30 Search Results for erin sheldon

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 30: July 2017

July 23, 2017 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 30: July 2017

The hot and hazy days of summer are upon us but the AAC work continues. Here are some posts that may be of interest. Monday: 5 Ways to Make Semantic Maps More Effective in AAC Therapy Wednesday: Video of the Week: AAC Teaching Tips on Scaffolding and Visual Supports ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you’re looking for ways to build AAC and language skills during book reading, here are some suggestions from guest bloggers. Erin Sheldon on books for beginning readers of any age Karen Natoci’s series on classroom lessons based on various books Sara Barnhill and the AT Team at Children’s Hospital of Virginia on Pete the Cat Rocking My New School Shoes, Bear Wants More, Bark George, and Sometimes I Feel Sunny. Happy reading!    

Video of the Week: Breaking Down Barriers to Inclusive Education for AAC Learners

June 14, 2017 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Breaking Down Barriers to Inclusive Education for AAC Learners

How can we help our AAC learners become cognitively engaged and participate fully in instructional activities? What can we do to support social connectedness and help them make contributions to classroom learning experiences? In this week’s featured video, which is embedded in a fuller AT Internet Module, Erin Sheldon helps us answer those kinds of questions and shares a framework to help us plan for full participation in learning experiences. We’re grateful to Erin, OCALI, and AT Internet Modules for creating and sharing these wonderful resources.  

Video of the Week: From Presence to Contribution – A Family’s Journey Towards an Inclusive Life

April 5, 2017 by - 2 Comments

Video of the Week: From Presence to Contribution - A Family's Journey Towards an Inclusive Life

Why do we work so hard to support effective communication through AAC? In the end, the real goal is to help people live rich and enviable lives. Working toward that starts with a vision and that’s the subject of Erin Sheldon’s talk, Including Maggie. Many thanks to Kathy Howery and the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia for making this available. If you think you know inclusion and if you think you know what the end game is in AAC, don’t skip this. All of us have something to learn from this family’s journey toward an inclusive life. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkf3LD6047s&list=PL6P1FySUgEPR1aG-ZRYi363jtaniNJFqC&index=13

PrAACtically Reading: A House for Hermit Crab

January 18, 2016 by - 2 Comments

PrAACtically Reading: A House for Hermit Crab

Storybook reading is rich with potential for building AAC, language, and literacy skills. An added bonus: It’s an activity that educators, therapists, and families can all use and enjoy. In this post, we explore ways to use A House for Hermit Crab, by Eric Carle, for AAC and language learning. Key Instructional Strategies Having an engaging book gives us a good start on the lesson, but the learning comes from the interaction. Shared reading can be done in therapy one-on-one or as a group in class. Either way, the adult leading the activity will need to be well-versed in instructional strategies that facilitate AAC learning. These include: Aided language input  RAAP  Feedback  Goal Areas: Language and Communication There are lots and lots of ways to use this book for literacy learning, but in this post we’ll focus more on the development of communication and language skills. Here are some goal... [Read More...]

How I Do It: Conversation Practice with Teens and Young Adults by Angela Adams

May 26, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

How I Do It: Conversation Practice with Teens and Young Adults with Angela Adams

Angela Adams is next up in our Better Hearing and Speech Month lineup. Angela is an SLP in a school district in Washington where she works with middle and high school students, many of whom use AAC. In this post, she shares some thoughts on helping them build conversational skills. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In March 2015 I had the pleasure of attending AAC in the Desert in sunny Phoenix.  Presenters Caroline Musselwhite, Erin Sheldon, and Gretchen Hanser sent us away with tons of information.  I used Caroline Musselwhite’s idea of Co-planned conversation scripts as a basis for the following activity. Working in a school system and with a variety of staff, it is highly beneficial when the activity is organized and has simple instructions. Take screen shots of the phrases needed for the conversational activity. Cut out the social phrases needed and then laminate. I labeled the back of each phrase card so... [Read More...]

5 Presentation Handouts on AAC Topics

May 19, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

5 Presentation Handouts on AAC Topics

AAC people are notorious for their love of professional development. If you haven’t been able to attend as many conferences as you would have liked, you might enjoy these handouts from AAC presentations in the US and Australia. Jane Farrall and Sally Clendon (AGOSCI, May 2015): Self-selected Reading Ashley Robinson (NCACA, 2015): Building Classroom Communities to Support AAC Users Caroline Musselwhite, Erin Sheldon, Deanna Wagner, Laurel Buell, & Gretchen Hanser (Closing the Gap, 2014): Communication Circles Lauren Enders (ATIA, 2014): AAC-Ideas for Infusing Core Language Across the Curriculum Jennifer Buxton (ATIA, 2014): AT Implementation in the School Setting – Struggles and Successes    

As They Grow: Books for Beginning Readers of Any Age

March 12, 2015 by - 4 Comments

As They Grow: Books for Beginning Readers of Any Age

Like many of you, I’m always on the hunt for ways to support beginning communicators who are also learning to read. As SLPs, we have a huge opportunity to advocate for and provide good literacy learning opportunities for individuals with AAC needs. For learners past the preschool age, it can be challenging to find material that engages them and yet respects the fact that they are no longer young children. Last month, we share a handout from a wonderful ATIA presentation that Drs. Hanser and Musselwhite did on this topic (you can see that post here). Today, I’m sharing the thoughts of Erin Sheldon, whose work in inclusive education for students with significant disabilities and support of families with Angelman Syndrome (AS) is known to many of you. Erin’s work is directly informed by her daughter Maggie, who has AS and is fully included in her general education classroom. A... [Read More...]

Video of the Week: Writing Instruction for Students with Angelman Syndrome

July 6, 2014 by - 1 Comment

Today we return to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation and learn more about how to teach writing to children with Angelman Syndrome. Erin Sheldon shares prAACtical information that applies to MANY children with signficant communication challenges. This is a great video for us SLPs, but also one to share with families. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iInuYeNraEU&feature=youtu.be

Video of the Week: The Development of Literacy Skills by Individuals with Angelman Syndrome

June 15, 2014 by - 3 Comments

Video of the Week: The Development of Literacy Skills in Individuals with Angelman Syndrome

We’re so pleased to be able to share this terrific webinar presented by Erin Sheldon and hosted by the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. This presentation is chock full of prAACtical ideas for assessment and skill-building. Erin discusses a free literacy assessment tool, The Bridge, from the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies that you might want to download and keep handy as you watch the presentation. (We linked to it in a previous post and you can access it here.) Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFgJLhYCPMo&feature=youtu.be  

Angelman Syndrome Awareness Day

February 15, 2013 by - 3 Comments

Angelman Syndrome Awareness Day

We have learned so much by working with children with Angelman Syndrome (AS) over the years. Because they generally have complex communication needs, we wanted to share some resources in support of AS Awareness Day. Overview of AS by The Angelman Syndrome Foundation Information about the 2013 Biennial Angelman Syndrome Conference in Orlando, Florida Learning modules on AS and behavior (Must register for a free account to access the content.) Videos from a recent educational seminar by Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST) that was held in Chicago. The main speakers are Erin Sheldon and Mary-Louise Bertram. Part 1: Learning Issues Part 2: Communication Part 3: Questions and Answers