687 Search Results for communication book
October 31, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Pumpkin Day! We’re reprising this post for anyone in need of some additional resources. Holidays are special and Halloween is a favorite among many. As much fun as it is to dress up and get candy, though, there are lots of ways that Halloween can be stressful for AAC learners. From the change in routine, to the costumes and scary decorations, to talking with neighbors and other less familiar communication partners, to the overabundance of sugar, there are lots of ways in which Halloween can trip us up. If the AAC learners in your life celebrate Halloween, Fall Festival, Harvest Parade, or any other celebration with similar traditions, we SLPs can help them to have a positive experience. Here are some ideas. Use a social narrative to prepare everyone for what to expect on and around Halloween. Read them often in the weeks leading up to the school dress-up parade,... [Read More...]
October 17, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, SLPs across the country are gearing up for a meeting of professionals in communication sciences and disorders. It’s especially exciting this year because AAC will have a very strong presence. We’re thrilled that an AAC user, Steven Gleason, will be receiving the 2022 Annie Glenn Award along with his wife, Michel. Additionally, there are at least two sessions featuring AAC users as the primary speakers (India Ochs, Jordyn Zimmerman), which is unusual for this particular conference, which focuses on SLPs and audiologists. If you’re on the fence about attending the 2022 ASHA Convention in New Orleans next month, we hope these presentations will inspire you to book your tickets. Take a look at some of the sessions we’re most excited about. You can click on the title to learn more about these presentations. Bilingualism in AAC: Challenging the Monolingual Mindset (Master Class, MC10 ) presented by... [Read More...]
October 3, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Established in 2007 by ISAAC’s LEAD Committee, AAC Awareness month invites us to spread the word about all things AAC, and it’s pretty exciting to think back on all we’ve done and also to plan for the current year. Each week during AAC Awareness Month we’ll share suggestions for things to do to help others learn about a field that emerged to support children and adults with complex communication needs. This week, we’ll focus on hands-on activities. A popular approach to AAC Awareness Month is to invite a group of colleagues or families to come together and communicate only through AAC for the event. Some years, we’ve held ‘Silent Snack’ events before class where we put out a variety of board games and invited some of our AAC clients to come in and play along. They enjoyed serving as our AAC Ambassadors, meeting new people, and ‘wow-ing’ the crowd with... [Read More...]
September 12, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Like most learners, those with complex communication needs perk up when they see themselves, their family and friends, and their favorite things/places embedded into instruction or therapy. When we personalize materials and activities to each individual, we often see an increase in engagement and enjoyment. And those, in turn, lead to better outcomes. How can we put a personal spin on things we use in our AAC teaching? Here are a few ideas. Photos and videos of familiar people, places, and objects can be very impactful. Not all families are open to this and not all schools/agencies permit it. But when it IS an option, there’s nothing better to spark higher levels of engagement. We can substitute photos of family, friends, and favorite characters for generic photos/images in games, books, and learning materials to draw and retain their interest. We can talk about what they are doing and build language... [Read More...]
August 22, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for materials that you can use to get your AAC team off to a good start this school year? Here are a few things that might come in handy. AAC 101 Flipbook This all-in-one resource contains information on how to implement key AAC support strategies: AAC 101 Handout. AAC Options Ensure that every student who needs AAC has access to at least a starter set of words and phrases. There are plenty of core communication boards and flipbooks to choose from, and this post has links to a variety of them: Core Boards. Hands-on AAC Interactive experiences where communication partners get to try out and use AAC to learn and express themselves can be very powerful. If you need ideas or materials to use, check out the options we share in an earlier post: Hands-On Activities.
August 21, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some AAC posts that you might enjoy. Monday – Back to School with AAC: Bulletin Board Printables Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Life with SMA & AAC Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Advocacy, Self-advocacy & AAC :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: And if you are still in the mood for some AAC reading, here are some suggestions. 5+ Ways to Make Page Fluffers and Spacers AAC Vocabulary Lists PrAACtically Reading: Books Featuring Children & Youth with Disabilities Make It Monday: Manual Communication Boards with Core Vocabulary Communication Boards: Colorful Considerations
August 14, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts for you to browse. Monday – Overlooked AAC, Part 4 Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Understanding Organizational Set-Ups for AAC Systems Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Back to School with AAC ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: We’ve been doing a lot of learning, making, and doing around the topic of emergent literacy lately. If that topic is of interest, here are some posts that you may want to browse through. Supporting AAC Learners in Emergent Writing: 5 Helpful Resources Using an Alphabet Flipbook for Writing Building Communication Skills During Book Reading A PrAACtical Literacy Activity for Beginning Communicators As They Grow: Books for Beginning Readers of Any Age
July 18, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Whether you are a therapist, educator, or other professional there is a long list of things that people who use AAC need us to do so that they can communicate in ways that help them live their best lives. Today, we begin a series on some of the most overlooked areas that even veteran AAC practitioners often miss. Not because they don’t know about them. Not because they have a philosophical reason to avoid them. Not because they can’t figure out how to implement them. But because there are incredibly frustrating systemic obstacles to providing the kinds of support our clients/students need. In schools, caseload and classroom sizes stack the deck against us. In healthcare settings and private clinics, the funding streams steer us away from a best practice approach. And in almost every setting, the increasing paperwork and organizational demands draw our attention away from what we want to... [Read More...]
July 10, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We hope you enjoy browsing through these posts. Monday – July Year of Core Vocabulary & Future Directions for the School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Tangible Symbols for AAC Use Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC & Medical Encounters :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for some resources to use in your AAC work? Check out some of those listed below. AAC 101 Flipbook Communication Partner Data Collection Form AAC Skills: Caught or Taught? AAC Modeling Handout Gaming & AAC Repairing Communication Breakdowns
July 1, 2022
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. You can find entries from previous months here. Today, she features resources from The AAC Coach and Assistiveware that may be of interest to the Spanish-speaking community. Enjoy! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Comenzamos este mes compartiendo conceptos fundamentales de CAA que son necesarios para llevar adelante buenas prácticas basadas en la evidencia. Afortunadamente podemos encontrar algunos recursos que... [Read More...]