February 5, 2013
by Robin Parker -
All we can say is Wow! ATIA 2013 Orlando was awesome! Since it is February, we will focus on things we LOVE as it relates to our ATIA experience. Here are just a few thoughts and pictures from our time in the Exhibit Hall. (Please note, this is just a small sample of the many, many things seen and learned. Our list is based on the pictures we took and the time we had in the Exhibit Hall (both limited). A comprehensive list of Exhibitors can be found at the ATIA 2013 Orlando Site under the Exhibit List. So much to see and learn! FRS Custom Solutions.- We loved meeting the FRS Team (especially since they are based in Fort Lauderdale) and learning about the CommLink ProSlate Series. Fat Cat Chat– Love the Fat Cat Chat apps for ‘small talk’ (Thanks Jane Farrall for blogging about Fat Cat Chat apps). Immediately... [Read More...]
November 30, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Maybe you didn’t get to the ASHA Convention this year. Or maybe you did, but couldn’t get to all the sessions you had hoped to attend. In either case, we’ve linked to handouts from a number of AAC presentations. Enjoy! AAC in the Common Core State Standards? Karen Erickson, Penny Hatch, Allison Dennis, & Marlene Cummings have your back. This is a project to watch! Janice Light’s presentation on Building Communicative Competence with Individuals who Require AAC: From Research to Effective Practice AAC for Adults With Acquired Neurological Conditions: Today & Tomorrow by David Beukelman, Susan Fager, Julia King, & Karen Hux Analyzing Language Development of Physically Impaired Children Using AAC Devices by Monika Ortloff, Paul Andres, Meher Banajee, & Gail Van Tatenhove Presentation by Cathy Binger and Jennifer Kent Walsh on Selecting Skills to Teach AAC Communication Partners
October 10, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
A full year of online CEUs AAC Notecards AAC Eval Genie App Practicing Unity Patterns App Set of PODD CDs Pillow Pet and Storybook 6 different RJ Cooper Apps 15 Codes for Alexicomm Apps We are so thrilled to be able to announce the first set of winners for our AAC Awareness Month Giveaway! This morning we used Rafflecopter to draw 12 names for prizes from Alexicom, Hump Software, RJ Cooper, Dynavox/Mayer Johnson, TapSpeak, Say It with Symbols, SpeechPathology[dot]com, and some from us. Congratulations to Karen McKenzie (#173), Susan Enders Fronek (#140), Leanne Talley Pool (# 65), Mary Behl (#195), Tea Moore (#88), Rebecca Kasdon (#27), Carly (#208), Kristy Davies (#491), Christina Frenzel (#36), Cassandra Stafford (#684), Juliana Escobar (#652), and Angela Bancker Larios (#710). We will be contacting you by email with the particulars later today. Winners, please take a moment to thank your prize donors. We’ll be posting... [Read More...]
September 28, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
In past posts, we shared links to some handouts from the ISAAC 2012 Biennial Conference in Pittsburgh. While it is great for those of us who attended but couldn’t get to every presenter we wanted to hear, the main idea was to help spread the awesome content to those of you who couldn’t be there. Here are some others that may be of interest. Creating a Core Vocabulary for a Common Core Curriculum by Karen Erickson, Penelope Hatch, Allison Dennis, & Marlene Cummings Baby Talk/Kid Talk PWUAAC Talk to Little Ones! by Krista Howard, Kaitlyn Graham, & Caroline Musselwhite Evaluating Preferred Augmentative and Alternative Communication Strategies for Patients in Long Term Health Care Hospitals by Susan Fager, Jenna LeDoux, & David Beukelman Prompting: A Cautionary Tale of Use, Misuse & Abuse by Jane Korsten & Terry Foss Supporting Linguistic Skills Through iDevices: Cool Tricks with New Applications by Caroline Musselwhite,... [Read More...]
August 1, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Lots more ISAAC fun to tell about in Day 4! — My day started with a shorter version of the presentation on the preschool core language curriculum that I’m working on with Lori Wise. You can see the handout for that presentation here. — There is some fascinating work going on in the area in supporting the emotional development of children with AAC needs. Dr. Sarah Blackstone and colleagues talked about the developmental sequence in which emotional competence emerges. They are working on an observation and interview tool used to collect information on a child’s emotional development and the caregiver strategies. They are planning a pilot study with the tool they are developing and actively looking for volunteers to use this tool with children who are developmentally between 12 months and 10 years. – Terry Foss and and Jane Korsten did an interesting presentation called Promptology 101 where they reviewed some... [Read More...]
June 15, 2012
by Robin Parker -
We have so much fun preparing for Father’s Day. We make it a celebration weekend with lots of homemade gifts, family activities, and reflections on past memories and future plans. We really love all of our children’s home-made crafts, especially those that include photos . We also think hearing a child say “I love You” is another great gift. And finally with enough time left to prepare, we think a heartfelt letter, essay, or poem directed to ‘dad’ would be amazing. Here is some eloquent inspiration. One Father’s Perspective by Robert Rummel-Hudson, author of Schuyler’s Monster: A Father’s Journey with His Wordless Daughter Fathers Day with Autism: Rethinking the Cool Dad by Joel Yanofsky author of Bad Animals: A Father’s Accidental Education in Autism. Love That Max by Ellen Seidman, author of Love That Max Happy Father’s Day to A Special Needs Dad by guest blogger Karen Wang, Friendship Circle Parent Father’s Day interview with... [Read More...]