794 Search Results for praactical teaching
September 28, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It has been so exciting to hear about the growing number of classrooms, therapy sessions, and families who are prioritizing high-frequency core words with AAC learners. Whether you are using a high tech SGD, AAC app, or no-tech communication boards/books, core vocabulary teaching can play a powerful role in building language skills. If you are following along with our 2013 Year of Core (first set with 12 words/month) or the 2014 A(nother) Year of Core: (second set 16 words/month; Different than the previous year’s core words), you may have printed out some of the word cards to use with the AAC learners in your life. Thanks to the kindness of PrAACtical AAC readers (Bill and Lori Binko, Heidi LoStracco, Alison Wade, Russell Cross, Gail Van Tatenhove, Eric Sailers, Rachael Langley, Laura Kessell, Christine Bayley and others) we have a variety of resources to explore. Once you have them, the idea... [Read More...]
September 21, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
What is more amazing than seeing kids with AAC needs become competent communicators? How about seeing the next generation of SLPs become competent in AAC?! It is over-the-moon exciting to think of how many lives we could touch if more SLP students became passionate about AAC. Today, we add to our series called PrAACtically SLPs, where we hand the reins to students studying to be SLPs who’ve taken a special interest in AAC. This post is authored by Stephanie Johnson and her colleague Brianna Simmons, two Australian student Speech Pathologists from Macquarie University. They recently completed a clinical placement at Lifestart, an agency that supports children and young people living with disability. Because many of the children on their caseloads had significant communication challenges, AAC options became an important focus of their intervention. In this post, they tell us about their journey learning to use an AAC app with some of their clients. Please... [Read More...]
July 28, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It’s just about back-to-school time where we live, and many students who are learning to use AAC will be working to become more competent with their augmentative communication systems. Teachers, therapists, and aides can help them in that journey by teaching core vocabulary so that they have a body of words that can be used across activities, environments, and communication partners. There are lots of ‘right’ ways to support these students. Among them is an instructional approach in which a new set of core words is introduced every few weeks in order to build their experiences with AAC. Our Year of Core Words materials has two versions, one from 2013 (12 words/month) and one from 2014 (16 words/month; Different than the previous year’s core words). If you’ve been following along, or are just getting started, these resources may be of interest. 2013 Words: any, bring, day, fall, give, hot, job,... [Read More...]
July 19, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It’s been a fine week for AAC! Monday – Beyond the Core: A Guide to Teaching New Words for Students Who Use AAC Tuesday – PrAACtical Resources: Activities and Materials to Download or Explore Wednesday – Video of the Week: Narrative Skills in Students with ASD Thursday – Remembering Robin: AAC and Autism Spectrum Disorders Hope you had some AAC fun, too!
July 14, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
The great thing about getting stuck at an airport these days is that almost all of them have free internet connections. Some people surf the web for celebrity news, fashion tips, or recipes. AAC people, on the other hand, never miss an opportunity to search out interesting tools and resources. Here are a few from my latest airport adventure. Communication Games and Activities from AAC Scotland: Lots of fun and prAACtical ideas, like the Roving Reporter activity. Graphic Organizers with Teaching Notes: Graphic organizers are some of my favorite tools, but it takes time to convert the paper-based ones to interactive PDFs that our AAC learners can use. When I found this site from Holt McDougal (part of Houghton Mifflin), I squealed with joy. It’s a real time-saver! Story Visualizer: This website from the Education Team at Lego is a great way to motivate kids to communicate and build narratives.... [Read More...]
July 13, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Teaching AAC learners to expand their vocabularies beyond a basic set of core words is an important goal to target in language development, and a topic that we’ve written a lot about in this space. For the student to be successful, SLPs need to think of vocabulary instruction as an ongoing process that has a clear 3-part structure. Introduction: Word is used in context, defined, and produced by the learner. Students assess their own knowledge of the word. Explicit Instruction: Activities are created to help the student really understand what the word means and how to use it. Students begin using it throughout the session. Continued Practice: We continue to use these words and help the student use the target words in the session. Engaging activities, often with technology, are used to help our learners deepen their understanding of the word. This will be accomplished over multiple sessions. In this... [Read More...]
March 24, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
You don’t have to do AAC work for very long before you become acutely aware that many of our prAACtical friends experience chronic pain. We can all relate to the ways in which pain impacts a person’s behavior and participation in life experiences. Even very low-level pain can be terribly distracting, highly annoying, and cause us to have difficulty concentrating. From GERD to muscle spasms to constipation, children with AAC needs often experience pain that goes undetected or inadequately treated. In today’s post we look at some resources for assessing pain in children with disabilities. Thanks to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital for these fine resources. You can access their resources here and watch a brief video on pain in children with cerebral palsy here.
March 17, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
“My client has a new SGD and will begin bringing it to school. What words should I program on it?” We are so fortunate to be practicing at a time when the high tech SGDs and robust AAC apps come pre-loaded with lots of vocabulary. Still, when you sit down to prepare the device for an actual client, it can be hard to determine what needs to be there right away and what can wait. You’ll find lots of forms and checklists floating around, some for children and some for adults. There are lots of right ways to do this. In making these decisions, I typically run through a mental checklist of a few categories, thinking both about single words and longer messages. Single Words Core Vocabulary: In most cases, we’ve selected an AAC tool that has ample core words to choose from. Use what you know about normal language development... [Read More...]
January 4, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Sunday: Video of the Week – Thoughts on Functional Communication Teaching Monday: I Have A Lot to Say Tuesday: Teach Me Tuesday – PCEye Go from Tobii Wednesday: Watch It Wednesday – Viva La Evidence! Thursday: Happy New Year!
December 28, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
“Behavior is communication.” We’ve all heard it, but knowing what to do help a learner communicate effectively in less stressful, more socially appropriate ways is a complex issue that is best addressed through teamwork and collaboration. In this video, Rob Haupt shares some basic thoughts on Functional Communication Teaching from an ABA perspectivie.