1456 Search Results for link up
January 19, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Moms and dads know it. Teachers and SLPs know it, too. As children get older, the impact of peer relationships edge out the adults. There’s just nothing like the presence of a peer to get a communicator interested in using their best language abilities. Today, we’re excited to share a set of videos on peer power that are part of a larger module by Jacob Wolf and Earle Knowlton from the University of Kansas. Enjoy! Direct Link: http://www.aacmodules.com/Peer_Training-Module2.php
January 14, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We are occasionally asked how old children have to be before you can begin teaching AAC. Our answer: There is no set minimum age. Nor is there any research evidence that one has to use an oral-language only approach for a set period of time before beginning AAC. Today, we’re delighted to be able to share an article on this topic with you. This article describes a research review in which Branson and Demchak identified a dozen research studies looking specifically at the use of various AAC tools and strategies with infants and toddlers. Data from 190 children up to 36 months of age were examined. Of the 12 studies reviewed, 7 met criteria for having conclusive findings. In 97% of all cases, the children’s communication skills improved. Looking only at the 7 most rigorous studies is even more encouraging: All 135 babies/toddlers demonstrated improved communication skills following AAC intervention.... [Read More...]
January 13, 2014
by Robin Parker -
Planning for communication opportunities in every aspect of speech-language therapy helps ensure productive use of time and effort for both clinician and learner. It is not enough to talk to a student, it is not enough to provide fun activities without lots of opportunity for active participation and more specifically communication initiation. Another word for communication initiation/opportunities is communication temptations. Communication temptations are structured situations designed to entice a variety of specific communication functions or semantic relations (Wetherby, 1988). There needs to be lots of times where there is targeted modeling and then a specific, obvious reason for the learner to be the initiator of communication. A temptation to communicate. Take a look at this sample therapy session for frequent and multiple communication opportunities. Please let us know a favorite or creative communication opportunity that you use. PrAACtical Considerations Meaningful AAC Goals– All quality speech-language intervention sessions start with meaningful... [Read More...]
January 8, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Frustration. Fear. Helplessness. Being with a child in pain is an awful experience no matter what the circumstances. When a child has communication difficulties, the problems are magnified. In this video, we go to the Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres for an informative discussion about pain in children with developmental disabilities. Knowing what to look for is a first step in helping reduce pain and increase the coping skills of children with AAC needs. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-CzjHl1aqo
January 5, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Wondering how to make mealtimes more interactive? Give everyone a specific role. Amy Laurent shares some prAACtical ideas. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afBFrqal-dA
December 30, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
This month, we’ve been talking about ways to support beginning communicators, particularly those at the pre-intentional stage. In this brief post, we share a resource that you can use for graphing data. You can download the packet here or go to the e-Toolbox and look in the Downloads area. Direct Link to File – https://praacticalaac.org/?wpfb_dl=95
December 20, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Teaching core vocabulary is the best way to pack a lot of power into an AAC system. As some of you know, we post things to the PrAACtical AAC Facebook Page a few times/day. Recently, we shared a link to a core word board from the I Can Newsletter folks that was posted on Boardmaker Achieve. We asked for suggestions for what you could say with those words. Here’s are some great ideas from our prAACtical friends: Come again: Love that this can be used in a literal sense, but also as a snarky comment Get help Go away: Language learning and self-advocacy – this one’s a two-fer! Your bad Stop it. Ready, go! Go get it. I like it. I want all done! I want more You do/did it. You stop it. You want it. What you want? We’ll take any opportunity to model questions and teach how to... [Read More...]
December 18, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Deanne Shoyer, from Small But Kinda Mighty, has been sharing some fantastic ideas for building language in kids who are learning AAC. In this video, she shows how she used a visual scene display on a mobile device, Scene Speak (Good Karma Apps) to facilitate literacy and core vocabulary. You can read Deanne’s post about it here. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoeo1Z9Fqno
December 15, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
In many cases, SLPs start their careers without the knowledge or experiences that prepare them to support individuals with challenging behavior. This week, we feature a video by Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center of Excellence entitled Function Matters! How to Determine Why a Student Demonstrates Problem Behavior. In this archived webinar, Dr. Carol Schall provides an overview of Functional Behavior Assessment, and discusses ways in which to use this information to build a behavior support plan. Note: You may be required to register before viewing this archived webinar. Link to video: http://www.vcuautismcenter.org/training/webcasts/webcast.cfm/207
December 1, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
The Edublog Awards recognize the power of the individual to make a positive impact in education-related fields. We were so surprised to hear from Jenna Rayburn, author of the popular Speech Room News blog and TpT Store, that she had nominated us for the 2013 Eddies. It got us to thinking about our own favorites from the past year (so many wonderful blogs and bloggers!). Here are our nominees: Best individual blog: Chapel Hill Snippets Best class blog: Considerate Classroom Best ed tech/resource sharing site: Boardmaker Achieve Best teacher blog: Think Inclusive Most influential blog post of the year: SLPs and AAC Evaluations: First, Do No Harm Best individual tweeter: Brian Goldstein, @goldstein25 Best twitter hashtag: #AugComm Best free web tool: Jing Best educational use of audio/video podcast: Laura Mize, Teach Me to Talk podcasts Best educational wiki: CommunicatePA Best open PD/webinar series: AbleNet Best educational use of a social network: Pinterest,... [Read More...]