687 Search Results for communication book
January 18, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we welcome back SLT Katherine Small, an AAC Consultant at the Ace Centre, for the second in her series about working with Talking Mats. In her previous post, Katherine shared her experience in implementing Talking Mats with her clients. In this post, she discusses her role in developing a tool designed to help potential AAC users become more active participants in the decision-making process around using and selecting AAC tools. Readiness for AAC is a free resource that can be used to help explain the process of AAC evaluations and options to people with complex communication needs and engage them in sharing their thoughts and preferences. My Experience as Part of the Development of the ‘Readiness for AAC’ Talking Mats Resource When Ace Centre began a collaboration with Talking Mats to create some new mats about AAC topics I was thrilled to get to be part of the project... [Read More...]
January 4, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
We’re excited to start off 2021 with a new series focusing on supporting students who use AAC during their high school years. AAC SLP Ashley Larisey is the guest author for the AAC in Secondary School series which will have ideas for specific activities in some months and articles on issues pertinent to secondary school AAC in others. 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. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Introduction to the Series: AAC for Secondary Students Some of the most common questions that I hear from my SLP colleagues are specific to AAC treatment planning and implementation. As a high school AAC SLP, I am privileged to have the opportunity to work with students as they prepare and transition into adulthood. I often find that many SLPs are looking to provide their students... [Read More...]
December 24, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the town Not a creature was stirring, they were all safe and sound. The stockings were hung by their chimneys with care, In hopes that AAC Elves would soon visit there. The teachers were nestled all snug in their beds, With visions of lesson plans banished from their heads. The therapists with data sheets and the strategies they love best, Had just settled in for a good winter-break rest. When outside the schoolyard, there arose such a clatter I rushed toward the window to see what was the matter. Stepping on Legos (does that pain ever fade?) I ran to the window and lifted the shade. With her silvery face, the moon shone from the night sky, Illuminating the landscape from her perch way up high. And what to my sleep-deprived eyes should appear But an accessible sleigh, and 8 AT reindeer.... [Read More...]
December 7, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
If you’re in search of ways to support preschool teachers who are implementing TELL ME or another core vocabulary program with their young students, this post has some great information and downloadable resources for you. AAC SLPs Jeanna Antrim and Maggie Judson are back with another guest post 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. TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘It’s Okay to Be Different!’ TELL ME About The Book The fourth book in this new series is “It’s Okay To Be Different” by Todd Parr. A perfect book for a preschool classroom, with its repeated phrases, simple text, and engaging illustrations. And oh, did we mention it’s full of... [Read More...]
November 19, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
For beginning communicators, the pairing of storybook reading with aided language input is a powerful combination. Today, Dr. Kimberly Ho, SLP and Director of Speech, Language and AAC Services at Confidence Connection, shares her thoughts on selecting which words to model and also shares a number of video examples. Modeling for Children with ASD: Which Words Should We Choose? We know that many individuals with ASD have complex communication needs. It is estimated that 50% of individuals on the Autism Spectrum can’t meet their communication needs with speech alone (Light, Roberts, DeMarco, & Greiner, 1998). This is not surprising to clinicians and educators who have seen their caseloads swell with children with ASD who require AAC. Modeling is the most frequently used instructional method by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work with children with ASD who use AAC (Clark & Williams, 2020). Clinically, the intent of providing a model is NOT... [Read More...]
November 12, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
We’re always excited to see innovations in assistive technology and AAC, and today, we welcome Charlie Danger of The Children’s Trust to tell us about one of them. Charlie is an OT and ATP who has been working with people with disabilities for over 20 years. In this post, he introduces us to Google Action Blocks and discusses some of the ways it can benefit those with AAC needs. A Look at Google Action Blocks When most of us consider the use of modern portable devices as communication aids we’re likely to refer to iPads running popular apps such as LAMP Words for Life or Proloquo2go. It is relatively rare that people first consider Android AAC apps, most likely because there are so few of them. Android Worldwide, Android devices outsell Apple by a factor of 3 to 1. In South America and Asia this is as high as 10... [Read More...]
November 9, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Ready for another post with book-related ideas for supporting core vocabulary learning in preschool classrooms? We’re excited to welcome Jeanna Antrim and Maggie Judson back to these pages with another guest post the TELL ME About It series. Today, they share ideas for core vocabulary experiences with an old favorite, Dear Zoo.If you’re in search of ways to support preschool teachers who are implementing the TELL ME program with their young students, this post is for you. There are quite a few resource links embedded in this post, ready for you to download. 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 It: AAC Learning with ‘Dear Zoo’! TELL ME About The Book The third book... [Read More...]
October 19, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
We’ve been on a mission to add our support to the population of AAC users from Spanish-speaking communities, so when AAC SLP Deanna Wagner shared this piece she wrote on strengthening her Spanish language skills, we knew we wanted to share it. Here in the US, where speaking a second language isn’t as highly valued as it should be, many professionals struggle to become confident in languages other than English. In this post, Deanna shares her tips for strengthening her Spanish so that she can better serve the families she supports. In addition, she provides a helpful table of AAC apps that are available in Spanish that you won’t want to miss. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Building Spanish Language Skills As an AT professional who supports families who speak Spanish at home, I am always looking for ways to brush up on my AAC vocabulary and Spanish terminology. I am not a native... [Read More...]
October 12, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
It’s time for another post with book-related ideas for supporting core vocabulary learning in preschool classrooms. Jeanna Antrim and Maggie Judson are back with another guest post in support of preschool teachers who are implementing the TELL ME program with their young students. 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 It: AAC Learning with ‘I Know a Lot!’ by Stephen Krensky TELL ME About The Book The second book in this new series is “I Know a Lot!”. If this is a new title for you, you will LOVE the adorable illustrations, simple text, repeated phrases, as well as the focus on adjectives! And remember last month how we talked about following the CAR (Comment... [Read More...]
October 8, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Our community is so fortunate to have talented AAC clinicians who generously share their tips for working smart and being efficient. Today, we welcome SLP Krista Hadeed, owner of Utter Brilliance Therapy Services, who is sharing her experiences in creating language kits that can be used in AAC therapy and instruction. Krista specializes in AAC and serves individuals with complex communication needs in South Florida. She has some great ideas for organizing materials in ways that make our work more efficient. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Let’s talk Language Kits! This year has been a challenging time for all of us, but it has also provided us with the opportunity to rethink our approaches and solutions to some common problems. While these problems are not exclusive to therapy during a pandemic, the shift in daily routine has certainly influenced the way we approach AAC communication partner training and support. The research shows us that... [Read More...]