97 Search Results for PODD
August 13, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, millions of teachers, therapists, families, and students are planning to return to school, whether virtually, in person, or with some combination of the two. No matter what the format for instruction, one of the most important things for students who use AAC is having their SLPs, teachers, and families on the same page. They each have a different but very intense relationship with the student’s AAC system. Today, we reprise a popular post with some prAACtical thoughts on getting everyone pointed in the same direction. 1. Develop a communication profile of the student: In the initial weeks, try to get a baseline of how the student is communicating at the start of the year. For beginning communicators, we track things like their communicative intents (WHY they are communicating), modalities (HOW they are communicating), and the frequency of their communication. We’ve written about one of our favorite... [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 7, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that you may have missed. Monday – PrAACtical Resources: Virtual Calming Room Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Engaging AAC Learners with Complex Bodies Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Strategies for Teaching AAC ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, check out some of these previously published posts. 5 Ways to Tell If Your Students are Becoming Competent Communicators A Look at PODD Books Using Visual Supports to Bring Music Alive Supports for When Modeling AAC is Hard AACtual Therapy: Use Your Best Spud to Teach Vocabulary With Tanna Neufeld How We Do It: Changing AAC Mindsets & Outcomes
May 29, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Rachael Langley has created a perpetual calendar to help us practice the core vocabulary words for June. Whether or not you are following along with the Year of Core Vocabulary, you’ll find a lot of prAACtical suggestions in this wonderful resource.
May 7, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
If I had a crystal ball, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it told us that telepractice in AAC is here to stay. My guess is that when schools and clinics re-open there will still be a role for remote AAC services. That’s why I am so pleased that guest authors Jill Senner and Matthew Baud are returning to these pages to share their approach to using tele-AAC to educate and coach parents. Tele-AAC for All With social distancing, local shelter in place orders, and general concerns about the health of our high-risk clients who use AAC, most of us have made an abrupt transition to providing AAC therapy via telehealth. Doing direct therapy using video conferencing platforms might be going swimmingly for some clients who will sit and attentively gaze at the books, games, and other materials you present remotely. However, what about your younger clients? Or kiddos... [Read More...]
April 9, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
How do you decide which AAC app or software best meets the needs of an individual with complex communication needs? We’re so pleased that longtime contributor Vicki Clarke is back with us to address this topic in a very prAACtical way. Vicki is a Georgia-based SLP who has been specializing in AAC for over 25 years. Her practice, Dynamic Therapy Associates, serves children and adults with significant communication challenges in clinical and educational settings. You can read previous posts by Vicki here. In this post, Vicki dives deep into an important aspect of AAC displays: vocabulary organization. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Finding My Words: Considerations in Language Displays and Organization In previous articles we’ve talked about how easy it is to buy into the very first communication system you learn to use with your students. Maybe you started with LAMP and you have fully embraced a core word strategy. Perhaps you were a... [Read More...]
February 6, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Welcome to Throwback Thursday. Today we’re getting reacquainted with some posts that help us encourage teams to better support AAC users. Strategies for Supporting Team Buy-in and Implementation PrAACtical Research: Meta-synthesis of AAC Team Members’ Voices On AAC Training: Skill Building for AAC Team Members Helping the General Education Team Support Students Who Use AAC How I Do It with Rachael Langley: PODD in the Classroom – Quick Tips for Teams On the Same Page: Helping Team Members Recognize and Respond to Unconventional Communication Signals Five Places for Shared AAC Materials Five AAC and Related Resources to Explore AAC Teamwork: Encouraging Colleagues #1 (downloadable) AAC Teamwork: Encouraging Colleagues #2 (downloadable) AAC Teamwork: Encouraging Colleagues #3 (downloadable) AAC: More Teaching, Less Testing (downloadable)
January 6, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Thanks to Rachael Langley, who tirelessly creates these wonderful resources, we have a new calendar of suggested activities to practice January Year of Core Vocabulary Words. Hang it on the fridge, tack it to the bulletin board, send it home in a backpack…let’s talk! Click here or on the image below to download a copy.
January 2, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
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 2019. Looking at AAC Modeling Growing Language with AAC Modeling The Critical Nature of Literacy in AAC Apps and Resources for Core Vocabulary Teaching AACtually Doing It: Core in the Classroom A Look at PODD Books Parent-implemented AAC Intervention for Young Children Getting Acquainted with Tar Heel Reader TELL ME: AAC in the Preschool Classroom PrAACtically Visual: Supporting Communication Across Activities & Environments Do you have a favorite that didn’t make the list? We’d love to hear about it.
December 30, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
As we prepare to greet a new year and enter a new decade, let’s revisit some of the most popular posts of 2019. How I Do It: Writing IEP Goals for Students Who Use AAC with Lauren Enders PrAACtical AAC Goals Core Samples How I Do It: Using PODD books and Aided Language Displays with Young Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder AAC Assessment Forms Teaching Core Vocabulary Literacy for Everyone with Adapted Books A Year of Core Vocabulary Words AAC Vocabulary Lists Make It Monday: Manual Communication Boards with Core Vocabulary Communication Boards: Colorful Considerations Do you have a favorite that didn’t make the list? We’d love to hear about it.