597 Search Results for visual support
January 16, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
It’s exciting to see so many graduate student SLPs and new graduates who are interested in working with people with AAC needs. We hear from them frequently with questions about how to be effective in their therapy and the practical aspects of running a good therapy session. Here are some tips we frequently share with those who are starting to implement AAC with young children. Use a visual schedule for every session. The operative word there is ‘use.’ Making a schedule for our therapy is a great start, but unless we really use the schedule all throughout the session, it’s unlikely to provide many benefits. Go to it as soon as you get into the room, AND before and after every activity. (For those who are interested, there is more on making and effectively implementing visual schedules here. Trust the process. You will need to do this at least 4-8... [Read More...]
January 11, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for activities and books to help integrate AAC and language learning with content about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr? Here are some resources to explore. Acts of Kindness and Justice Martin Luther King Jr: Venn Diagram: Great for practice of core and fringe vocabulary, as well as information-giving (e.g., name, birthday) and comparing/contrasting Martin Luther King Jr I Have a Dream Speech: Wonderful for older learners and those focused on Tier 2 vocabulary, more complex sentences, main idea, narrative development, and inferencing. Martin Luther King Jr Holiday 5 Resources for AAC Learners Visual Supports, Core Words, and Martin Luther King Core Values: Suggestions for Language Building with AAC Learners
November 20, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Have you had an experience like Stacy’s? Stacy SLP knows the importance of building literacy skills in her students who use AAC and was happy to have found an age respectful book that aligns with the curriculum. She downloaded it onto her iPad and practiced reading it so that the push-in session would go smoothly. Stacy reviewed the students’ SGDs and came up with a plan for targeting specific language or AAC skills. She was determined to infuse more literacy activities into her therapy and began the reading activity with equal measures of excitement and nervousness. It was both frustrating and disheartening when her students didn’t like the activity, were hard to engage, and even tried to escape. Within the first few minutes, her enthusiasm had turned to fear (’What do I do NOW?’) and dread (‘How am I going to get through this session?!’). Many of us have had... [Read More...]
November 19, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends! Here are some posts that you may have missed. Monday – PrAACtical Resources: AT in the IEP Wednesday – Video of the Week: Assessing AAC Learners of Different Ability Levels Thursday – On AAC Training: Skill Building for AAC Team Members ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few more places to browse? Here are some selected posts on making and using visual supports. Free Resources for Making AAC and Visual Supports How I Do It – Using an App to Make AAC Materials and Visual Supports AAC Teaching Tips on Scaffolding and Visual Supports Designing and Using Visual Supports for Older Students 5 Visual Supports for the AAC Classroom Wishing a meaningful week to all who celebrate Thanksgiving!
November 12, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
It’s a beautiful day to grab a mug of coffee or pour a cup of tea, and head for a comfy spot to catch up on some AAC reading. Monday – AAC Site of the Month: Centre for AAC (CAAC) Wednesday – Video of the Week: Analyzing the Communication Environment Thursday – PrAACtical Information: 5 AAC Presentation Handouts :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Need a few more suggestions? Here are a handful past post on AAC and young children. Preschool AAC and Visual Supports from Orange County Public Schools TELL ME – AAC in the Preschool Classroom Supporting Preschoolers with AAC Needs-A Case Study Visual Supports in Action: The Preschool Classroom Mining Preschool Routines for PrAACtical AAC Opportunities Have a great week, AAC friends!
November 5, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Busy week? Here are a handful of AAC posts that you might have missed. Monday – PrAACtically November: AAC Resources for a Year of Core Vocabulary Wednesday – Video of the Week: Understanding Functional Communication Training Thursday – PrAACtical Families: 5 Grants That Support AAC Looking for materials to get ready for another busy week? You might get some ideas from these posts: AAC on TpT: 5 Free Downloads Miami Dade Prekindergarten Program for Children with Disabilities 5 ‘Go-To Sites for Visual Supports Free Resources for Making AAC and Visual Supports Downloadable AAC Posters
October 26, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for ways to engage AAC learners in language therapy? Today, we welcome back SLP Rachel Madel to tell us about her experience in using wordless videos. Her prAACtical tips will get you excited about using videos like these, curated by The Activity Tailor, in your lessons. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Using Animated Shorts to Build Language Skills with AAC Learners We are living in a digital age, where video content is often free and easy to access. Children on my caseload are tech savvy and are constantly dazzling me with how well they can navigate YouTube to find their favorite videos. Motivation is paramount in creating meaningful communication interactions and watching animated videos is highly motivating for both students and clinicians. I’ve had great success utilizing wordless videos in my practice and was lucky enough to present on the topic during “AAC After Work” with a fellow AAC colleague, Susan Berkowitz. In case... [Read More...]
October 5, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
We’re back with Georgia-based SLP Jennifer Ro to hear more about a district-wide rollout of AAC in which they established (and have maintained) a core vocabulary focus. Jennifer is currently the lead AAC-SLP on Forsyth County Schools’ Assistive Technology Team where she provides AAC implementation support and trainings for staff and families and conducts individual AAC student consults. You can see Part 1 of the post here. Today, Jennifer shares some of what they learned in the process of creating AAC materials for the classroom and supporting the implementation of those materials. Let’s continue with more ‘lessons learned’ from this AAC experience. ================= How We Do It: Developing, Implementing a District-wide Focus on Communication & Core Vocabulary (Part 2) How we did it. And keep doing it … 😉 Create and develop supplemental materials that can be utilized universally and then modified, if needed, for individual student or teacher... [Read More...]
September 28, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
One of the best parts of blogging is getting to connect with talented professionals who are committed to meeting the needs of people who use AAC. In today’s post, SLP Jennifer Ro shares some of the ‘lessons learned’ in implementing a core vocabulary approach to AAC throughout an entire school district. Jennifer is part of the Assistive Technology Team at Forsyth County Schools in Georgia. Focusing much of her 20+ year career in the field of AAC, Jennifer has provided AAC and speech-language services through the public schools, private clinics, early intervention programs, and community-based adult group homes and workshops. Jennifer helped develop Forsyth’s Core Word Board utilized district-wide. Her current interests include collaborative models of service delivery and staff development in the area of AAC. She has presented at the state and local level with a focus on communication related to AAC, core vocabulary, and language development, social-emotional engagement, visual... [Read More...]
September 3, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
And just like that, it’s ‘Goodbye, Summer’ and ‘Hello Fall.’ It’s been a busy time preparing for the transition, and you may have missed some posts from last week. Here’s what was shared: Monday – PrAACtically September: AAC Resources for a Year of Core Vocabulary Wednesday – Video of the Week: Keep It Fun, Flexible, & Available. AAC All Day Long in the Special Needs Classroom Thursday – PrAACtical Resources on Language Development :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Not enough reading material to browse? Here are some posts on AAC in the Classroom that may be of interest. AAC in the High School Classroom: Where Core Vocabulary Meets Life Skills TELL ME: AAC in the Preschool Classroom How We Do It: AAC in the Special Education Classroom AAC in the Classroom for Students with Significant Disabilities – Implementation & Data Collection 5 Visual Supports for the AAC Classroom