320 Search Results for goals
November 3, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
We’re sharing some ideas for AAC learning based on a previous post by the late Dr. Robin Parker. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Language learning involves talking about events in the past, present, and future. Since Halloween is over, it is a perfect opportunity to help AAC users talk about past events. Here are 5 tips for getting started. Use a weekly or monthly (calendar) schedule to ‘remember’ Halloween, or if you are sticking to core words to remember the “great day” or “bad day” depending upon the experience. Use photos of the Halloween festivities to discuss what happened and what everyone did. You can use these to discuss costumes, decorations, the best/worst part of the day, etc. Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Halloween experiences. This can be done by comparing two people, places, or anything else. For some learners, you can use images to put Halloween things that everyone saw... [Read More...]
September 4, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Take a look at some of the posts from this week. Monday – September Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Introduction to the Communication Matrix Resources Thursday – Sensory Stories: 5 Resources to Explore Saturday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have time for a bit more browsing, here are some posts you can explore. AAC Printables The Crust of AAC Every Second Counts Goodbye, Summer! A Clinician Prepares for a New School Year 3 Ways to Use AAC Goals to Strengthen Implementation
August 28, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you might like. Monday – Back to School with AAC: Materials for the Start of the Academic Year Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC for ALL for Dual Language Learners Thursday – Back to School with AAC: Encouraging & Supporting AAC Users with Lauren Enders :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you have time for a bit more browsing, here are some posts you can explore. AAC Printables The Crust of AAC Every Second Counts Goodbye, Summer! A Clinician Prepares for a New School Year 3 Ways to Use AAC Goals to Strengthen Implementation How I Do It-Strengthening our Remote AAC Sessions
August 8, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Most employees have job descriptions that offer clarity about what is expected of them and what they are supposed to achieve. Countless professionals work in fields where a Scope of Practice helps them know what they should and shouldn’t be aiming for. Many students have syllabi and rubrics that show them what they’ll need to do for a particular course or assignment. When people, organizations, and systems point us in the right direction, it’s easier for us to meet expectations and achieve goals. This holds true for individuals with AAC needs as well, but professionals often have so many competing priorities that we don’t always make a plan for how to do it. And when we do, we don’t always have the time and bandwidth to fully implement it. Today, we continue the Overlooked AAC series with a look at things that professionals often miss in supporting AAC users when... [Read More...]
July 18, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Whether you are a therapist, educator, or other professional there is a long list of things that people who use AAC need us to do so that they can communicate in ways that help them live their best lives. Today, we begin a series on some of the most overlooked areas that even veteran AAC practitioners often miss. Not because they don’t know about them. Not because they have a philosophical reason to avoid them. Not because they can’t figure out how to implement them. But because there are incredibly frustrating systemic obstacles to providing the kinds of support our clients/students need. In schools, caseload and classroom sizes stack the deck against us. In healthcare settings and private clinics, the funding streams steer us away from a best practice approach. And in almost every setting, the increasing paperwork and organizational demands draw our attention away from what we want to... [Read More...]
July 11, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
As the philosophy of AAC immersion and the strategy of aided language input have gained acceptance, there is an emerging school of thought that these two things are sufficient for people with complex communication needs to learn to express themselves with AAC. While it is true that some individuals become proficient in their AAC and language use without explicit instruction, there is a large population of AAC learners who need additional support to achieve their potential and/or reach their goals. In this post, we share some guiding questions to help these individuals and their teams determine whether formal instruction with well-chosen language goals and implementation of specific intervention strategies is needed. Is the AAC user and/or other stakeholders comfortable with their rate of AAC and language learning? Has the individual plateaued in their language growth? Is there a gap between what they understand and what they can express? How do... [Read More...]
May 18, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Even experienced clinicians and educators sometimes struggle in writing goals for children and adults who are learning to use AAC. In today’s featured video, we learn from AAC SLP Katie Threlkeld who reviews a 5-step process for identifying target skill areas and writing goals for skill acquisition. Many thanks to Katie and Forbes AAC for this helpful information. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKmpJtVSqnE&ab_channel=ForbesAAC
May 8, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends, and a happy Mother’s Day to those who are celebrating today. We have a few posts that might be of interest. Monday – 3 Tech Tools for AAC Service Providers Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Profanity, Slang, and AAC Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Support for Reading & AAC Friday – CAA Con Links: Mayo :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Before you leave, here are a few more posts that you might like. Aided AAC & the IEP How I Do It: AAC in the IEP AAC & the IEP: 5 Resources to Explore 5 Reasons to Put AAC Training for Staff and Parents into the IEP How I Do It: Writing IEP Goals for Students Who Use AAC with Lauren Enders
May 1, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that may be of interest. Monday – May Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Making and Using Communication Books Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Thinking About AAC Materials ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Before you leave, here are a few more posts for you to browse. Aided AAC & the IEP How I Do It: AAC in the IEP AAC & the IEP: 5 Resources to Explore 5 Reasons to Put AAC Training for Staff and Parents into the IEP How I Do It: Writing IEP Goals for Students Who Use AAC with Lauren Enders Environmental Communication Training – Strategies for Implementation
April 11, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Jessa is learning to use an AAC app that is rich in core vocabulary. Despite dual diagnoses of autism and Down Syndrome, she’s picking it up quite well. Jessa’s not very keen on coming to therapy, though, and often puts her head down on the table to avoid engagement. Matthew goes with the flow. With more than a decade of therapy under his belt, he’s “learned to comply” and will generally follow directions that are given to him. For the most part, though, he seems to use his AAC because the adults want him to. Interaction using his AAC system doesn’t seem to bring Matthew much satisfaction. Kristina is a pretty proficient AAC user. Most people don’t realize that, though, because she tends to communicate in single words or short sentences. The other students in her special education classroom are far less communicatively competent, so when Kristina engages with 2-word... [Read More...]