440 Search Results for VISUAL SUPPORTS
October 9, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
Hope you had a good first week of AAC Awareness Month. The fun continues with the USSAAC Twitterchat on 10/13 at 7:00 pm EDT (UTC−04:00). New to Twitterchats? You can learn more here. You can also join the 8th annual AAC Chat and Read-a-Thon October 14-15. In the meantime, here are some posts that you may have missed. Monday: 13 Ways to Celebrate AAC Awareness Month Tuesday: Teach Me Tuesday: CoughDrop Wednesday: AAC and Visual Supports for Storms and Hurricanes: 10 Useful Resources Thursday: Pete the Cat, Rockin’ in My School Shoes: AT Recipes for Success Here are some more Facebook images for anyone who wants to use them to promote awareness of AAC.
October 3, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
Need some ideas for celebrating AAC Awareness Month? Here are a few to get you started. Participate on the #USSAAC Twitterchat on 10/13 at 7:00 pm EDT (UTC−04:00). New to Twitterchats? You can learn more here. The wonderful Chris Bugaj will be moderating. Subscribe to a blog with an AAC content, such as Uncommon Sense, Jane Farrall Consulting, AAC Girls, or Superpower Speech Follow a new AAC topical Pinterest board from Lauren Enders and others: AAC and AT, AT/AAC/Adapt/Modify/Accessibility/Accommodations, AT for Communication, SLP AAC, & AugComm, AAC by Constantly Speaking, Communication-AAC Print, hang, or give someone an AAC awareness image, 10 Commandments of AAC Devices, or 5 Tips for Communicating with Nonverbal Student Register for a free AAC professional development webinar from Ablenet University Print out an AAC Poster, like Lauren Enders’ AAC Boot Camp-Getting AAC Users to Communicate or Kate Ahern’s The Periodic Table of AAC, Explore an AAC app or SGD that is new to you Print out song visual... [Read More...]
September 12, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
From time to time, we get questions about resources for different aspects of AAC. Here are a few eclectic documents, presentations, and web logs that we’ve shared recently that might also be of interest to some of you. Happy exploring! AAC Basics and Implementation: How to Teach Students who “Talk with Technology” by Paul Visvader of the Boulder Valley School District AT Team Using Visual Supports to Enhance Participation and Decrease Challenging Behavior in Individuals with Autism and CCN by Kimberly Ho Fiona Writes Fiction (or Why AAC-Using Kids Need Word Play) by Heather Kirn Lanier Communication Milestones (LinguaSystems) by Janet Lanza and Lynn Flahive Limitless Stylus for People with Limited Hand Mobility by Venkat Rao
August 8, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, many SLPs who work in educational settings are getting ready to head back to school. In today’s post, we hear from Elizabeth Levy, an SLP at Wasatch County School District in Utah. Elizabeth, who earned her Bachelors and Master’s degrees from Towson University in Maryland, worked in early intervention for several years before joining the team at Midway Elementary two years ago. She has always had a passion for working with children who are nonverbal and require AAC, and is a member of ASHA’s Special Interest Group 12 (AAC). She also serves as part of her district’s AT team. In this post, Elizabeth shares a little bit about how she used the summer to gear up for an initiative to provide additional AAC support for students with significant learning challenges. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: This year, with a new team, I have a great opportunity to go big and... [Read More...]
July 27, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
Do you have a love-hate relationships with formal testing? Are you required to use normed tests with your minimally verbal clients? Looking for recommendations on which tests to use? AAC specialist Vicki Clarke has you covered! Like many of you, I’ve had mixed feeling when it comes to using normed assessment instruments with my AAC learners, particularly when we needed to modify the test materials or administration procedures in order for them to be able to participate and respond. If the client can’t point to pictures, give a verbal response, or sit through an entire test, we have no choice but to adapt how the test is administered. As we all know, when we adapt test materials (e.g., putting the test items on an eye gaze board) or procedures (e.g., partner-assisted scanning), we lose the ability to use the normative data. We can, though, compare our learners to themselves at... [Read More...]
July 5, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
Summer is a great time to prepare materials for the busy year ahead. Next week, we launch a new series, Make It Monday, to help you do just that. We’ll focus on creating one thing at a time so that you’re ready to start the school year with an ample supply of core vocabulary resources that you can use in therapy, instruction, and informal conversation. Later in the series, we’ll be making individual and classroom communication boards and instructional materials. For now, though, we’ll spend some time getting organized and prepared. Before you make the investment of time and resources, it helps to make a few key clinical/educational decisions. This will keep us from wasting color ink, laminating pouches, velcro, and, most of all, time. Here are the things to think about before you begin. Symbols In order to make AAC materials, you’ll need to decide on how language is... [Read More...]
January 17, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
Time for a new look for PrAACtical AAC. Hope you enjoy it and these posts from earlier in the week. Monday – AAC Assessment Corner with Vicki Clarke: Procedural Resources Tuesday – Martin Luther King, Jr Holiday: 5 Resources for AAC Learners Thursday – Video of the Week: Implementing Visual Supports Thanks for all you do to support children and adults with little or no functional speech.
January 12, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, we are preparing to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and reflect on the civil rights movement in our country. We sometimes struggle to make holidays like this meaningful to our students with AAC needs, and adding visual supports can be helpful in that process. Here are some materials from the wonderful online sharing site, Boardmaker Online, that may be of interest. Note: Anyone may view these but to download and use them, you must have the Boardmaker program. Talking Book by Lori Geist Sorting Activity by Shannon Brown MLK Story and Activity by Erin Murell Fact sheet and cloze sentences with picture word bank by Diana Ree-Reader I Have a Dream Speech and Matching Activity by Mallory Lyall Have you found resources on this topic that you can’t live without? We’d love to hear about them.
January 3, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
The New Year is a perfect time to give your clinical and educational practices a boost of AAC. Here are some posts from the week to get you started. Monday – Ready/Not Ready: 5 Visual Supports for AAC Learners Tuesday – PrAACtically January: Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words Wednesday – Video of the Week: Using Structure to Minimize Behavioral Challenges Thursday – The Most Popular AAC Posts of 2015 Thanks for all you do to support children and adults with little or no functional speech.
December 27, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It’s prAACtically a new year! Hope your holiday season is bringing you fun times with friends and family. Monday – Tri-fold Love: 5 Visual Supports for AAC Learners Tuesday – PrAACtical Resources: Fix the Problem Wednesday – Video of the Week: Conversations with Adults who Have Intellectual Disabilities Thursday – 12 Days of an AAC Christmas