844 Search Results for core vocabulary

Speaking of the Weather: 5 AAC-friendly Ideas

February 21, 2022 by - Leave your thoughts

Speaking of the Weather: 5 AAC-friendly Ideas

It makes a regular appearance at Circle Time and Morning Meetings. It’s part of our casual conversation on a daily basis. We learn about it in Science classes and it often plays a role in the books we read. Everyone talks about the weather. How can we take advantage of this ubiquitous topic to strengthen AAC learning? Here are a few ideas of language concepts to address. Core Vocabulary: Weather-related discussions offer many opportunities to model and elicit core words, both by themselves and in the context of longer sentences. Single words: Feel, it, like, look, see, that, what Multi-word combinations: I can see rain/snow/sun. Look at that. What is it like outside? Can you feel it? I don’t like when it is ___. More Advanced Vocabulary: Many AAC users have vocabularies that are smaller than we would expect, even when no cognitive issues are present. Talking about the weather... [Read More...]

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 6: February 2022

February 6, 2022 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 6: February 2022

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Monday – 3 Ways to Use Visual Schedules to Enhance AAC Learning Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC Do’s & Don’ts Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC-friendly Valentine’s Day Resources Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados Con Links – Febrero 2022 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In the mood for a little more AAC reading? Here are some suggestions. Getting ready for a core vocabulary journey  Make It Monday: Manual communication boards with core vocabulary  Make It Monday: More words, please! Expanding our manual communication boards  Super Size It: 5 ideas for making large communication boards  Beyond requesting: A week of routines to increase AAC use at mealtimes  5 ways to build understanding  Free resources for making AAC and visual supports 5 places for shared AAC materials

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 5: January 2022

January 30, 2022 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 5: January 2022

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that may be of interest. Monday – February Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Tips for Talking with AAC Users Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC & Friendship :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Here are a few more posts to sample before you go. PrAACtical Questions with Vicki Clarke: What’s the Role of Core Vocabulary? AAC Goes to High School: Community-based Instruction Communication Boards: Colorful Considerations Helping Others Model AAC Language Development Across the School Day

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 4: January 2022

January 23, 2022 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 4: January 2022

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you might enjoy. Monday – AAC After Floods, Fires, & Other Major Disasters Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Voice Amplifiers Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC & Goal Writing :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Need a few more suggestions? Try these posts from the archives. How We Do It: Incorporating Core Vocabulary Throughout the School Day How We Do It: AAC in the Special Education Classroom – Continuing the Journey PrAACtical Resources: Teachers’ Toolkit For Students With Little Or No Speech PrAACtical Resources: AAC for School Staff AAC and the IEP  

PrAACtical Questions: “Can We Use an AAC Tool Created by Our Service Provider?”

January 10, 2022 by - Leave your thoughts

PrAACtical Questions: “Can We Use an AAC Tool Created by Our Service Provider?”

In some areas of the country, professionals and school districts are creating their own no-tech AAC systems. These are usually focused on core vocabulary and are often fairly similar to things that are commercially available. There are several reasons that schools or clinical practices might create their own tools, such as having consistency across classrooms so that staff can learn the tool well and focus their efforts on strong implementation practices. Along with the advantages, there are a number of drawbacks to consider in your decision-making. Here are some considerations in determining whether to use locally-created AAC materials. Examine the words that populate the system. Are the words, phrases, and/or sentences on their AAC tool a good fit for the learner in question?  Look at the size of the vocabulary it offers. Are there enough words?  Review the vocabulary layout to see how words are organized. Does it facilitate language... [Read More...]

Top 10 AAC Videos of the Year

January 3, 2022 by - Leave your thoughts

Top 10 AAC Videos of the Year

Before we get too far into the new year, we thought you might like one last look at some of the most popular AAC videos of 2021. AAC Modeling at Home Supporting Core Vocabulary in a Life Skills Classroom Ethical Issues in AAC Relationships and AAC TELL ME: AAC in the Preschool Classroom Calendar Time & Weather Report, AAC Style Talking About Feelings AAC Evaluations Teaching Language in the Classroom to Students Who Use AAC Comprehensive Literacy Instruction in AAC Do you have a favorite that didn’t make the list? We’d love to hear about it.

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 1: January 2022

January 2, 2022 by - Leave your thoughts

AC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 1: January 2022

Happy New Year, AAC friends. Here are some posts to ease you into 2022. Monday – January Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Making AAC Devices Relevant with Customization Thursday – The Year’s Top AAC Posts: 2021 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Before you go, here are some posts to explore from our ‘How I Do It’ series. Pocket Flipbooks for Teens & Adults (Intro),  Part 1 and Part 2 A Year of Core Words in Action Addressing the 4 Most Overlooked Operational Skills for High-Tech AAC Users Using Visual Supports to Build Attention and Cooperation Starting AAC with Teens & Young Adults by Angela Adams

The Year’s Top AAC Posts: 2021

December 30, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

The Year's Top AAC Posts: 2021

As we wave goodbye to December and welcome the New Year, let’s revisit some of the most popular posts of 2021. PrAACtical Goals That Matter How I Do It: Writing IEP Goals for Students Who Use AAC with Lauren Enders PrAACtical AAC Goals How I Do It: Using PODD books and Aided Language Displays with Young Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder AAC Assessment Forms Building Your AAC SLP Toolkit: Obtaining Free Apps for AAC Evaluations The First 12: Getting Started with Core Vocabulary Teaching Core Vocabulary Literacy for Everyone with Adapted Books A Year of Core Vocabulary Words Make It Monday: Manual Communication Boards with Core Vocabulary Communication Boards: Colorful Considerations School Year of Core Vocabulary Words: AAC Resources for Month 1 (August) by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, & Beth Lytle Do you have a favorite that didn’t make the list? We’d love to hear about it.

PrAACtical Questions: “What Does a Robust AAC System Look Like?

December 13, 2021 by - 2 Comments

PrAACtical Questions: “What Does a Robust AAC System Look Like?

“We use core boards in our classroom to ensure everyone has access to basic communication but our students need more language. I keep hearing that students with complex communication needs should have access to ‘robust’ systems but I’m not sure what that really means.” Many classrooms now use a universal system for core vocabulary so that all students have access to a basic set of words. This buys them some time to consider what the specific needs of their students are and plan a comprehensive assessment that will lead to individualized communication aids. As they approach that next step, the team is often looking to develop a more comprehensive AAC system that addresses the student’s current needs and abilities but also sets the stage for further growth and development of communication skills.  What makes an AAC system robust?   Multiple Components: An ‘AAC system’ is comprised of different elements that work... [Read More...]

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 50: December 2021

December 12, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 50: December 2021

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you might like. Monday – AAC in Secondary School: Centering AAC Users in the IEP Planning Process, Part 2 Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC Options for People Who Speak Thursday – Throwback Thursday: IEP-related Issues in AAC Services ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Have a little more time? You might want to check out some of these posts from the archives. PrAACtical Questions with Vicki Clarke: What’s the Role of Core Vocabulary? Supporting AAC Learners in Emergent Writing: 5 Helpful Resources Writing AAC Goals Let Me Tell You Something- Narratives for the Beginning Communicator Teaching Word Prediction: 5 Strategies for Consideration