s featured video is part of the wonderful USSAAC Webinar Series. Dr. Richard Hurtig, from the University of Iowa and Voxello, discusses ways to facilitate improved communication between hospitalized patients with AAC needs and healthcare providers. Many thanks to USSAAC, Dr. Hurtig, and ISAAC for making this archived webinar available. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U71mk-dSwk4
May 9, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
How can we help our AAC learners become effective communicators in natural environments? One important aspect is to train their family, teachers, friends, and service providers to use supportive interaction strategies. In today’s video, hosted by Saltillo as part of their webinar series, Dr. Jill Senner and Matthew Baud share some of the best practices for working with adult communication partners and helping them develop their skills in this area. Many thanks to the speakers and to Saltillo for making this archived webinar available to us all. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7snlGPY2tw&t=9s You can learn more from Jill and Matt through their past posts and videos (click here to explore).
April 25, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
When working with AAC learners, how can we best model and elicit target communication behaviors? In today’s featured video, SLP Deborah Witkowski provides an overview of the ways that we can shift our approach from one that prioritizes activity-specific words, to one that emphasizes high-frequency words. If you are looking to grow your skills in implementing AAC, this video will provide lots of helpful information. Many thanks to the Colorado Department of Education’s Southwest AT and AAC project (SWAAAC) for making this available. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R70CfxnD4yY
April 18, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
How can we better support people who have challenging behavior? When that behavior is related to communication needs, as it so often is, Functional Communication Training is often part of the answer. But how can we provide those kinds of supports in ways that are efficacious and feasible? And what about other sorts of behaviors that impact safety, learning, and quality of life? In today’s video, we learn about a parent training approach developed by the Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) Autism Network. Many thanks to Dr. Bearss and the Els for Autism Foundation for making this archived webinar available. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Bearss, K., Johnson. C., Smith, T., Lecavalier, L., Swiezy, N., Aman, M., McAdam, D., Butter, E., Stillitano, C., Minshawi, N., Sukhodolsky, D., Mruzek, D., Turner, K., Neal, T., Hallett, V., Mulick, J., Green, B., Handen, B., Deng, Y., Dziura, J., & Scahill, L.(2015). Effect of parent training versus parent... [Read More...]
April 11, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Speak AAC to Teach AAC It’s wonderful to see how many people are actively working on their own skills in aided language input. Today’s video, from the Communication Technology Education Center (CTEC) in northern California, addresses a question that many communication partners have: How much language should I model? Kudos to the STAR team at CTEC for this engaging video. Enjoy! Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VppaSuAF0f4
April 4, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
If you work in school settings and serve students with AAC needs, or if you have a school-aged child who uses AAC, today’s featured video is an important one for you. Lisa Lightner, parent, disability rights leader, and author of the popular blog A Day In Our Shoes, shares useful information of interest to families and professionals alike. The webinar was sponsored by the Center on Technology and Disability (CTD). Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5spq37ooWRk&feature=push-u&attr_tag=ayID2iP5sKPBsTQX-6 Interested in this topic? Check out some of the other work by the CTD on AT in the IEP here. Kudos to the CTD and Lisa Lightner for creating this presentation and making it available to all.
March 22, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Lauren Enders does it again! We can always count on her for up-to-date information on the sales and discounts that get offered for Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month (April) and AAC Awareness Month (October). Check out this useful information. Note: The resources in this post will be updated with new information as it becomes available. Thank you, Lauren! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking to purchase an AAC or literacy app? It’s that time of year again! Don’t miss your chance to download select apps at a substantial discount in honor of Autism Acceptance/Awareness month. (Not all developers will be offering discounts.) Make sure you note specific sale dates for each app as they vary. Link to a PDF of this graphic for sharing: http://bit.ly/aacappsalegraphicmarchapril18 You can view or download a spreadsheet with sale dates and download links here http://bit.ly/aacappsalesmarchapril18 Reminder from my friend and respected colleague Rachael Langley: “Remember many of these programs... [Read More...]