159 Search Results for CAA
February 22, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Words for emotions and feelings are pretty common in AAC devices and non-electronic communication aids, like PODD books and eye gaze boards. It’s wonderful when our clients can tell us they are sad or angry with words rather than using challenging behaviors or suffering in silence. What can we do to further their skills in this area? Here are some suggestions to get us thinking. Beyond the Basics: Consider going beyond the basic feeling words (i.e., happy, sad, mad, tired, scared) and including additional emotion words in the AAC system (e.g., frustrated, embarrassed, disappointed, lonely, worried). Don’t assume that this is inappropriate just because an individual has lower language levels or cognitive delays. To learn language, we have to have access to it. Model, model, model: Use these emotion words throughout the day to express your own feelings, and narrate your observations of how others are feeling (e.g., “Joey’s crying... [Read More...]
December 20, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
As we all know, AAC learners need to use their augmentative tools and strategies to do more than ask for the things they want to do or have. But it can be tricky to figure out how to build competency with more social communicative functions. In today’s featured video, Matthew Baud and Dr. Jill Senner, of the Technology and Language Center, discuss some of the issues involved in expanding the pragmatic profiles of our AAC learners. They also demonstrate specialized social pages in some AAC systems. Handouts can be obtained from the TALC website or the link below. Download the handout here. You can learn more about pragmatic intervention from Matthew and Jill here. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGLiJRXXM88&t=1762s
November 12, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
It’s a beautiful day to grab a mug of coffee or pour a cup of tea, and head for a comfy spot to catch up on some AAC reading. Monday – AAC Site of the Month: Centre for AAC (CAAC) Wednesday – Video of the Week: Analyzing the Communication Environment Thursday – PrAACtical Information: 5 AAC Presentation Handouts :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Need a few more suggestions? Here are a handful past post on AAC and young children. Preschool AAC and Visual Supports from Orange County Public Schools TELL ME – AAC in the Preschool Classroom Supporting Preschoolers with AAC Needs-A Case Study Visual Supports in Action: The Preschool Classroom Mining Preschool Routines for PrAACtical AAC Opportunities Have a great week, AAC friends!
June 5, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for a quick, easy-to-read resource to supplement your AAC trainings with colleagues and families? In today’s post we share a flipbook-style handout that might come in handy. It covers basic tips under these headings: AAC Near Me (See me, see my AAC) Speak AAC (Aided language input) Speaking Style (Descriptive talking) Expectations (Setting the bar high) Support (AAC facilitation strategies) FAQs (Q & A about implementation) Top 10 Tips You can download the file here. Edited: This was translated into Spanish as part of the Hablando PráctiCAAmente project, coordinated by Deanna Wagner. Dianna Angeles was the translator and Claudia Marimón assisted with the editing. You can access the Spanish edition here. Enjoy!
May 11, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Better Hearing and Speech Month is in full swing and we are excited to see SLPs talking about tools and strategies for supporting people with AAC needs. Many individuals with AAC needs have difficulty using language in expected ways, particularly in social interactions. In this post, we welcome back guest authors Jill Senner and Matthew Baud to discuss ways in which they target pragmatic language in their clinical work. They have a prAACtical approach to this subject and are generous in sharing AAC resources, including vocabulary/pagesets for some popular AAC apps/SGDs. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Chat with Me: Pragmatic Skill Intervention in AAC with Jill E Senner, PhD, CCC-SLP & Matthew R. Baud, MS, CCC-SLP Pragmatic skills, commonly referred to as social skills, play an important role in the successful integration of individuals with disabilities. People with disabilities need adequate social skills to live and be educated in the least restrictive environment, to be... [Read More...]
January 16, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr on the third Monday of January. It presents, among other things, a wonderful opportunity to talk and teach about concepts like tolerance, fairness, dignity, respect, and peaceful protest. Many of our AAC learners have a deeper understanding of these concepts than we will ever realize but they lack the language skills to discuss them in the same ways as their speaking peers do. Today, we share some ideas for continuing the conversation about these issues to help our AAC learners continue to develop their language skills. You may already have books, videos, and other resources that are useful in teaching about the life of Dr. King and the values he fought for, but here are some previous posts with a few more suggestions. Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday: 5 Resources for AAC Learners AAC and Anti-bullying... [Read More...]
May 19, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
“Waffle.” “I want ___.” “More.” “I’d like a diet coke, please.” “Help.” Most AAC interventionists are quite effective at helping clients use their communication systems during snack or mealtime in order to make requests. How can we move beyond that and help AAC learners communicate for a wider variety of purposes? Mealtimes are wonderful social opportunities and we can take advantage of that by building interaction opportunities around predictable routines. Why build a routine? The predictability helps learners understand what is expected of them. Understanding the expectation sets the stage for active participation. When something becomes a routine, it gets implemented regularly. That gives our learners lots of opportunities to practice their new skills. It also gives us the opportunity to get better at key instructional strategies, such as aided language input, creating explicit opportunities, and using language expansions. Need some suggestions for routines that can be created to foster... [Read More...]
April 14, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we welcome back Dr. Jill Senner and Matthew Baud to talk about some of their strategies for implementing AAC. They have some great ideas for helping partners better support AAC learners. You can read some of their previous posts here. In the meantime, let’s see how they are helping communication partners develop their AAC facilitation skills. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Most of us already know that evidence-based research supports the use of partner-augmented input (PAI) as an intervention strategy for individuals who use AAC. However, simply having awareness of a strategy does not mean that one can easily use it. To quote Jim Knight, “We wouldn’t teach someone to drive by giving them a lecture, tossing them a book, and then turning them loose on the freeway.” Indeed, in order to learn a new skill, communication partners often need practice. In fact, one may need to try a new strategy or skill... [Read More...]
September 15, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
We are pleased to welcome back Dr. Jill Senner and Matthew Baud to talk about a topic near and dear to my heart: language sampling. Jill is an AAC SLP and the owner of Technology and Language Center. An experienced AAC interventionist, she has presented at numerous national conferences and has taught graduate AAC courses. You can follow Jill on Pinterest or visit her at the TALC Facebook page. Matthew (@Mbaud12/Twitter) is the AT Coordinator at Niles Township District for Special Education where he conducts AAC evaluations, trainings, and coaching of AAC. He has an AAC private practice and is an adjunct AAC instructor at Saint Xavier University. Matthew has presented at several national and state conferences. In this post, they share their favorite tips and resources for language sampling and language sample analysis. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Language sample analysis is an oldie but a goodie in the field of speech-language pathology. While writing down and analyzing what children say is not a new idea,... [Read More...]
June 2, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Jill Senner and Matthew Baud are back to share some of their favorite therapy activities. In this post, they discuss how they build language while making ice cream. Summer is almost here and we’re already thinking about making our favorite frozen treat, ice cream in a bag. No special equipment is required. With a couple of plastic zipper bags and 5 ingredients already in your kitchen, kids can shake milk into ice cream in just 5 minutes. Free picture recipes can be downloaded here. As with many of the cooking activities we love, there are lots of natural opportunities for language use before, during and after cooking. Before cooking we read the recipe and check the kitchen to see if we have the ingredients. If any are missing, we write shopping lists of ingredients we need. We can take a community field trip to the grocery store where there... [Read More...]