82 Search Results for motivation
September 11, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Across the world, AAC teams are looking for ways to strengthen their support of multilingual individuals with complex communication needs. In this article, guest authors Hsiao-Ting Su and Wen-Hsin Ku, who are both bilingual Mandarin-English SLPs, share their thoughts. AAC Intervention for Multicultural Families – Similarities and Differences Across Cultures Though there are limited AAC resources in minority languages at this time, SLPs should make every effort to meet the needs of multicultural families. It is crucial for SLPs to keep cultural differences in mind when working with multicultural families. As two bilingual English-Mandarin-speaking SLPs who have worked with both families in the U.S. and Taiwan, we have first-hand experience navigating similarities and differences across cultures. Here, we describe some of the similarities and differences we have encountered most frequently. Similarities: Families worry that AAC will hinder verbal communication development Families need reassurance that it is okay for children to... [Read More...]
May 6, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
On the first Friday of every month, we feature a Spanish version of our AAC Link Up, CAA con Links. If you have AAC-related announcements, materials, or videos in Spanish that you would like others to know about, we’d love to have you add that information below. Also, please share this with anyone who might be interested in contributing to or using the materials that get added to these posts. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts generally focus on AAC in Spanish-speaking countries. In today’s post, she shares a Spanish resource that may be of interest to many. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Este mes queremos invitarlos a compartir links y recursos que hacen posible apoyar a nuestros estudiantes con complejas necesidades de comunicación en el proceso de alfabetización. La evidencia nos confirma que ellos pueden beneficiarse... [Read More...]
November 15, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
AAC SLP Vicki Clarke is known to long-time readers for her excellent series, AAC Assessment Corner, and her collaboration with Holly Schneider in creating the Dynamic AAC Goals Grid (DAGG-2). Today, we welcome her back to tell us about the revised version of her goal-setting guide designed especially for school settings. Join us in learning about the Classroom Communication Goals Grid and download a free copy. Classroom Communication Goals Grid- Revised https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/AAC-Classroom-Communication-Project-2021-Intro-and-Tools-4219461 It’s been over 5 years since I developed the Classroom Communication Goals Grid. During that time it’s been in use in many of our districts helping teachers and therapists assess the communication skills of their students, select goals relevant to the academic environment, and show progress at annual IEP time. The Grid needed some revision, a little more review of current research, a little reorganization of goals, and a facelift! This article is to introduce you to the... [Read More...]
September 3, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
It’s a great day for sharing AAC resources in Spanish! On the first Friday of every month, we feature a Spanish version of our AAC Link Up, CAA con Links. If you have AAC-related announcements, materials, or videos in Spanish that you would like others to know about, we’d love to have you add that information below. Also, please share this with anyone who might be interested in contributing to or using the materials that get added to these posts. Organized by Claudia Marimon, these posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries. Today, we travel to Spain to learn from Candela Imbernón López and Melania García Estévez who introduce us to CampaSaac. Their story is shared both in English and in Spanish. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Comenzamos Septiembre compartiendo links, muy motivados con esta increíble experiencia de CAA en español que nos comparten desde España Melania García y Candela... [Read More...]
May 10, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
It’s time for another set of wonderful suggestions for robust implementation of core vocabulary support using the TELL ME program. Two amazing AAC SLPs, Maggie Judson and Jeanna Antrim, are the guest authors of TELL ME About It series and they’re back with prAACtical ideas for classroom activities, virtual learning tips, supporting AAC learning at home, and more. Also, don’t miss their bonus resources or their video read-alouds of this month’s book with aided language input using three different AAC apps. Maggie and Jeanna are speech-language pathologists who work in the Assistive Technology Department for the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative (BASSC) in southern Illinois. They are AT/AAC facilitators and provide evaluations, direct therapy, consultations, and trainings with school teams. If you are new to the series, you can check out their previous posts in the TELL ME About It series below. YEAR 1 TELL ME AAC Literacy Kits Brown... [Read More...]
March 22, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
AAC professionals can provide a great deal of support to help students prepare for post-school life. Today, guest authors Meredith Gohsman, Jamie Lawson, Heather Patton, and Melanie Melton team up to share their thoughts on helping students who use AAC move successfully toward this transition. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Speech-language pathologists, educators, and other AAC stakeholders all share responsibility in preparing students for successful post-secondary transition. The need to explicitly address post-secondary transition is well-established. Despite benefits of employment for both the employer and employee (McNaughton et al., 2002; McNaughton et al., 2003), individuals using AAC are unemployed at a staggering rate. For individuals using AAC, communication remains a vital component in the workplace (Bryen et al., 2007). Communication interactions and skills are associated with income, as well as job options (Mank et al., 1997; McNaughton & Bryen, 2007; McNaughton & Richardson, 2013). This includes all 5 communicative competencies: Linguistic Competence: Mastery of... [Read More...]
March 8, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
It’s a great day to explore ways to support AAC use, and today AAC SLP Ashley Larisey joins us with some activity suggestions and lots of implementation tips. Ashley is an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University. This post, part of the AAC in Secondary School series, focuses on the use of language experience surveys with students who are learning to use AAC. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Surveys Surveys can be used within almost any classroom activity to provide students with opportunities to communicate with both familiar and non-familiar listeners. Questions that are used for the survey can be used to gather more information about a topic that guides decision-making. Surveys can be embedded into academic, social, vocational, and community-based instruction. Take a look at some examples of how to use surveys in your classroom... [Read More...]
February 15, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we welcome Katrina Cohen Cosentino, Head of Communications at Cboard app. Katrina has been working with Cboard, a free web-based AAC app, for the past 3 years. Cboard uses the Mulberry Symbol Set and is available in more than 40 languages. In today’s post, she gives an overview of what Cboard is, how it started, and how it works. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Cboard can be accessed here: www.cboard.io Cboard is a free AAC web app for children and adults with speech and language impairments, aiding communication with symbols and text-to-speech. Cboard is funded by UNICEF. Who are we? We are an international group of professionals whose sole goal is to develop a free and open-source communication aid for people around the world. Co-founder of Cboard and Developer Martin Bedouret began the project after being diagnosed with ALS in 2015, along with an Israeli programmer. The idea stemmed from a conversation with... [Read More...]
February 5, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
AAC friends, we are back with another AAC Link Up in Spanish. If you have materials or videos in Spanish that you would like others to know about, we’d love to have you add that information below. Also, please share this with anyone who might be interested in contributing to or using the materials that get added to these posts. But before we get to that, we want to continue sharing AAC experiences with families in different Spanish-speaking countries, to help us create ties and form AAC communities in Spanish, to learn from each other. From Guatemala, we share with Isabel Orellana, who tells us her personal story with AAC and how she has contributed to making this field known in her country and offering AAC alternatives to many children, families, and professionals. “I’m the mother of 9-year-old Eddyto. Eddyto has complex communication needs and has been using Proloquo2Go since... [Read More...]
January 4, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
We’re excited to start off 2021 with a new series focusing on supporting students who use AAC during their high school years. AAC SLP Ashley Larisey is the guest author for the AAC in Secondary School series which will have ideas for specific activities in some months and articles on issues pertinent to secondary school AAC in others. Ashley is an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Introduction to the Series: AAC for Secondary Students Some of the most common questions that I hear from my SLP colleagues are specific to AAC treatment planning and implementation. As a high school AAC SLP, I am privileged to have the opportunity to work with students as they prepare and transition into adulthood. I often find that many SLPs are looking to provide their students... [Read More...]