448 Search Results for autism
April 25, 2014
by Robin Parker -
There is a lot of prAACtical buzz around 2 AAC apps that have recently released free/lite versions Check them out: Avaz Lite Version- AAC App for Autism (Augmentative Picture Communication Software for Children with Special Needs)- Try out Avaz AAC app with the lite version and a 7-day promotional subscription period to the symbols and voices which can be used for decision making options. Learn more about the full version at Avaz Support. Dynavox Compass (try for 30 days or full version for ASHA Certified Professionals)- A full version for professionals with weekly resource emails with videos and tips to help learn the full potential of the app. Other long standing free and lite versions: 133 Free or Lite Versions of AAC Apps
April 17, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We are pleased to share a guest post by SLP Jason Butcher, who serves students at Grant County Middle School. Jason has been working with middle and high school students for the past 14 years. He earned his Master’s in Communication Disorders from the University of Kentucky in 1999. He admits that he came to do AAC more out of necessity than interest due to serving a huge variety and degree of speech/language impairments on his caseload. He has always enjoyed working with technology and is patient when fixing problems, qualities that he thinks have served him well when hitting the inevitable roadblocks that come with working in the area of AAC. In this post, Jason shares some candid thoughts on the transition from PECS to an iPad for a student with whom he works. It was nearing the end of September when I began to fear that Ms. Ruff, a teacher... [Read More...]
April 10, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We are so excited to launch, PrAACtically SLPs, a new series featuring the voices of graduate students in SLP programs who do outstanding work in AAC. We start off with a wonderful group from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Allie Rodriguez, Caitlin Rich, and Megan Latta are second year SLP students who will be graduating in May. They recently concluded an AAC course taught by Dr. Penny Hatch, who continues to mentor them in the field of AAC and literacy. I met these energetic young professionals at the North Carolina Augmentative Communication Association Conference in February and was inspired by their passion. In this post, they tell us about their AAC experiences on a trip to Guatemala. Hungry for Bilingual AAC? Today, our population is becoming more culturally diverse, which, in turn, has caused our caseloads to reflect this change. There is a growing... [Read More...]
April 5, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Hope your prAACtical week is going well! Sunday: Video of the Week – Connecting with Prelinguistic Communicators Monday: Strategy of the Month: Thoughts on Teaching Word Prediction Tuesday: 10 AAC Things to Do for Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month Wednesday: Watch It Wednesday – Music and Communication by Ryan Judd Thursday: AACtual Therapy – Supporting the Development of Early Grammar with Kimberly Ho Friday: 3 AAC Presentation Handouts You May Have Missed
April 3, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Our guest post for today is from SLP Kimberly Ho, an AAC specialist who operates a private practice, AAC Services. I met Dr. Ho many years ago when she was getting her master’s degree at Purdue University. She went on to get her doctorate and now consults for a number of public schools and works with individuals with AAC needs from preschoolers to adults. Kimberly is active in teaching (undergraduate and graduate courses), writing (published three articles in peer reviewed journals) and public speaking (15 presentations at regional, national and international conferences). In this post, she discusses some concepts in teaching grammar to people who are learning AAC. Traditionally, individuals with complex communication needs (CCN) were provided with communication boards or speech generating devices (SGDs) filled with topic specific vocabulary often called fringe words. The field of AAC is only just beginning to provide early communicators with access to Core... [Read More...]
March 24, 2014
by Robin Parker -
Literacy instruction involves lots of reading and writing. Last week, Carole discussed using storybook reading and the RAAP (Read, Ask, Answer, Prompt) strategy by Drs. Cathy Binger and Jennifer Kent-Walsh to teach communication and literacy. To use storybooks with all learners we need to have lots of books that are easily accessible. Books need to be accessible physically as well as through content and interest. It is lucky that with all of today’s on-line resources there is an abundance of ways to obtain as well as make and write storybooks. All learners can and should be be involved in both the reading and writing process. Not only do literacy skills improve but so do communication skills. Involving Learners in the Storybook Process Reader & Writer Vocabulary- Facilitate involvement by using reader and writer vocabulary. Refer to learners as “readers”, “authors”, “editors”, “publishers”, “critics”, etc. When you are treated and referred... [Read More...]
March 23, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
“I eat biscuits when I talk about things.” “How about yesterday?” “What do you like making?” “Kay said, Put away toys.” “What did you say?” “After meeting we did go eat mini burger.” “What did you eat for dinner?” “I will eat one biscuit now.” Isn’t it a treat to see kids really using core language? There is so much to love about this video of Kingsley, a youngster with autism, and his dad. From the child-directed interaction, to the contingent responding, to the language elicitation strategies (e.g., “You start”), to reminders about punctuation, to the sheer love of interaction, and more. This is one to savor. Direct link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jHWeD9ivc0
March 20, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We’re so excited to introduce a new AACtual therapist, Jeanne Tuthill. Jeanne has been an SLP for over 15 years and has specialized in AAC for the past 6 years. As an AT specialist for the Collaborative Center for Assistive Technology and Training (CCATT) in Northampton, Massachusetts, Jeanne evaluates and provides consultation services for K-12 students in schools throughout Western Massachusetts. In addition, she provides workshops and professional development training in that region. Since 2012, Jeanne has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Assistive Technology Graduate Program at Simmons College. She has also presented at a number of regional and national conferences. You can see Jeanne here with her long-time student Lauren Suprenant, who is using a Step-by-Step Communicator, to share information about how she communicates with others (introduction strategy). Jeanne shares a little bit about her work and then discusses an activity that is used in their AAC... [Read More...]
March 19, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
The other day we heard from an SLP who was supporting a child with significant communication difficulties. She contacted us because the team had hit a snag in their communication supports for this student. The student was successfully able to communicate with PECS but rarely did so. Instead, she used her body and challenging behavior to express herself most of the time. “Why does she hit when she can use her PECS book to tell us what she wants?” We’re not any more clairvoyant than you are, but we certainly had some ideas about this. Functional Communication Teaching can be very effective in helping people reduce their use of challenging behaviors in favor of more socially accepted means of communication. BUT, there are some of the basic principles that are have to be attended to when designing and implementing a set of behaviors that will replace the challenging behavior. This... [Read More...]
March 15, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We’re still adjusting to Daylight Savings Time (morning comes too soon!) but managed to rub the sleep from our eyes and have a prAACtical week. Hope you did, too! Sunday: Video of the Week – An ABA Perspective on AAC for Students with Autism Monday: Strategy of the Month – More Robust Literacy Instruction for People who Use AAC Tuesday: Research Tuesday – Literacy Instruction for People with Significant Disabilities Wednesday: Watch It Wednesday – Learn More About iOS 7 with Spectronics Thursday: Try This – A PrAACtical Idea for Aided Language Input Friday: Before We Read – Using Predictions for PrAACtical Learning