428 Search Results for year of core words
October 19, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
What better way to celebrate AAC Awareness Month than to share AAC stories from around the world? In this post, we welcome Desirae Pillay, who shares a bit about her daughter, Savannah, and their AAC journey. As the mother of a young adult with ASD and cerebral palsy, Desirae has taken what she has learned about AAC and is using it to help others outside of her family. Desirae began her journey with AAC in 2003 when she could not find a qualified AAC specialist to assist her with her daughter. Her experience and informal learning gained her a job for an AT company. When her daughter’s health needs became pressing, she resigned her job and worked part time as a Disability Consultant for various organisations. Desirae recently returned to work as an AT Advisor, where she trains on a range of topics about communication for people with disabilities. Her passion is for... [Read More...]
October 15, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Holidays are special and Halloween is a favorite among many. As much fun as it is to dress up and get candy, though, there are lots of ways that Halloween can be stressful for AAC learners. From the change in routine, to the costumes and scary decorations, to talking with neighbors and other less familiar communication partners, to the over-abundance of sugar, there are lots of ways in which Halloween can trip us up. If the AAC learners in your life celebrate Halloween, Fall Festival, Harvest Parade, or any other celebration with similar traditions, we SLPs can help them to have a positive experience. Here are some ideas. Use a social narrative to prepare everyone for what to expect on and around Halloween. Read them often in the weeks leading up to the school dress-up parade, party, and the big day itself. More Halloween social narratives can be found at Therapics,... [Read More...]
September 23, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Looking to support a family who is new to AAC? Working with a teacher or SLP who is ready to boost their implementation of AAC across the day? Do we have a resource for you! The Angelman Syndrome Foundation has put together a truly amazing set of videos and support materials to help us get started in AAC implementation. While developed in support of children and adults with Angelman Syndrome, the information has much broader applicability and is appropriate for a wide range of developmental disabilities. The first one, From Goals to Growth: The Essential Elements Of An AAC System, is presented by SLP Maureen Nevers, an AAC Consultant from Burlington, Vermont. It covers the components of an AAC system and learn specific practices to increase the quality of an AAC system. You can get the handout for this presentation here. In the second video of the series, Maureen addresses the... [Read More...]
August 11, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Karen Natoci is back with some wonderful ideas for building AAC skills using the book, I Like Myself. Check out her lesson plan and suggestions for some prAACtical reading ::::::::::::::::::::::: Book: I Like Myself!, by Karen Beaumont; Illustrated by David Catrow (Scholastic Inc.) Core Vocabulary focus: I, WANT, LIKE, ME/MY, SAME, DIFFERENT, GO, IN, DO, Fringe Vocabulary focus- Body Parts: eyes, ears, nose, fingers, toes, head, Opposites Vocabulary use: wild/tame, fast/slow, Core Vocabulary focus: I, LIKE, ME/MY, Fringe Vocabulary focus- Abstract VERBS: Think, say, COMMUNICATION Matrix (Rowland, 2009) Level: I-VII ——————————————————————– School is just around the corner and the planning begins! Our school year started in mid July. During the first two weeks, we decided to focus on the shared reading of: I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont. This book is thoughtful, has great rhyme and rhythm, and is illustrated beautifully. It is a great way to think about the... [Read More...]
July 6, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
One of the things that I love most about where I live is the rich mix of cultural heritages and linguistic backgrounds in the clients we serve. It can be challenging to do a good assessment, though. Today, we hear from Lindsay Oesch who shares her thoughts on AAC assessments with children from bilingual environments. Don’t miss clicking through to get the parent questionnaires and other resources she shares in her post. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Beginning the AAC Assessment Process with Bilingual Children As a clinician in New York City, it is so exciting to be working with children ages 5-12 as a speech-language pathologist in one of the most culturally and linguistically dynamic places in the world. It has also remained a major challenge to assess and treat children with speech and language impairment/delay who speak more than one language, in order to accommodate their specific language needs. Assessment for a communication... [Read More...]
April 2, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night sweating over one of your AAC clients who doesn’t have a back-up communication tool, then this post is for you. Jeanne Tuthill is back with another prAACtical suggestion, this time on the importance of ensuring that people with AAC needs have communication options when their technology isn’t available or appropriate. In keeping with the generous spirit of the AAC field, Jeanne also shares her files for this project. Enjoy! How I Do It: Making a Back-up for High Tech AAC Each time I teach my graduate class I try to invite at least one AAC user in as a guest speaker to share their story with the students in the class. It never ceases to fill my students with awe and appreciation for the challenges that AAC users face on a daily basis. My students often list it as... [Read More...]
March 8, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Monday: Speaking in Core – Sentences for March Words Tuesday: Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary – March Words Wednesday: Watch It Wednesday – AAC in Early Childhood Thursday: Growing Our Ranks – An AAC Confessional
March 5, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It’s funny where life takes you. A former student of mine was unhappy as an attorney, but found deep satisfaction in becoming an SLP. Another one enjoyed her work as an SLP, but reached even more lives by founding a company for low tech communication and literacy materials. As SLP students, we might not have considered the role that people with AAC needs would play on our caseloads. And with over 90% of school-based SLPs serving kids with autism, my guess is that many who are now supporting nonverbal or minimally verbal students had no intention of specializing in AAC. And yet, there they are: a language lifeline for students who cannot communicate effectively through speech. I am so grateful to today’s guest author, Sara Barnhill, for sharing her own experience in becoming an AAC service provider. Sara is an SLP who has has worked at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at... [Read More...]
February 12, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Those of you who are still digging your way out of the most recent snowstorm may not believe it, but it’s almost time to make plans for summer. There are quite a few AAC camps, some that are quite well established and others that have been running for only a few years (see our AAC Camp Pinterest board here). In this post, we hear about one of them from Tina Moreno, an SLP and mom of Mateo, who uses PicturePower 100 on the Maestro to communicate, maintain friendships with his teammates on the cross country team, advocate for himself, reveal his wicked sense of humor, and even sing the National Anthem for his high school’s basketball games. Tina blogs at Voices4All. With the help of Drs. Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver, she and her friend Gina Cunningham created Camp ALEC together in memory of Gina’s son Alec, who never gave up, and... [Read More...]
January 5, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
New years bring new opportunities. Today, we welcome back Karen Natoci, but this time in a new role. Karen will be doing a monthly post sharing ideas for interactive book reading with children who use AAC. In her first PrAACtically Reading post, Karen explains how she used book reading to build language and literacy skills. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: We had a wonderful time reading Where’s Spot? By Eric Hill. I had both the “big book” and a small, cardboard book. Most all of the pages contain a predictable line: “no!” Since many of my students were learning to say “yes/no” it seemed like a great way to practice this skill as part of SHARED READING. The important part is that everyone in the classroom had access to some form of AAC, including the staff. So, while I was reading the story, I paused and the whole class responded together by using their AAC... [Read More...]