440 Search Results for visual supports
January 4, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
We are so excited to see the expanded web presence by SLPs who are blogging, running groups on Facebook, sharing resources on Pinterest, and maintaining online stores on TeachersPayTeachers. We’ve been thinking about how to connect with some of these creative professionals, both to extend our own professional learning networks and also to broaden the reach of our AAC message. Recently, when an opportunity to forge a few connections presented itself, we decided to collaborate with a few new SLP friends. Periodically, we will be featuring the materials of a fellow SLP who typically writes for colleagues serving primarily children with high incidence disabilities. They post great ideas and materials for students with articulation and phonological difficulties, fluency problems, and language disorders. We hope to put a prAACtical spin on their great ideas. In our inaugural post of this type, we hope to inspire some Magic Moments with fellow SLP Jocelyn... [Read More...]
January 2, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Is it just us, or have other people been blown away by the number of SLPs sharing therapy materials that they’ve designed? It seems like every time we visit sites like Facebook, Pinterest, and TeachersPayTeachers, there are more SLPs posting things that they’ve made. Most of them are incredibly adorable, reasonably priced, and even free. Many are based around a particular theme, such as a holiday or season, or a conceptual theme, such as pirates, the circus, or outer space. We love the cute graphics and fun fonts, and bet that many of you do, too. Cuteness and the ‘fun factor’ are compelling, but which ones are a good fit for your AAC therapy? In this post, we want to open a conversation with prAACtical thoughts about making solid clinical decisions when choosing therapy materials. I’ll be sharing some things that can be helpful when working with kids who have... [Read More...]
December 30, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Over the past few months, we’ve been advocating for a multi-stage process for vocabulary teaching that begins with focused (aided) language stimulation and explicit instruction. The approach we described then moves into engaging practice activities while we continue to provide exposure and opportunities for retrieval, with periodic comprehension checks. This cycle allows SLPs to make use of research-based strategies in their semantic intervention and get the best outcomes for their AAC learners. So, when we came across this video about how to use ‘Sharing Time’ to build vocabulary, we knew we wanted to share it. It describes a classroom activity that could also be adapted for therapy groups in which students take turns bringing in an time from home to share with the class. We love the visual support that helps the students know what to talk about. It is a great reminder that visual supports are part of good... [Read More...]
December 28, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
1. Start therapy as soon as you see the client: Savvy SLPs don’t waste a single second of therapy time. As soon as she saw 4 year-old Jonah in the waiting room, Chloe Clinician started sprinkling him with practice opportunities. They used vocalizations and gestures to greet other people. He ‘signed in’ at the front desk using a sheet she made up for Jonah to trace the first letter of his name. She blocked the door with her foot until he told her to ‘open’ and delayed his access to the beloved elevator button until he asked to go ‘up.’ By the time Jonah got to his therapy room, he had practiced skills in 5 different areas. This makes a clinical supervisor’s heart sing! 2. Speak AAC whenever you talk to the client. We’ve been shouting this from the virtual rooftops for quite awhile, but for those who missed it,... [Read More...]
December 17, 2012
by Robin Parker -
It’s been a long few days. Like everyone else, the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre has been on our minds, in our hearts, and in our dreams. We didn’t want to write about it. We didn’t even want to think about it. We have refrained from tweeting and ‘Facebooking’ about it. It’s all just too hard. Too sad. Too overwhelming. Too… Well, you know. But as the numbness started to wear off, we realized that we couldn’t avoid blogging about it. Why? Because it matters to people with AAC needs, too. And we, of all people, should understand that silence is not the answer. Unfortunately, we have been through other horrific world events and people who use AAC or communicate in other unconventional way have told us. “We’re hurting, too.” The SLP community has something to offer here and a responsibility to help where we can. As clinicians, we agonize. “What... [Read More...]
December 14, 2012
by Robin Parker -
As we are talking about communication boards this month, we wanted to share a great free resource that is available to everyone. ConnectABILITY is a virtual community and website focused on lifelong learning and support for people who have an intellectual disability, their families and their support networks. It is based in Canada and funded by a grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities. We have used many resources from ConnectAbility. We love that you can get information for all ages (children through senior adults). We love the multimedia formats. We have listened to podcasts, read about community and participated in interactive learning. But we absolutely love the Visual Engine which helps you learn about and make visual supports. We LOVE the way you can easily create communication boards and recently realized there are easy ways to add photos, symbols, or even your own pictures or photos. The ‘ease of use’... [Read More...]
December 13, 2012
by Robin Parker -
We write about a lot of AAC strategies and we often give examples of different types of learners. Sometimes the learners we work with have more challenges than we explain. Lest you think, we do not see the really ‘challenging’ learners, we do, we really do. For those individuals with more challenges than most, sometime we are asked, well what do a few visual supports or AAC strategies do? What difference do they make? The truthful answer is A LOT. Here are a just a few recent examples from some really amazing families. When a mom is on the phone, a young adult brings in a timer and sets it so mom will get off the phone and go sit with her. When a communication book is forgotten on an emergency trip to the dentist, drawing on a napkin is enough to keep everyone calm so that the dentist can... [Read More...]
December 5, 2012
by Robin Parker -
The topic of communication books was introduced this month. We will continue to think about the multitude of decisions to make as we design individual communication books. Obviously, content is the most important issue, but we are often reminded that function and form must go together. Carole gave some great examples of reasons to make the books appealing and personal. I had a situation this week that illustrated this concept perfectly. We continue to learn from the ‘learners’ that we are teaching. I know a little girl with autism who most people think does not care about her peers or how things look. She uses some natural speech and a no-tech communication book. She uses the communication book during her speech-language therapy sessions but only inconsistently outside of the therapy room. She has not expressed interest in taking the communication book with her and although she has some specific visual... [Read More...]
December 3, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
PrAACtically Thinking PrAACtically Unfair: Why People Who Use AAC Sometimes Fail Tests It’s PrAACtically Chanukkah! Let’s Get Specific About Speech Intelligibility Thankful Funny Bones: Jokes for Sequential Message Devices/Apps Vocabulary Learning Materials & AAC Strategies Choosing a Focus for Vocabulary Instruction Vocabulary Learning Using Infographics Say THIS, NOT THAT to Reinforce Vocabulary Learning How to Use Magnets to Promote Language Development Vocabulary Activities: 5 Sites for Learning with Avatars What Makes a Good Vocabulary Teaching Activity? 4 Things to Look For Simple Start: Visual Supports for Places We Go 10 Things to Do in Using Focused Language Stimulation in AAC Vocabulary Teaching Tell Me About It: Focused Language Stimulation In AAC Vocabulary Teaching A Word About Word Order Avaz AAC App & Vocabulary Learning Magic Moments with Sentence Builder AAC Awareness Month Wrap-Up Strategy of the Month Complete Vocabulary Instruction Ideas & Activities Explicitly Speaking: Vocabulary Teaching in AAC Building... [Read More...]
November 29, 2012
by Robin Parker -
Chanukkah is prAACtically here, even though it seems very early. Chanukkah starts at sundown on December 8th and ends at sundown on December 18th. Holidays are usually fun and busy. With all the fun comes changes in routines, less sleep, more stress, more excitement, more people, more compromise, and overall different expectations. This is a time to plan in advance the visual supports, visual systems, and AAC displays that will help everyone understand, organize, and communicate most optimally. Check out these great resources to help with the planning: Friendship Circle Blog- Preparing for Hanukkah, 15 Tips to Make Sure Your Child is Ready for The Holidays, & More Gateways Program Resources- There are visual supports for the Chanukkah Blessings. There are social story books that help with understanding that birthday candles and Chanukkah candles are different, that Chanukkah candles go out by themselves, and about Chanukkah candles and fire safety.... [Read More...]