One of the most challenging parts of providing AAC services is to do a good assessment. Today, we turn to Dr. Rae Sonnenmier of the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire for thoughts on how to approach this important task. Link to the Communication Success Screening Tool Direct link to video: http://vimeo.com/88019903
Allyson Robinson, SLP at the Oklahoma ABLE Tech Project, shares some thoughts on working as a team to conduct AT assessments that draw on the Quality Indicators for AT. Direct link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=s3r8M-lFQfs
SLP Jane Korsten is well known to many as the author of the popular program, Every Move Counts, and for her leadership role in the Quality Indicators in AT group. This week, we feature Jane’s webinar on assessment in AT hosted bythe Maryland AT Network, the Maryland State Department of Education, and Johns Hopkins University. She discusses several helpful resources and reviews 6 assessment processes used in the AT assessment of individuals with motor and sensory impairments.
Getting good assessment information on learners with multiple disabilities, hearing, and vision loss is difficult, to say the least. Today we travel to the Netherlands to learn from Dr. Jan Van Dijk, who has pioneered an approach to working with individuals who have deafblindness. This series of webcasts, produced by Perkins School, discusses the theoretical underpinnings and practical aspects of the Van Dijk approach to child-guided assessment.
Looking for information on AAC assessment? Here are some past posts that may be of interest. Considerations in Switch Assessment Improving Assessment Practices for Students Who Use AAC: Mobilizing the Power of Social Narratives AAC Assessment for People with Aphasia Feature Matching in AAC Assessment
Whether by birth or by choice, families play such an important role in our lives. They’re the focus of this edition of Throwback Thursday so if it’s a topic of interest, here are some posts to browse. Videos Growing Up with AAC in the Family Parent’s Guide to AAC Assessment From Presence to Contribution – A Family’s Journey Towards an Inclusive Life Family Collaboration by Dr. Barry Prizant Empowered Families in the World of AAC Parent-Implemented AAC Intervention for Young Children AAC Explainers for Parent & Staff Training Parent Collaboration in AAC Therapies AAC en Español: 3 Introductory Videos for Parents Helping Parents Model AAC at Home Articles AAC Intervention For Multicultural Families – Similarities and Differences Across Cultures Faces of AAC: Making It Work in A Busy Family Parent Coaching & Tele-AAC PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: The Family Book PrAACtical Research: Effects of Parent Instruction on SGD Use... [Read More...]
The Dynamic AAC Goals Grid 3rd Edition (DAGG 3), is a recently updated tool used in AAC assessment, goal setting, and progress monitoring. You can learn more about it in this video overview hosted by LinkAssistive Technology. Many thanks to the presenter, Lena Kondratheva, and LinkAssistive Technology for this helpful presentation. We are grateful to the DAGG creators (Vicki Clarke and Holly Schneider, with the support of Tobii Dynavox) for the vision and effort in creating this tool and to Tobii Dynavox for its continued support of it. Enjoy! Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm-uNhvSkEQ&ab_channel=LinkAssistiveTechnology
When considering which AAC apps to trial as part of the feature match process for SGD assessment, it’s helpful to do some side-by-side comparisons. The team at the Simon Technology Center, which is affiliated with the Pacer Center, recorded a webinar on this topic that might be of interest, Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ4u6vKxJN8&ab_channel=SimonPacer —
If you work with individuals at the earliest stages of communicative development, the Communication Matrix can be a powerful addition to your AAC toolbox. It’s been more than a decade since we first wrote about this wonderful tool and it has been exciting to see its evolution. In today’s featured video, we learn about this from Deirdre Galvin-McLaughlin who first presented this session as part of the University of Central Florida’s Echo AAC for Adults initiative. Many thanks to Deirdre and the fine team at UCF School of Communication Sciences and Disorders for creating and sharing this helpful presentation. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8_XlZDxTqw&ab_channel=UCFAACCollaborative
Despite the large number of AAC devices and apps available for people with complex communication needs, there are only a handful of different approaches to organizing words and messages. Understanding the difference, advantages, and disadvantages of each is a critical part of doing a good assessment and making appropriate AAC recommendations. Today, we feature a presentation on this topic by AAC/AT experts Beth Poss and Kelly Fonner. Originally offered as part of the AAC in the Cloud Conference, hosted by CoughDrop, this is a helpful video that you won’t want to miss. Many thanks to Beth and Kelly for sharing their expertise and experience, and to the fine team at CoughDrop for making this archived presentation available. You can obtain the handout for the session here. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef57eYip318&ab_channel=CoughDrop