687 Search Results for communication book
July 26, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Social media is highly motivating for teens and young adults, but how can we incorporate it into our AAC teaching? Today AAC SLP Ashley Larisey is back with some activity suggestions and ideas for implementation as part of the AAC in Secondary School series. Ashley is an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: SOCIAL MEDIA As learners get older, the use of digital communication tools (internet, social media, e-mail) often increases. Digital communication plays a huge role not only in communicating with someone who is not in your immediate environment but in making connections with others who have similar interests or lived experiences. Recent research suggests that social media can be an invaluable tool to support AAC users in many areas, including connecting with other individuals, making communication easier, gaining independence,... [Read More...]
July 15, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
We’re well into hurricane season here in South Florida and so we’re thinking about ways to support people with significant communication challenges. We can’t predict when extreme weather or other natural disasters will strike, but we can prepare. Here are a few resources that you might find helpful. Reassuring Books About Storms for Children by Heather at Books & Giggles It is Hurricane Season by Autism Educators Preparing for Natural Disasters by Smarty Symbols Hurricane Preparation by Mary Grace Hektner via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use) What Is A Hurricane? by Mary Grace Hektner via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use) Tornado Vocabulary by Mary Grace Hektner via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use) Storm Social Narrative by Sandy K via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use) Storm Surge Narrative by Mary Grace Hektner via Boardmaker Online (need Boardmaker to use) Webinar on Disaster Preparedness for People with Complex... [Read More...]
July 1, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
It’s always exciting to see how university programs are inspiring future professionals to enter the world of AAC. Today, AAC SLP Vicki Haddix, Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis, is back to share some of the work completed by her SLP graduate students. With her guidance, they create videos, handouts, and other materials that can be used by families, clinicians, and educators. Kudos to Vicki and her students for their fine work! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: When I designed the AAC course, I tried to incorporate elements of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) within the class. One of the elements I’m particularly proud of is allowing the students to choose their own final projects, which are worth 50% of their grade. I give them the following guidelines: Your final project should: Collect information from a variety of sources (i.e.: not only a survey or only research articles); Ground itself within the... [Read More...]
June 14, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Ready for another post with book-related ideas for supporting core vocabulary learning in preschool classrooms? Today, we end another wonderful year of Jeanna Antrim and Maggie Judson’s TELL ME About It series with a terrific post featuring the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. If you’re in search of ways to support preschool teachers who are implementing the TELL ME program with their young students, this post will give you lots of tried-and-true ideas. Maggie and Jeanna are speech-language pathologists who work in the Assistive Technology Department for the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative (BASSC) in southern Illinois. They are AT/AAC facilitators and provide evaluations, direct therapy, consultations, and trainings with school teams. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TELL ME About The Book The last book in this series is “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” by Laura Joffe Numeroff. Such a fun book that introduces a simple plot line to our... [Read More...]
June 7, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
It’s graduation season here in the U.S. and there’s no better time to celebrate the graduates and those future professionals who have developed a passion for AAC. In today’s post, Krista Davidson introduces us to her student, Madie Kroehler, who generously shares the work she did for an independent study on AAC and emergent literacy. Enjoy! Growing AAC Professionals: AACessible Literacy: Emergent Literacy Resources for the AAC SLP This month I am excited to bring you a post from one of our first-year graduate students, Madie Kroehler! Madie participated in an Independent Study with me this Spring. After discussing numerous possibilities for topics, we settled on AAC and literacy. We met every other week to consult on her readings and research. What evolved from those initial discussions culminated in something quite impressive. And with that, I’ll let Madie tell you in more detail how the project developed… The final project... [Read More...]
May 17, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we welcome back AAC SLP Ashley Larisey to these pages for another post in the AAC in Secondary School series. Ashley is an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University. Additionally, Ashley presents on AAC topics at professional conferences. In today’s post, she shares thoughts on using party planning as an activity for teaching language and AAC skills. Enjoy! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Party Planning If you work in the schools, the end of the school year is right around the corner! The month of May is generally full of celebrations to culminate a year’s worth of hard work for staff and students alike. For high school students, this can also include celebrations surrounding graduation. Parties are often planned by educational staff, but why not bring students into the process? Party planning is full of... [Read More...]
May 10, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
It’s time for another set of wonderful suggestions for robust implementation of core vocabulary support using the TELL ME program. Two amazing AAC SLPs, Maggie Judson and Jeanna Antrim, are the guest authors of TELL ME About It series and they’re back with prAACtical ideas for classroom activities, virtual learning tips, supporting AAC learning at home, and more. Also, don’t miss their bonus resources or their video read-alouds of this month’s book with aided language input using three different AAC apps. Maggie and Jeanna are speech-language pathologists who work in the Assistive Technology Department for the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative (BASSC) in southern Illinois. They are AT/AAC facilitators and provide evaluations, direct therapy, consultations, and trainings with school teams. If you are new to the series, you can check out their previous posts in the TELL ME About It series below. YEAR 1 TELL ME AAC Literacy Kits Brown... [Read More...]
April 29, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Thanks to all who’ve reached out with questions, comments, and words of appreciation for the Year of Core Vocabulary series. In today’s post, we share some ideas for integrating AAC into your daily life. Here are some helpful resources for those who are using the words in Set 1 ( Year of Core Words) or Set 2 (Another Year of Core Words). If you are contemplating this approach, feel free to jump in at any time. The best time to start (or re-start) is right now. Don’t worry about retracing steps, or not ‘doing it right.’ The best way to get better at core vocabulary instruction is just to keep at it. It takes time, practice, and a willingness to keep at it. Our words for this month are as follows. Set 1: all, down, good, little, my, question, sad, she, turn, up, who, why Set 2: bathroom, car, child, confused,... [Read More...]
April 12, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
We’re thrilled that AAC SLPs Maggie Judson and Jeanna Antrim have returned to these pages with another edition in the TELL ME About It series. Maggie and Jeanna are speech-language pathologists who work in the Assistive Technology Department for the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative (BASSC) in southern Illinois. They are AT/AAC facilitators and provide evaluations, direct therapy, consultations, and trainings with school teams. As usual, their post is chock full of prAACtical information including ideas for classroom activities, virtual learning tips, supporting AAC learning at home, and more. Also, don’t miss their tips for supporting a variety of communicative functions and their video read-alouds with three different AAC apps. If you are new to the series, you can check out their previous posts in the TELL ME About It series below. YEAR 1 TELL ME AAC Literacy Kits Brown Bear, Brown Bear I Went Walking From Head to Toe... [Read More...]
April 1, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for ways to celebrate Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month in ways that honor people with autism spectrum disorders? Here are a few suggestions. Get flappy with Julia and Abby from Sesame Street. Check out some new autistic YouTubers to follow. Focus on safety. Help families affected by autism take preventative action with this helpful kit. Attend, create, or volunteer at an event that is accepting of people with neurological differences. I’m a huge fan of The Friendship Journey and their Wings of Friendship Virtual Camp and Virtual Hangouts. Read autistic authors, like Alyssa Hillary Zisk, who also wrote a guest post here. You can get access to one of their recent works, AAC for Speaking Autistic Adults: Overview and Recommendations, co-authored with Elizabeth Dalton. Learn more about what makes a narrative a social story or comic book conversation as opposed to something else by reviewing the guidelines for sentence types... [Read More...]