September 24, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Monday – Mobility for People Who Use AAC: Remembering Christine Wright-Ott Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Structured Literacy Support for AAC Learners Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Do It Yourself AAC Materials :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In the mood for some more AAC exploration? Here are a few suggestions. Building AAC Awareness: Using AAC to Express a Range of Functions From Activity-based AAC to Robust Language: Part 1 From Activity-based AAC to Robust Language: Part 2 Social Stories and Narratives PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: Apples Have a great week, everyone!
August 27, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Welcome to Stepping into AAC ! Stepping into AAC is a collaborative project created by PrAACtical AAC and the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) that focuses on supporting families who want to integrate AAC into their lives. There are 20 weeks of Stepping into AAC materials, which are intended to provide simple, week-by-week resources to help families support beginning communicators of all ages. Each week, there are easy hands-on activities, videos and companion handouts, and a newsletter to learn from. Thanks to the generous support of the ASF, these materials are available at no charge. Stepping into AAC is designed for families that include: Children, adolescents, and adults who are new to AAC and would benefit from using communication aids with high-frequency words or core vocabulary; and Individuals of any age who previously used AAC but are not currently communicating with it throughout the day. We hope that Stepping into AAC... [Read More...]
July 16, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
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?
June 15, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
It’s almost time for a change in the seasons here in our part of the world. Today, we’re reading into the archives for past posts with a summery bent. Take a look. PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: How Do You Know It’s Summer? A Recipe for Summer AAC Summer Reading A Few AAC Blog Suggestions 5 AAC Suggestions 3 Book Suggestions Apps to Prepare, Learn, & Talk About Summer Vacation Core Words & July 4th: Get Ready, Get Set, Go PrAACtical Summer Activities AAC-friendy Camps
April 23, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you may have missed. Monday – AAC Online Learning: 5 Free Courses to Explore Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC for Students with Visual Challenges Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Everything Eye Gaze ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, check out some of these past posts. PrAACtically Reading: Over in the Garden with Karen Natoci Talking Mats: A PrAACtical Tool AAC & CVI: Can We Chat? Using Metaphors to Support Vocabulary Teaching AACtual Therapy: “At first I was afraid, I was petrified…” AACtual Therapy: Running AAC Groups
March 4, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Each month we feature a Spanish version of our AAC Link Up, CAA con Links. If you have AAC-related announcements, materials, or videos in Spanish that you would like others to know about, we’d love to have you add that information below. Also, please share this with anyone who might be interested in contributing to or using the materials that get added to these posts. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries and offer translations of material that can help families and service providers. We are so delighted that today’s post focuses on literacy learning for children who use AAC as this is such an important topic for families and professionals to focus on. Meet Carolina and her charming son, Samuel, as they share ways they’ve... [Read More...]
January 4, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
The work of Drs. Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver on comprehensive literacy instruction in AAC has inspired many educators and therapists to ramp their literacy support in education and therapy. In today’s featured video, SLP Kristin M. Ellis shares her ideas of how to infuse this into clinical work with children and adults who have complex communication needs. Many thanks to AbleNet and to Kristin for making this archived presentation available. You can access the slide handout here and the supplemental resource list here. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zTUoFwbbhA&ab_channel=ableUOn-demandProfessionalDevelopment
December 18, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some AAC posts you might like. Monday – PrAACtical Questions: “What other factors should we consider in choosing the symbol type for AAC?” Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Fostering an AAC-affirming Classroom Thursday – AACidental Mentors: 8 Ways AAC Practitioners Can Help Others Grow Their AAC Skills ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you can squeeze in a few more, take a look at some of these posts from the archives. PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: Hello, Holidays! How We Do It: Using AAC to Repair Communication Breakdowns Data Collection for the Beginning AAC User: Essential Things to Measure AAC & ASD: Beyond Scripting More Words, Please! Expanding Our Manual Communication Boards Activity Schedule AACtion
December 4, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some AAC reading for you to catch up on. Monday – PrAACtical Questions: “How important is symbol selection in choosing AAC devices/apps?” Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Sending AAC Home Thursday – December Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links – Diciembre 2022 Many thanks to the team at Feedspot for honoring us with the top spot in their list of 20 Best AAC Blogs & Websites. Congratulations to all the organizations who were recognized. If AAC is your jam, check out the list for groups who publish regularly about AAC topics. Still have time for a little more AAC? Here are some of our suggestions. Personal Narrative Writing & AAC Helping Beginning Communicators Expand Their Sentence Length 5 Ways to Make Semantic Maps More Effective in... [Read More...]
November 17, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, we’re gearing up to celebrate with friends and family on a day of gratitude. To honor the occasion, we’re reprising two posts you might enjoy. Video: ‘Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: I Eat Thanksgiving Dinner Although Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated everywhere, we share the opportunity to feel grateful.