184 Search Results for rett
June 7, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
June is National Aphasia Awareness Month here in the US and there is no better time to share some wonderful resources on using AAC with people who have aphasia. – – Things to Do In Support of Aphasia Awareness Read this article on AAC and aphasia by Dr. Joanne Lasker and Dr. Kathryn Garrett Download some AAC Assessment Materials, also by Drs. Lasker and Garrett View a recorded webcast on a visual scene AAC project for people with aphasia from the University of Nebraska and free templates for visual scenes Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a less common form of the disorder and leads to a gradual reduction in language abilities. You can learn more about it here. View a recorded webcast on PPA by Dr. Melanie Fried Oken. Check out these free apps designed specifically for people with aphasia. Download Small Talk AAC apps (free) for people with... [Read More...]
June 2, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Well, it’s Week 4 of the new semester, and in our AAC classes, we’ve been talking a lot about how language is represented and organized in communication boards/books, SGDs, and AAC apps. We’ve talked about the pros and cons of representing language in various ways and discussed the options for setting up displays so that people can easily access the words they need. At this point, we know how to choose appropriate symbols, select appropriate vocabulary, and arrange it in an appropriate format. In short, we know how to put language ‘in.’ Now comes the hard part: Getting it out. How do we get people to actually use the language that’s been so carefully stored in the no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech AAC tools? Our June Strategy of the Month is about techniques for language facilitation. If you’re an SLP well-versed in language therapy with speaking children, these posts will cover... [Read More...]
April 30, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
It’s easy to daydream when you’re sitting in the sun. It is a stunningly beautiful day here in south Florida. “Too nice to stay indoors,” my mom would have said, and so I’m sitting outside with my laptop working away. Before long, my mind starts to wander. – Ever think about what you would do if you weren’t an SLP? For me ‘reading teacher’ would be pretty close to the top of the list. – I was one of those kids who spent hours in the children’s library just devouring books. Melinda Cox Free Library was my home away from home, and In those days it was run by the Edgar sisters, Miss Martha and Miss Alice. They tolerated no nonsense in ‘their’ library and the adult books were strictly off-limits to young people. We were confined to the Littleton room, a well-stocked children’s section, where I spent most of... [Read More...]
April 26, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
– Conversations with health care providers can be confusing, particularly when medical terminology comes into play. But what if you and your doctor literally speak different languages? Yup, there’s an app for that. – Medibabble is an app that translates thousands of medical questions and instructions into five different languages (English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Haitian Creole). The Spanish language option is preinstalled and the rest are easy in-app downloads. The app itself and all the languages are free. – The main feature is a large database of questions, answers, and patient instructions that are organized by body systems (e.g., respiratory, digestive) and symptoms to allow medical staff to gather accurate case history information and convey information. There are also greetings/farewells, introductions (e.g., “I am your physical therapist), common responses (e.g., “Thank you for answering my questions”), and explanations (e.g., “Since an interpreter is not available immediately, this device will allow... [Read More...]
April 26, 2012
by Robin Parker -
Temptation can be hard but when we tempt for commenting- we don’t want to hold back. With that in mind, we thought about some comment tempting apps. We found many great free or close to free apps that are very likely to tempt commenting from everyone who plays. Commenting, by definition, is a social reason to communicate. So be sure to ‘app together’ when the purpose of app play is to ‘tempt’ commenting. Toca Boca Paint My Wings – Cool Commenting About– The beautiful symmetrically painted butterflies, The humming of the butterflies during drawing, & the language modeling of comments from the butterflies when touching them and saving their picture (i.e, ‘oh fancy’, ‘I’m not ticklish’, ‘Awesome’, ‘that’s a pretty color’- should I have quoted the butterfly??) . Nasa Lunar Electric Rover Simulator– Cool Commenting Because – It is easy to crash, run out of power, and get stuck.... [Read More...]
April 23, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
If you follow us on Facebook you know that we got some disturbing news this weekend about an AAC app developer who launched an app based on someone else’s work without giving credit. Boo, hiss. Long story that we won’t get into here, but it was disheartening, to say the least. While we are pretty upset to see this happen, we are thrilled to let that karma play out and turn our attention to something wonderful. – That ‘something wonderful’ is the Give Speech Foundation, a New York nonprofit that is developing a new AAC app for the iPad that they plan to price below their actual costs. For now, FreeSpeech is available without charge and, apparently, will remain so while it is in beta. The development team has big plans to improve the app in the next few months, and then charge a nominal fee. Your feedback will be very valuable... [Read More...]
April 7, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
April is springtime where we live and spring is a time of beginnings. It’s fitting, then, that our AAC strategy of the month speaks to the very beginning of AAC intervention. Learning how to create focused opportunities to teach or practice an AAC skill is a pivotal skill for SLPs. The concept is a simple one: create an environment in which the learner WANTS or NEEDS to display the target skill. – Communication opportunities are related to the concept of communicative temptations. As SLP blogger Becca Jarzynski of Child Talk puts it “Communication temptations are pretty much just what they sound like: we set up the environment to tempt children to communicate with us.” Stop by and read her excellent post here . While Becca focuses on their use with young children, the approach can be used with people of any age. – Tempting people to communicate is all about... [Read More...]
February 26, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
This week’s video features Gail Van Tatenhove doing part of a lesson on disaster preparedness, something we take pretty seriously in Florida during hurricane season. In this short clip, Gail is modeling on a large AAC language board/poster. She is working with a small group of adults who use SGDs and they are using core words to talk about the concept of ‘an emergency.’
February 17, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
The thought of an IEP meeting fills many parents we know with dread and anxiety, particularly if they are in a district where inclusive education is not running very smoothly. Jillian, a very passionate and competent mom of a youngster who uses high tech AAC, was pretty blunt about it. “I’d rather have root canal,” she said, and the parents within earshot gave her a round of applause. — So when we came across an app that provides support to families in this process, we had to check it. Developed at the Syracuse University School of Education, iAdvocate is an app designed to share information that parents can use to support their request for inclusive education. It lists some of the common roadblocks that families sometimes encounter, such as: “Your child needs small group instruction with few distractions and that can only be provided in a separate classroom.” “Meeting your chid’s needs is... [Read More...]
February 12, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Some people thrive on conflict. Not us. We’re happiest when things are running smoothly and everyone is getting along. Nonetheless, we’re secretly thrilled by the conflict that has erupted between apps and traditional SGDs. — Here’s what we love about this conflict. 1. We LOVE that the technology that launched this controversy has raised the public’s awareness of AAC as an option. AAC in the local papers and New York Times. AAC on 60 minutes and segments of the nightly news. No matter how you feel about apps versus traditional SGDs, you gotta love the fact that more people now know that there are tools out there for people with little or no functional speech. – 2. We LOVE that AAC technology has progressed to a point where there is something to argue about. When I started my AAC career, the Express 3 (PRC), Zygo 100 (Zygo), and the HandiVoice... [Read More...]