164 Search Results for karen
February 12, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Those of you who are still digging your way out of the most recent snowstorm may not believe it, but it’s almost time to make plans for summer. There are quite a few AAC camps, some that are quite well established and others that have been running for only a few years (see our AAC Camp Pinterest board here). In this post, we hear about one of them from Tina Moreno, an SLP and mom of Mateo, who uses PicturePower 100 on the Maestro to communicate, maintain friendships with his teammates on the cross country team, advocate for himself, reveal his wicked sense of humor, and even sing the National Anthem for his high school’s basketball games. Tina blogs at Voices4All. With the help of Drs. Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver, she and her friend Gina Cunningham created Camp ALEC together in memory of Gina’s son Alec, who never gave up, and... [Read More...]
January 11, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Monday: PrAACtically Reading – Where’s Spot with Karen Natoci Tuesday: Strengthening the Core – Modeling January Words Wednesday: Video of the Week – A Recipe For Friendship Thursday: 4 Conference Presentations with AAC Content
November 29, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Sunday: Video of the Week – More on Dealing with Feelings Monday: DIY Stand for Mobile Devices Tuesday: How I D0 It – Connecting with a Shared Community of Practice by Karen Florka Wednesday: Watch It Wednesday – Word Prediction Funnies Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving
November 2, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we return to the team at Dynamic Learning Maps. In this video, Karen Erickson discusses key factors in symbol use by students with significant communication difficulties.
October 10, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
When we provide literacy experiences to pre-readers, a question emerges: Should we add symbols to the text? For those of us who have been prAACticing for awhile (you know who you are, friends), there has been a shift in our thinking. Early on, we tried to add symbols to the words. Our thinking was that doing so would enhance the client’s ability to learn to read. A few years ago, we re-examined that belief. Here’s why. Many times, our clients didn’t really know the symbols anyway. Symbols for frequently used words (like of, some, and know) are not at all transparent. So the notion that the symbols would help them understand what they were reading often didn’t pan out. We want the learners to (eventually) develop their reading skills and be able to read conventional text. The symbols distract attention away from the print/text. If we want the learner to... [Read More...]
August 31, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we go back to the resources at PaTTAN, this time to learn about switches from OT Karen Kangas. These two videos are from a full day workshop, which is a lot to get through, but if you need information on this topic, this is a great resource. You can view Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
May 4, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Shared book reading is one of our favorite things to do when spending time with AAC learners. We love the interactive nature of shared reading, and appreciate the fact that we can make books engaging with the use of props and by relating the text to the learner’s life experiences. In today’s featured video, we learn more about the use of shared reading and how it can be used with people who have significant disabilities. Dr. Karen Erickson’s video comes from the Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment System. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwSxTDsQZb0&feature=youtu.be
March 24, 2014
by Robin Parker -
Literacy instruction involves lots of reading and writing. Last week, Carole discussed using storybook reading and the RAAP (Read, Ask, Answer, Prompt) strategy by Drs. Cathy Binger and Jennifer Kent-Walsh to teach communication and literacy. To use storybooks with all learners we need to have lots of books that are easily accessible. Books need to be accessible physically as well as through content and interest. It is lucky that with all of today’s on-line resources there is an abundance of ways to obtain as well as make and write storybooks. All learners can and should be be involved in both the reading and writing process. Not only do literacy skills improve but so do communication skills. Involving Learners in the Storybook Process Reader & Writer Vocabulary- Facilitate involvement by using reader and writer vocabulary. Refer to learners as “readers”, “authors”, “editors”, “publishers”, “critics”, etc. When you are treated and referred... [Read More...]
March 13, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
At the ATIA 2014 conference in January, it was exciting to hear about the updates on how core vocabulary is being addressed in the alternate assessment project for Dynamic Learning Maps. Allison Dennis, Dr. Karen Erickson, and Dr. Penny Hatch, of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, shared a lot of interesting information, as you can see from their handout. One of my favorite ‘take-aways,’ though, was a suggestion by Karen Erickson regarding the importance of aided language input for students with significant disabilities. We’ve written about aided language input so often that you may be tired of hearing it, but bear with us because her suggestion was pure genius. Ready? Here it is: List aided language input as an accommodation in the IEP. Why List Aided Language Input as an IEP Accommodation? It is a fundamental strategy for any beginning learner of AAC. It is rarely implemented... [Read More...]
October 20, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
How can we address the needs of AAC learners as they grow and change? In this video, Karen Sheehan discusses iPad apps that can help students who with communication, organization, note taking, and reading. Thanks to the Accessible Technology Coalition for making this available.