There is so much valuable AAC content in videos these days. Here are some favorites from PrAACtical AAC readers. Helping Parents Model AAC at Home AAC Apps for Visual Scene Displays AAC Modeling at Home TELL ME – AAC in the Preschool Classroom AAC with Eddie the Elephant Helping School Staff Model AAC in the Classroom Baking with AAC
Our yearlong series on multilingual AAC support, guest-authored by BilingüeAAC, is drawing to a close. In today’s post, Melissa Tapia and Sarah Lee address AAC, bilingualism, and literacy. BilingüeAAC is a group of SLPs with a shared belief in providing evidence-based intervention strategies and resources to bilingual Spanish AAC clients, families, caregivers, and professionals. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Bilingual Literacy & AAC Welcome back to our Bilingue AAC Series! You can find our previous posts linked here, which wonderfully highlight best practices in bilingualism and AAC. (Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5). We are excited to dive into our topic of bilingualism, literacy, and AAC and how we can effectively provide literacy intervention in culturally affirming ways with our Bilingual* AAC users. *Clarification: We address “bilingual populations”; however, the resources discussed are specifically for Spanish/English speaking populations. Several of the suggestions can be broadly applied to other languages. The goal... [Read More...]
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...]
Looking for some resources to make Pumpkin Day a little more AAC-friendly? Here are some from previous years that might come in handy. 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 overabundance 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... [Read More...]
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you may have missed. Monday – AAC Awareness: Printable Resources Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC Awareness Month Continues Thursday – AAC Resources for Those Affected by War :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few more posts to browse? Take a look. The Communication Book is Ready! Now, What? AACtual Therapy: Teaching the Use of Social Phrases and Comments How I Do It: Supporting Spanish-speaking AAC Learners AAC Explainer for Descriptive Teaching How I Do It: Functional Ideas for AAC Use at Home
Across the world, AAC teams are looking for ways to strengthen their support of multilingual individuals with complex communication needs. In this article, guest authors Hsiao-Ting Su and Wen-Hsin Ku, who are both bilingual Mandarin-English SLPs, share their thoughts. AAC Intervention for Multicultural Families – Similarities and Differences Across Cultures Though there are limited AAC resources in minority languages at this time, SLPs should make every effort to meet the needs of multicultural families. It is crucial for SLPs to keep cultural differences in mind when working with multicultural families. As two bilingual English-Mandarin-speaking SLPs who have worked with both families in the U.S. and Taiwan, we have first-hand experience navigating similarities and differences across cultures. Here, we describe some of the similarities and differences we have encountered most frequently. Similarities: Families worry that AAC will hinder verbal communication development Families need reassurance that it is okay for children to... [Read More...]
We are excited to continue our series on multilingual AAC support, guest-authored by BilingüeAAC. In today’s post, one member of the team, Melissa Tapia, addresses ways to use specific instructional materials with bilingual individuals. BilingüeAAC is a group of SLPs with a shared belief in providing evidence-based intervention strategies and resources to bilingual Spanish AAC clients, families, caregivers, and professionals. Inclusive Practices Using Tell Me Program & Other Materials How can we effectively conduct inclusive practices in our work settings? What are some approaches or materials that we can use to integrate the culture of the home and community? Why are inclusive practices essential for the success of our students/clients? These are fundamental reflective questions I have found to guide me in collaborative therapy and lead to better participation with and from my clients and their caregivers. We are Bilingue AAC, and we are here to provide helpful tools to... [Read More...]
Our series on multilingual AAC support guest authored by BilingüeAAC continues. In today’s post, Sarah Lee addresses issues specific to features of AAC apps and SGDs. BilingüeAAC is a group of SLPs with a shared belief in providing evidence-based intervention strategies and resources to bilingual Spanish AAC clients, families, caregivers, and professionals. If you are new to this series, you can check out the previous articles using the links below. Bilingual AAC Support from Monolingual Professionals: An Introduction Cultural-Linguistic AAC Intervention: A Framework for Consideration Gathering Information from Families with Questionnaires and Surveys Most of us WANT to provide culturally-linguistic responsive bilingual Spanish AAC intervention, but we don’t feel confident without knowing/speaking the language. In an effort to foster Spanish heritage language development and empower the monolingual SLPs*, we have created context-specific templates using the sociocultural approach (Soto & Yu, 2014) for the monolingual English-speaking SLP*. We will be referencing... [Read More...]
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts for you to browse. Monday – AAC and Related Research: 5 Open-Access Articles Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Creating & Embracing an AAC-friendly Home Thursday – AAC-friendly Resources for Severe Weather :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Before you go, here are a few of Karen Natoci’s popular literacy-focused posts to check out. PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: Yo! Yes? PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: The Family Book PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: Hello Baby PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: The Five Senses PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: Are You My Mother?
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts for you to browse. Monday – AAC Collaboration in the Classroom Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week – Canva as a Powerful Tool for AAC Learners Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links: Julio ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here sample some of these offerings from our series entitled PrAACtical Supports for Older Learners: AT Recipes for Success. Each one has a downloadable handout of home extension activities for teens and adults. Let’s Cook! Magazines and Nailpolish Computer Have a great week, everyone!