179 Search Results for rett

The Communication Book is Ready… Now What?

December 22, 2012 by - Leave your thoughts

The Communication Book is Ready Now What?

The Communication Book is Ready… Now What? The fun begins….  Yes, we really do think that TEACHING a learner to USE the communication book is FUN. We get to participate in lots of meaningful language experiences, we get to be creative, we get to watch language blossom, and we get to be surprised by the communication competence ALL of our learners show us after prAACtice, prAACtice, and for some more prAACtice . The best way to get started with communication book teaching is to begin by trying out different teaching tips, strategies, and resources and find out what works best.   Each communication dyad (communicator & communication partner) is different so the combination of strategies that will work will vary but at the core of the teaching process, there should be fun, motivation, and of course progress. STRATEGIES and CONSIDERATIONS Aided Language Input (ALI)– We can not say enough about... [Read More...]

Communication Books: Making Decisions About Format

December 15, 2012 by - 3 Comments

Four-year-old Josiah had a tiny one that was clipped to his belt loop so it was handy all throughout his day in preschool. Mr. Allan, who was hemiplegic and used a manual wheelchair, liked to keep one underneath his right thigh so he could grab it quickly whenever he wanted to talk. Dougie’s was big, really big, and he carried it under his arm wherever he went. Marla’s was a permanent fixture on her wheelchair laptray, and if she came without it because a caregiver forgot to put it on, it was likely to be a very l-o-n-g day. Geena’s looked like a DayPlanner and had it’s own special compartment in her purse. What are we talking about? Communication books, of course. And despite the fact that they all served the same general purpose, the communication books referenced in these examples couldn’t have looked more distinct. In this week’s post,... [Read More...]

5 AAC-related Presentation Handouts from 2012

December 11, 2012 by - Leave your thoughts

One of our deepest holiday wishes is that every AAC-loving clinician could have an increased travel budget for professional development. Until then, here are some handouts from AAC presentations at conferences around the US.  From the ISAAC Biennial Conference in Pittsburgh: Effects of Early AAC Intervention for Children with Down Syndrome by Janice Light and Kathryn Drager This was a well-attended session by Jane Korsten & Terry Foss at ISAAC 2012: Assessment Strategies for Individuals with Sensorimotor Differences Wish I could have been at Deanna Wagner’s session at ARSHA on AAC for Students with Visual and Multiple Disabilities: How to Plan and Implement a Successful AAC Treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech: A Checklist for Evidence-based Practice by Sue Caspari at the 2012 ASHA Schools Conference Theresa Bartolotta & Patricia Remshifski’s ASHA session on Communication & Swallowing in Rett Syndrome: An Update for Clinicians

Do It My Way: Personalizing Communication Books

December 5, 2012 by - 2 Comments

Do It My Way Personalizing Communication Books

The topic of communication books was introduced this month.  We will continue to think about the multitude of decisions to make as we design individual communication books. Obviously, content is the most important issue, but we are often reminded that function and form must go together. Carole gave some great examples of reasons to make the books appealing and personal. I had a situation this week that illustrated this concept perfectly.  We continue to learn from the ‘learners’ that we are teaching.  I know a  little girl with autism who most people think does not care about her peers or how things look.  She uses some natural speech and  a no-tech communication book. She uses the communication book  during her speech-language  therapy sessions but only inconsistently outside of the therapy room.  She has not expressed interest in taking the communication book with her and although she has some specific visual... [Read More...]

The PrAACtical Power of Communication Books

December 1, 2012 by - 8 Comments

The PrAACtical Power of Communication Books

There’s something about the month of December that makes us a bit nostalgic. As we prepare for the holidays, our thoughts drift to the past. Simpler times. Tradition. The way things used to be. And, so, for our Strategy of the Month, we step away from the latest app or fanciest SGD and turn our attention to one of the tried-and-true tools from the past: Communication books. They used to be ubiquitous but now they’re becoming almost a rarity. We’ve decided to focus on them for a couple of reasons, but the main one is to spread the word that it doesn’t take a sizeable budget to give someone access to real language. If you have access to a computer and printer, you can make a really robust communication book for little or no money. It seems so simple: Put some words and pictures in a book. Show someone how... [Read More...]

Let’s Get Specific About Speech Intelligibility

November 23, 2012 by - 1 Comment

Let’s Get Specific About Speech Intelligibility

When we’re writing AAC evaluation reports, compiling funding documents, and summarizing the present level of performance in IEPs, we frequently comment on speech intelligibility. In some cases, we’ve administered a standardized assessment instrument and are sharing those results. Often, though, the comments are more descriptive in nature. It is not uncommon to read documentation in which someone with articulation difficulties is described as having speech intelligibility that is mildly, moderately, or severely impaired. Those categories are pretty broad, open to interpretation, and can be quite vague. What do we really mean when saying that someone does or doesn’t have intelligible speech? To narrow down the meaning, we specify the two variables that have the greatest influence on how comprehensible the communicator’s speech output actually is: the context and the communication partner. Specifying whether the context is known and the partner is a familiar one, helps us better interpret the descriptors... [Read More...]

It’s PrAACtically Over: One Last Drawing for AAC Awareness Month

October 24, 2012 by - 10 Comments

It's PrAACtically Over: AAC Awareness Month Giveaway # 4

It’s been an exciting AAC Awareness Month! There were 25 lucky winners in the first two drawings and earlier today we drew the names for the third round. The winners for Drawing # 3 are Tanya Keller Scott (#473), Rachel Berry (#266), Carrie Walls (#9), Felicia Moore (#566), Diane Saunders (#34), Jillian Mayo (#164), Juliana Escobar (#425), Amy Vinson Taylor (#138), Allyssa Lucas (#323), Katrina Stebbins (#88), Kristina Frenzel (#480), Jennifer Schroeder (#510), Christine Cobb (#587), Lauren Enders (#53), Mark Neely (#291), Cassie Cann (#213), Amy M (#182), Cassandra Stafford (#366), Monica Venezia (#547), Lizzie Feldman (#579), Melissa Nicole (#364), Erin Finnegan (#434), and Kia Hughes (#383). Congratulations to the winners!  Our 4th and final drawing promises to be the best one yet. Please join us in giving virtual round of applause to these generous companies: Ablenet, Inc Abilipad Alexicom Avaz BeeVisual Dynavox/Mayer Johnson Gail Van Tatenhove, PA Hump Software iClick iTalk MarbleSoft Mozzaz News-2-You Patient Provider Communication Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company RJ Cooper Safe N Sound Mobile Say It with Symbols... [Read More...]

Round 3: A PrAACtical Celebration & Giveaway

October 17, 2012 by - 18 Comments

Round 3: A PrAACtical Celebration & Giveaway

We have been having a wonderful time with our prAACtical celebration! So far, we’ve awarded prizes to 25 different AAC-lovers, thanks to the generosity of a lot of companies and individuals. What a terrific group! Ablenet, Inc Abilipad Alexicom Avaz BeeVisual Dynavox/Mayer Johnson Gail Van Tatenhove, PA Hump Software iClick iTalk MarbleSoft News-2-You Patient Provider Communication Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company RJ Cooper Safe N Sound Mobile Say It with Symbols Silver Lining Multimedia SpeechPathology.com TapSpeak TherapyBox/TBoxApps Verbally How Does It Work? We use Rafflecopter to administer the giveaways. All entries made through there will be counted toward our drawings. We’re holding four drawings spaced throughout the month, and will draw two more sets of winners, one on October 24 and the other on October 31. Prizes are randomly assigned to each winner. We’ll send an email to each one letting them know what they’ve one. The winners will have... [Read More...]

AAC & Change: Some Thoughts on Influencing Behavior

October 13, 2012 by - 2 Comments

AAC & Change: Some Thoughts on Influencing Behavior

As SLPs who do the work of AAC, we all play many roles. We’re therapists and educators. We counsel and coach. We make materials, troubleshoot technology, take data, and write documentation. We advocate for the individual, institution, and society. A common thread that runs through many of these roles is this: Very often, we want people to change their behavior. We may want them to implement a strategy, use different materials, provide more services, agree to a decision, fund a communication device, learn more about what they’re doing, or something else. But we are trying to influence others to change. It is taking us (Robin and Carole) a lifetime to figure out how best to do this. Like you, we face it practically everyday. Each week, we cross paths with a few people who have bad information about AAC, or not enough information, negative attitudes, indifference, or apathy. We try... [Read More...]

AAC Awareness Month Giveaway # 2

October 10, 2012 by - 2 Comments

AAC Awareness Month Giveaway # 2

We’re bAACk with another giveaway to celebrate  AAC Awareness Month, made possible by the very generous people at the organizations listed below: Ablenet, Inc Abilipad Alexicom BeeVisual Dynavox/Mayer Johnson Gail Van Tatenhove, PA Hump Software iClick iTalk MarbleSoft News-2-You Patient Provider Communication Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company RJ Cooper Safe N Sound Mobile Say It with Symbols Silver Lining Multimedia SpeechPathology.com TapSpeak TherapyBox/TBoxApps Verbally How Does It Work? We use Rafflecopter to administer the giveaways. All entries made through there will be counted toward our drawings. We’re holding three additional drawings this month, and will pick winners on October 17, 24, and 31. Prizes are randomly assigned to each winner. We’ll send an email to each one letting them know what they’ve one. The winners will have 5 days to respond to our email. You’ll need to be a good sport to play along because we’re not going to get... [Read More...]