699 Search Results for communication book
October 19, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
What better way to celebrate AAC Awareness Month than to share AAC stories from around the world? In this post, we welcome Desirae Pillay, who shares a bit about her daughter, Savannah, and their AAC journey. As the mother of a young adult with ASD and cerebral palsy, Desirae has taken what she has learned about AAC and is using it to help others outside of her family. Desirae began her journey with AAC in 2003 when she could not find a qualified AAC specialist to assist her with her daughter. Her experience and informal learning gained her a job for an AT company. When her daughter’s health needs became pressing, she resigned her job and worked part time as a Disability Consultant for various organisations. Desirae recently returned to work as an AT Advisor, where she trains on a range of topics about communication for people with disabilities. Her passion is for... [Read More...]
April 2, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night sweating over one of your AAC clients who doesn’t have a back-up communication tool, then this post is for you. Jeanne Tuthill is back with another prAACtical suggestion, this time on the importance of ensuring that people with AAC needs have communication options when their technology isn’t available or appropriate. In keeping with the generous spirit of the AAC field, Jeanne also shares her files for this project. Enjoy! How I Do It: Making a Back-up for High Tech AAC Each time I teach my graduate class I try to invite at least one AAC user in as a guest speaker to share their story with the students in the class. It never ceases to fill my students with awe and appreciation for the challenges that AAC users face on a daily basis. My students often list it as... [Read More...]
March 16, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
We’ve been talking about implementing A Year of Core Words and A(nother) Year of Core Words for our March words. If you are new to the idea, it involves highlighting a different set of set of 12-16 core words each month to help our AAC learners get progressively more familiar with their vocabulary options. Today, we’re linking to some posts with ideas for what to do with the core words for each month. Laying the Foundation Give learners access to core vocabulary in their communication books, SGDs, and/or AAC apps. Prepare the core vocabulary materials for the month. If you haven’t started, don’t sweat it. Just download, print, and give it a go. “A year from now, you will wish you had started today” (K. Lamb). We are ALL a work in progress. Use the core words in an AAC system when you speak. Whether we call it aided language... [Read More...]
December 10, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We’ve talked a lot about innovative communication displays and today we’re going to highlight a recently released one. I was delighted to hear about CommuniKate from Dr. Joe Reddington, who blogs at joereddington.com. Joe is a principal of White Water Writers, a project that trains teachers and youth leaders to run inspiration literacy camps, and works toward a world where all children can hold books they have written. He researches ethical issues around power and control in the context of communication disability, and produces open datasets for AT provision, among other things. In this post, Joe introduces us to CommuniKate. CommuniKate 20 is a socially focused page set designed exclusively for people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). It was designed so that it could be easily used in conjunction with a low-tech communication book and as a progression from a book to a dynamic display device. It covers core vocabulary and... [Read More...]
December 1, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We’re all so accustomed to seeing grid-based displays that sometimes we have to make a concerted effort to consider other options. Visual scene displays (VSDs) are a great option for some clients with AAC needs. Here are some resources that may be helpful if you’re considering using them with one of your prAACtical friends. Visual Scene Manual by Drs. Kristy Weissling and David Beukelman Visual Scene Templates for communication books Augmentative Communication News issue on VSD’s Jane Farrall’s SlideShare presentation on VSD’s Visual Scene Display webcast
November 10, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We’ve talked a lot about prompting strategies in previous posts, but today we look at one specific type: Physical assistance. Whether it is pointing to a symbol, activating the message window, turning pages in a communication book, or other early skills, beginning users of AAC often need a good deal of physical support to exhibit the desired behavior. Our first inclination may be to help the learner by using hand-over-hand (HOH) prompting, which is certainly effective in guiding them through the behavior. An even better way to support them, though, is hand-under-hand (HUH) prompting. With HUH, we guide learners by placing our hands under their hand (or just next to their hand) as we complete the desired behavior. HUH is frequently used with learners who have vision impairments and those who are deafblind. We find that it has much broader utility and can be a superior way of supporting some students... [Read More...]
July 31, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We are so pleased to have a return visit by SLP Jeanne Tuthill. In this post, she shares an informal assessment activity based around a Book of Favorites. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Greetings from Massachusetts! My work at the Collaborative for Educational Services is on a school-year contract so I’m currently on summer break with my three girls. We’ve been plenty busy with fun summer activities but my learning and growing as an AAC therapist isn’t tied to my contract dates. I’ve also been busy watching webinars, reading some great books (educational as well as pleasure-reading), and following the Facebook feeds of some of my favorite AAC peeps! I really wish I could have attended ISAAC in Lisbon, Portugal this year…I loved seeing everyone’s photos and posts from what looked to be a spectacular conference! In my last post on assessment I shared with you an ice-breaker activity that is low-stress for... [Read More...]
June 19, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We are pleased to be sharing another post by a graduate student SLP. Stephanie Amundsen attends the SLP program at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and has worked for the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) Atlantic Regional Demonstration Center (ARDC) since May 2012. She is currently completing an externship working with children with complex communication needs, and is writing her thesis on AAC access in acute and sub-acute facilities. She has presented posters on service learning using AAC intervention and grammatical intervention using AAC under the direction of Dr. Kent-Walsh at the 2013 ASHA Convention, and has volunteered at the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference in 2013 and 2014. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: As a graduate student placed in my first externship, I encountered multiple clients with AAC needs from day one. Because one of my placement sites is a Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care (PPEC) facility, many... [Read More...]
June 12, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We are happy to welcome back our friend and colleague, Dr. Kristy Weissling, and her student Heather Buhr, who are sharing more information about an AAC tool they are using to support people with aphasia. Take a look at their Pocket Calendars, which may be beneficial to clients with other kinds of communication difficulties as well. You can see their original post, Low-Tech AAC for Adults with Aphasia, here. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In our last post we examined the differences between memory books and communication books. As promised, we are back again to share with you a low-tech “device” that we have been recently using- the pocket calendar. It’s simple, easy to use, comes together in a snap, and is probably familiar to your clients. We will review how our clients are using these pocket calendars, why we find them effective, and how to put one... [Read More...]
May 27, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Aphasia Awareness Month is just around the corner, and getting us ready for that is this wonderful post on using low tech AAC with people who have aphasia. We’re delighted to welcome back our friend and colleague, Dr. Kristy Weissling, who is collaborating with Heather Buhr, to share some thoughts on this topic. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: For many, the term Augmentative and Alternative (AAC) brings to mind technology, speech-generating devices, and now – more than ever before – iPads. But as we know, AAC encompasses much more than that. We all use AAC when we make facial expressions or gestures, use symbols or pictures, or write. We would like to explore AAC and more “low-tech” options that help our clients express their thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas. Low-tech strategies can range from the use of written choice, to communication boards, to communication books. In this article we will specifically address communication... [Read More...]