327 Search Results for aac awareness
April 7, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Each 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. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries and offer translations of material that can help families and service providers. Today, she partners with Rita María Aceituno in focusing on the AAC support provided to Guatemalan children with Down Syndrome by Fundación Margarita Tejada. Enjoy the post, and remember to scroll to the bottom to add your link and see what others... [Read More...]
January 6, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Each 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. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries and offer translations of material that can help families and service providers. Today’s post focuses on an online AAC conference in Spanish. Take a look and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to add your link and see what others are sharing. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Bienvenido 2023, comenzamos este año con nuevas ideas y proyectos... [Read More...]
December 2, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Each 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. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries and offer translations of material that can help families and service providers. Today’s post focuses on supporting literacy and AAC featuring a fun Christmas book. Take a look and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to add your link and see what others are sharing. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Comenzando Diciembre queremos invitar a nuestra comunidad... [Read More...]
July 2, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
AAC friends, if you’re interested in AAC materials in Spanish, please check out the content in this list and feel free to add your own. In addition to these resources, you may also enjoy learning about the work of Wendy Moreno, a parent of an AAC user in Mexico. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Estamos comenzando Julio compartiendo links en español, continuamos nuestro recorrido por el mundo conociendo experiencias de CAA en español, esta vez llegamos a México donde Wendy Moreno, nos comparte sus reflexiones y vivencias. PREGUNTAS AUMENTATIVAS Y RESPUESTAS ALTERNATIVAS ¿Qué pasaría si un día, tan sólo un día, nuestra comunicación se limitará a responder preguntas cerradas sin hacer uso de nuestra voz? Seguramente algo se nos ocurrirá para darnos a entender. Pero ¿qué pasa cuando la misma pregunta se la hacemos a una persona que, por su discapacidad, presenta necesidades complejas de comunicación? Muchos, podríamos conformarnos con: “responde a un sí ... [Read More...]
May 7, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
AAC friends, we are back with our 8th AAC Link Up in Spanish. If you have 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. In today’s post, we travel to Colombia to hear from Jhonatan Muñoz, father of Juan Nicolás, who uses AAC. Their story first appears in Spanish and then in English, and is followed by a video. Thank you, Jhonatan and Juan Nicolás! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Es el primer Viernes de Mayo!! Recuerda compartir tus links en español y acompáñanos a seguir viajando y recorriendo países donde se habla español, encontrando nuevas historias y experiencias de CAA, que nos alegran, nos motivan y dan cuenta de lo importante que es para los niños... [Read More...]
December 14, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Word prediction, where the communicator types a letter and the AAC technology predicts words based on that letter, can be a powerful addition to an AAC user’s toolbox. Many AAC learners pick it up quickly and without direct instruction, but others need guidance and support. Don’t rule out word prediction for individuals who are not fully literate. Instead, try a period of planned instruction to help them develop the skills to use this strategy. Here are some suggestions for supporting them in learning to use word prediction. Teach learners how to use the initial and final letters to find the word they need: Even when learners don’t know all the letters consistently, they can often learn to a) think about the word, b) think about the sound it starts and ends with, c) think about what letters make those sounds, and d) look at the options to see which of... [Read More...]
November 16, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
You’ve developed a list of target words for vocabulary instruction and are modeling them frequently throughout the day using aided language input. Focused language stimulation helped, and when you created materials that have the target word with a student-friendly definition, a relevant picture, synonyms, and a sample sentence, things looked promising. Your client seemed to notice, was sometimes attentive, and showed indications that their awareness of these words was growing. However, in terms of truly understanding these words or using them, progress was s-l-0-w. Where can you go from here? Explicit instruction on these words will help speed up the learning curve. Here are some activities you can embed in your teaching and therapy to provide more experience with this new vocabulary. Work together to create picture collages for the target word: Do these interactively so you can discuss what belongs in the collage and WHY, and what does not... [Read More...]
July 20, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Finding ways to engage AAC learners is important to professionals across disciplines and service delivery settings. In today’s post, we feature guest author Kate McLaughlin, who is an SLP serving individuals with AAC needs in Connecticut. She shares a perspective on building engagement through the perspective of meaning making. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: “Motivating” Emergent Communicators through Shared “Meaning-Making” & Communication Responsibility Are you a speech-language pathologist (SLP), teacher, or parent supporting an emergent AAC learner? Maybe you are just starting AAC with a learner who has a complex profile (for example, significant motor impairments, difficulties with motor planning, and/or sensory processing differences)? Maybe you have a learner who has learned to ask for some favorite things, but is not communicating beyond that? Do you struggle to “motivate” them? You’re not alone. I’ve met many kids who have been described as “not motivated to communicate.” I’ve also met many parents and professionals... [Read More...]
June 10, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
There is no doubt that adults with complex communication needs are an underserved population, something that is on our minds a lot during June, which is Aphasia Awareness Month. We feel fortunate to have a guest post today from Ohio-based SLP Katherine Dally, who works both as an AT consultant for an educational service center and as a home health SLP serving adults with neurological conditions. Katherine has served as the SLP on an ALS clinic focusing AAC evaluations, the use of voice banking, and no-tech/low tech communication. In today’s post, she provides some wonderful ideas for using activity-specific communication books with adults and teenagers and shares her templates for you to download. Pocket Mini-Communication Flipbooks Need a low-tech idea that’s pocket-sized and accessible everywhere for adults? Take a look at these pocket mini-communication flip books. These flip books were originally created for clients with a diagnosis of ALS to... [Read More...]
April 15, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Since we’re mid-way through Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, it seemed like a good time to share some additional resources and ideas. Explore the Autism Kit for Kids by the Organization for Autism Research: What’s Up with Nick video, lesson plan, poster, and more. Attend a sensory-friendly event at a museum, movie theater, etc., or create your own using these suggestions from Sesame Street. Find a suitable book about autism and get reading! There are a number of book suggestions here. Check out the Choose Kindness: Autism Awareness Mini-Lessons by Autism NJ. Watch a TV show or video with positive messages about autism using suggestions from Reading Rockets. Have you been spreading the autism acceptance message this month? We’d love to hear about it.