794 Search Results for praactical teaching
January 26, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
It takes time and effort to plan for comprehensive core vocabulary instruction. The Year of Core Vocabulary Words and The School Year of Core Vocabulary Words, two series of monthly resources for core vocabulary teaching, both have resources that can be helpful to therapists, educators, and families. We’re reprising those posts for anyone interested in following along and utilizing the resources developed by quite a few people in the AAC community. The initial series was based on a small set of core words for each month (see that post here). We followed that with a second set of Year of Core Vocabulary Word resources for a new list of words (click here for that post). Among the many resources are the activity calendars created by AAC SLP and co-founder of Talking AAC, Rachael Langley. There were many other contributors over the years who added to these efforts. The School Year... [Read More...]
January 23, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
While training communication partners is an important role for SLPs and other professionals, there’s an additional way to promote supportive interactions. Empower AAC users to give instructions to their communication partners. Prestoring partner instructions and teaching AAC users how to utilize them improves their ability to advocate for themselves. What partner instruction messages might be helpful? It depends on the individual situation, but here are some ideas to get spark your creativity. Tell them what to expect I use this special computer to talk. I understand everything you say, but it takes time for me to respond. Please be patient and let me put together my message after you ask a question. This assistive technology is one of the ways that I communicate. I choose messages with my eyes and it takes a while for me to do that. You’ll hear each word as I choose it but wait until... [Read More...]
January 22, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some AAC posts that you might have missed. Monday – Toward Communicative Competence in AAC: 5 Strategic Skills to Consider Targeting Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Reducing Device Abandonment Thursday – Bilingual AAC Support from Monolingual Professionals: An Introduction ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: And while you’re here, check out some of these past posts. 5 Ways to Promote Consistent AAC Use Twin Powers Unite: Teaching AAC and Sight Words Pragmatic Skill Instruction and AAC with Matthew Baud and Dr. Jill Senner Parent Collaboration in AAC Therapies 5 Books for AAC Professionals PrAACtical Questions with Vicki Clarke: What’s the Role of Core Vocabulary?
January 15, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts from our prAACtical week. Monday – AAC Implementation Framework: Steps to Learning Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Aging Without Community – Thoughts from Rick Creech Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC-friendly Resources for Martin Luther King, Jr Day :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Still have an appetite for some AAC reading? These posts from the archives may be of interest. Reducing Prompt Dependence in AAC Learners: 5 Things to Try When Helping Isn’t Helping: Prompt Awareness in AAC Instruction 5 Things to Consider About Prompts in Teaching AAC Creating AAC Implementation Plans Using AAC to Repair Communication Breakdowns
December 25, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Christmas, AAC friends. We hope all who celebrate this holiday have a happy, meaningful day. For those who are looking for some AAC reading, we have some ideas for you. Monday – Resources for an AAC-friendly Hanukkah Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Attribution of Meaning & AAC Thursday – PrAACtically Christmas: AAC-friendly Resources Friday – An AAC Christmas Tale :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Interested in a few more articles to browse? Here’s a selection to choose from. Got Holiday Cards? 5 PrAACtical Suggestions AACtual Therapy with Deanna Wagner: Why Cook When You Can’t Eat? Communication Access Cards Visual Organization, Themes, & Duct Tape Beyond Requesting: Thoughts on Teaching Information Transfer
December 11, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some AAC posts you may have missed in your busy week. Monday – PrAACtical Questions: “How can we make data-based decisions about AAC symbols?” Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC Implementation Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Teaching Early Language & Literacy through Multimodal Expression ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re at it, here are some previous posts that may be of interest. PrAACtical Questions with Vicki Clarke: What’s the Role of Core Vocabulary? Communication Boards: Colorful Considerations Let Me Tell You Something- Narratives for the Beginning Communicator Holiday Shopping with a Purpose Hello Holidays! AAC Ideas for Your Celebration
December 8, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
The Teaching Early Language & Literacy through Multimodal Expression (TELL ME) program that I co-authored with Lori Wise, is a classroom-based approach to supporting core vocabulary learning in preschool students who use AAC. In today’s post, we reach into the archives to revisit past posts on this program. Video Overview: AAC in the Preschool Classroom TELL ME About It Series by Maggie Judson & Jeanna Antrim Creating TELL ME AAC Literacy Kits TELL ME Virtual Classrooms TELL ME Books Max’s Breakfast If You’re Angry and You Know It The Lunch Box Surprise Come Out and Play, Little Mouse No, David Go Away Big Green Monster What Do You Like? Here Are My Hands From Head to Toe I Went Walking Brown Bear, Brown Bear Using the TELL ME Approach with Other Books If You Give a Mouse a Cookie I Like Myself Where’s Spot All Are Welcome! I Know a... [Read More...]
November 28, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
They are often the first thing we notice in looking at a new AAC app or device. Are they realistic or minimalist? Overly juvenile or age respectful? Dull or appealing? Transparent, translucent, or opaque? Familiar or novel? AAC symbols are among the many things that AAC practitioners have to think about when supporting people with significant communication challenges. Symbols are not the sexiest part of our AAC tools yet they play a critical role. Decisions about how to represent language should be made thoughtfully and with some data to justify our conclusions. Symbol Sets vs Symbol Systems Most AAC symbols are part of a set or collection. There are conventions for things like how movement is represented or how people are depicted, but there aren’t explicit rules governing how symbols are created. Symbol systems, on the other hand, do have concrete rules for how they are developed and used. In... [Read More...]
November 24, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
grat·i·tude /ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/ noun the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness In the spirit of our American tradition of Thanksgiving, we pause to reflect on our blessings and offer thanks. We’re grateful for: The people who use AAC and their families for all they do to help us get better at this business of supporting communication Service providers in homes, schools, clinics, hospitals, and community agencies The university programs that have a dedicated AAC class, especially if they have a permanent faculty member with expertise in this area Bonus thanks to those that also offer supervised clinical or student teaching experiences with AAC mentorship opportunities or an AAC lab with SGDs, AAC apps, switches, and mounts. The professional and service organizations that support AAC through professional development opportunities, grants, mentorship programs The power of e-communication platforms for the AAC support on listservs, blogs, groups, threaded... [Read More...]
November 20, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Monday – Using Judgment & Discrimination Activities in AAC Instruction Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: AAC Implementation Strategies Thursday – PrAACtically Thanksgiving ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few more places to browse? Here are some selected posts on making and using visual supports. Free Resources for Making AAC and Visual Supports How I Do It – Using an App to Make AAC Materials and Visual Supports AAC Teaching Tips on Scaffolding and Visual Supports Designing and Using Visual Supports for Older Students 5 Visual Supports for the AAC Classroom Wishing a meaningful week to all who celebrate Thanksgiving!