21 Search Results for covid-19
July 16, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
AAC SLPs are a creative bunch and would do anything to help teams get on board with appropriate supports and services. In today’s post, we hear from Elena Feder, who introduces us to the ‘Communication World’ approach. Elena is an AAC SLP at the New England Assistive Technology (NEAT) Center in Connecticut and has a lot to share about AAC implementation. Don’t miss the wonderful planning tool that she shares at the end. Before we get to that, though, take a look at the AAC Summer Bash that she runs with her colleague and fellow SLP Sarah Brink. In normal times, this is a face-to-face experience but due to the novel coronavirus, it has migrated to an online event. There are a few other things that you might like to know about the AAC Summer Bash. It’s free! You’re invited! You must register by July 17th. The AAC Summer Bash... [Read More...]
May 14, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two months since we first published a curated collection of social narratives, videos, visual supports, and communication aids designed for some of the various challenges that come along with the Covid-19 pandemic. Creators from around the world have offered so many resources that our list has doubled in size. We’re reprinting it today so that you can see some of the latest additions. There are over 130 materials to browse through, all of which are free due to the generosity of parents and professionals in the disability community. You can use the slider on the right side of the image below to scroll down through the resources or click here for a full-size version.
May 3, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts from our prAACtical week. Monday – PrAACtically May – AAC Resources for A Year of Core Words: The Learn-at-Home Edition Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Environmental Communication Training – Strategies for Implementation Thursday – Connecting Intubated Patients with Loved Ones: Co-VidSpeak :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Before you leave, here are a few more posts that may be of interest. Aided AAC & the IEP How I Do It: AAC in the IEP AAC & the IEP: 5 Resources to Explore 5 Reasons to Put AAC Training for Staff and Parents into the IEP How I Do It: Writing IEP Goals for Students Who Use AAC with Lauren Enders One last thing…check out the updates to this interactive flyer by using the slider at the right or visiting the full-sized version here. Scroll to the bottom for the latest additions.
April 30, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the Covid-19 situation is the necessity of separating desperately ill patients from their loved ones. In most instances, visitors are not allowed or are severely limited. The sense of isolation makes this terrible situation worse, both for patients and for families. So several weeks ago when I first saw the prototype for Co-VidSpeak, I could instantly see its potential to make life more tolerable for patients who are unable to speak and their families. In today’s post, you can learn more about Co-VidSpeak from its founders, Bill Binko (LessonPix) and Brian Whitmer (CoughDrop) who are offering this at no cost to eligible individuals. If you are so inclined, please consider supporting their efforts through a donation (details below). Another way that you can make a meaningful contribution to these efforts is to share this with healthcare providers, especially those with decision-making power in... [Read More...]
April 17, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Twelve years ago, when Robin and I first wrote about preparing AAC users for medical emergencies, a pandemic wasn’t on the radar. We were thinking about ‘regular’ things that go wrong, like broken bones and asthma attacks, not a worldwide emergency. Still, some of the helpful tools that we suggested back then remain very helpful and today we are revisiting them. There are a lot of unknowns about Covid-19, but one thing we do know is that when someone is affected, things can change very quickly. The time to plan for the unexpected and unimaginable is now. Please do whatever you need to so that the AAC users in your lives have a communication passport or other document that can help unfamiliar partners understand them and communicate with them. Accept that there may be a situation in which the AAC user is separated from familiar people. AAC users may be... [Read More...]
April 16, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
The other day, a friend posted something on social media that many of us can relate to. “Between all the hand sanitizer and cleaning solution that my skin absorbs,” she said, “I’m probably disinfecting the toilet with every trip to the bathroom!” While that’s a bit of a stretch, it is true that most of us are washing our hands more often now than ever before. And for good reason. But some of our AAC learners don’t really like hand washing and it can be a struggle to have them do that several times a day. In today’s post, we share some ideas that can help keep those hands clean. Not everyone will need every strategy, but we included several ideas so that you can select those that are most beneficial for the AAC learners in your life. Teach the skill and use a visual schedule to illustrate the steps.... [Read More...]
April 6, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
How do we help people with complex communication needs become fluent in using AAC throughout the day? There are lots of factors to consider in working toward that goal, and our guest author for today encourages us to think of one of them. Special educator Amy Campbell believes that one thing we can do to support AAC learners is to normalize the use of AAC tools and strategies. Amy is the 2020 Washington State Teacher of the Year and has been a Special Education teacher for 12 years. Over that time, she has focused on how to increase student independence and improve the inclusion of students with disabilities into general education settings and the greater community. Like many of you, she has now pivoted to supporting her students from a distance. Don’t miss the videos Amy creates for her students and their families so learning can continue from afar. ... [Read More...]
March 29, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Hello, AAC friends! Like many of you, we’ve been settling into new routines and sheltering in place. Here are some posts from our prAACtical week. Monday – Free Communication Tools for Patients with COVID-19 Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Telepractice for Children Who Use AAC Thursday – How I Do It: Digital Connections With Families to Support AAC Users ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have the time, check out these posts from the archives. Faces of AAC: Making It Work in a Busy Family PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: The Family Book Family Collaboration by Dr. Barry Prizant Using Visual Sidekicks to Support Language Intervention From Presence to Contribution: A Family’s Journey Toward and Inclusive Life
March 26, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Staying connected with families is such an important aspect of being an effective AAC interventionist. In today’s post, we have a return visit from SLP Sarah Gregory, who shares the things that she is doing to maintain these connections as we learn to do this work from afar. You can read Sarah’s previous contribution here. Digital Connections With Families to Support AAC Users I hope this blog post finds everyone well! The COVID-19 virus has created an uncertain and unprecedented time for us all, but I have gotten so much comfort from the generosity and resource sharing in our AAC SLP community this week. As we get creative in supporting our AAC users remotely, the app SeeSaw has been a key to connecting with my students and families (I am not affiliated with this app in any way). I have used this free app to create a loop between home... [Read More...]
March 22, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Greetings, AAC friends. It’s been a week marked by stress and changes for all of us, and you probably didn’t have a chance to do much AAC reading. Here’s what we’ve been up to. Monday – PrAACtical Resources: Dealing with the Covid-19 Pandemic (Updated 3/21) Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: On Writing AAC Goals Thursday – PrAACtical Resources: Online AAC Support for Families During School Closures Friday – Telepractice in AAC: Calling All Providers Can you stick around for some more? We’re listing a bunch here for you to pick from. How We Do It: Tele-AAC with Nerissa Hall and Hillary Johnson How We Do It: Using Language Boards to Support AAC Use By Nerissa Hall and Hillary Jellison AT Recipes for Success: Shared Reading Sometimes I Feel Sunny Pete the Cat Bark, George Bear Wants More AT Recipes for Success: Sensorimotor Activities Fun... [Read More...]