December 24, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends, and good Christmas Eve to those who celebrate this holiday. If you have some time, here are a handful of posts that may be of interest. Monday – School Year of Core Vocabulary Words: Introducing “Lessons for Older Students” Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: About School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Older Student Lessons by Michaela Sullivan & Lindsay Dougherty Thursday – January Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Friday – An AAC Christmas Tale ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have some extra time, stick around and check out these posts from the archives. AAC Devices & Apps Without an Evaluation: A Few Questions to Ask Teaching Prelinguistic Communication to Beginning Communicators 5 Resources for Your AAC Toolkit Text-based AAC Beginning Communicators: Learning Through Touch Cues
December 10, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts you might enjoy. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Creating Buy-in Thursday – PrAACtically Hanukkah: Resources & Activities for an AAC-friendly Celebration ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Have a little more time? You might want to check out some of these posts from the archives. PrAACtical Questions with Vicki Clarke: What’s the Role of Core Vocabulary? Supporting AAC Learners in Emergent Writing: 5 Helpful Resources Writing AAC Goals Let Me Tell You Something- Narratives for the Beginning Communicator Teaching Word Prediction: 5 Strategies for Consideration
December 3, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: The ABC’s of AAC Thursday – December Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links – Diciembre 2023 Still have time for a little more AAC? Here are some of our suggestions. Assessing Classroom AAC Practices Helping Beginning Communicators Expand Their Sentence Length 5 Ways to Make Semantic Maps More Effective in AAC Therapy PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: The Family Book How I Do It: A Year of Core Words in Action Have a great week, everyone!
December 1, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Each month we feature a Spanish version of our AAC Link Up, CAA con Links. If you have AAC-related announcements, materials, or videos in Spanish that you would like others to know about, we’d love to have you add that information below. Also, please share this with anyone who might be interested in contributing to or using the materials that get added to these posts. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries and offer translations of material that can help families and service providers. In today’s post, Claudia shares resources and materials with a Christmas theme. Take a look at the information, and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to add your link and see what others are sharing. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Iniciamos el mes de Diciembre... [Read More...]
November 26, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you may have missed. Monday: PrAACtically Thanksgiving: AAC-friendly Resources for Turkey Day Fun Tuesday: AAC Link Up Wednesday: Video of the Week: ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving Before you go, we have a few more posts that may be of interest. PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: Hello, Holidays! 5 Different Gifts to Give To A Classroom PrAACtical Ideas: AAC Core Vocabulary Practice for Workshops and Inservices Video of the Week: Helping Students with Autism Prepare for Non-routine Events AAC Fair Testing Practices: Implementation & Beyond
November 5, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts for you. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Lived Experience of Ömer Güney Thursday – November Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links – Noviembre 2023 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, why not sample some of these past posts? Organizing Vocabulary for Communication Books: Getting Started More on Teaching Core Vocabulary Join Together Core and Fringe AAC In the Classroom: Considerations for Modeling Core Vocabulary PrAACtical Resources: Mini Communication Boards
October 8, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might appreciate. Monday – Say What? AAC Awareness Month 2023 Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Models for Coaching AAC Partners Thursday – October Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Next up: A few more suggestions for AAC reading. PrAACtical Ideas: AAC Core Vocabulary Practice for Workshops and Inservices How I Do It: Working with Multiple Symbol Sets PrAACtically Reading: Over on the Farm with Karen Natoci & Karen Baca 5+ Ways to Make Page Fluffers and Spacers Classroom CORE Book by Tabi Jones-Wohleber (Downloadable file) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
September 21, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
When budgets are low but creative energy is high, it’s time to consider a new project. Check out these AAC-related do-it-yourself ideas. Make It PrAACtical: DIY Adapted Toys Make It PrAACtical: DIY Switch-accessible Scanner Make It PrAACtical: DIY Customizable Stylus Make It PrAACtical: Cell Phone Stand Make It PrAACtical: Adapted Writing Tool Make it PrAACtical: Make Your Own Battery Interrupters (without Soldering!) DIY Stand for Mobile Devices Make Your Own Communication Book Stand Building PVC Stands for Eye Gaze & Tablets AT Makers Magic Moments with a Crafty Flashlight Make a Core Vocabulary Folder How I Do It: Building & Using Language Kits How We Do It: Making AAC Videos for Core Word Learning DIY Keyguards for AAC DIY Magnetic Communication Board
September 16, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
About This Week Welcome to Week 3 of your Stepping into AAC journey! This week will get us thinking about how words are symbolized, what kinds of words should be on AAC systems, and other foundational information. We will explore the following concepts this week: Why Use Symbols for AAC? Gain an understanding of symbolic communication and issues related to using picture symbols in AAC systems. Balancing Core and Fringe Vocabulary: Learn about different types of words that AAC learners need access to and the role of each. Navigating AAC: Build your knowledge of the logic in the design of communication boards, AAC apps, and speech-generating devices. AACtion Steps Week 3 AACtion Steps Signposts Link to References Gayl Porter & Linda Burkhart, 2010 – Limitations of Using a Representational Hierarchy Get the Handout Balancing Core & Fringe Get the Handout Navigating AAC- 3 Things to Know Travelog Week 3 Travelog... [Read More...]
September 16, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
About Week 5 Welcome to the fifth week of your Stepping into AAC journey! In Week 5, we do a deep dive into key strategies for beginning AAC users. We will explore the following concepts this week: Say What You See: Familiarize yourself with the concept of narrating the world around us to facilitate language development in AAC learners. Model AAC Without Expectation: Learn about one of the most helpful AAC support strategies we have in our toolbox. Pause – Give Time for AAC Learning: Expand your understanding of ‘wait time’ and the positive role it can play in interactions with AAC users. Make the Most of Requesting: Consider the importance of making requests along with some of the pitfalls of over-emphasizing this aspect of communication. Think Aloud with AAC: By giving voice to our thoughts, feelings, and internal dialogue, we can support the development of cognitive and linguistic skills... [Read More...]