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June 22, 2013
by Robin Parker -
This month, we have enjoyed writing about communication strategies for aphasia. Partner supported communication is the platform for many of the effective techniques we use to help people with aphasia initiate, maintain, or terminate communication and conversation. We have talked about assessment strategies, communication books, and alphabet & topic supplementation. Now it is time to discuss the written choice strategy. The written choice strategy is fairly easy to implement, can look natural, and can result in seamless detailed conversation. Written choices are provided in the context of conversation and are displayed in an organized manner. What is It? The written choice strategy has the partner/facilitator generating written key-word choices that relate to the conversational topic. The written choices can be paired with text, pictures, drawings, symbols, and natural speech. The partner/facilitator writes possible answers to conversational questions in list form. The conversation is extended as continued written choices are offered... [Read More...]
June 3, 2013
by Robin Parker -
There are many strategies to support communication and conversation for individuals with significant aphasia. Conversation is about connecting with people. We engage in conversation about interesting and relevant experiences to help with connecting. To best connect and be part of conversation, there needs to be comprehension and expression from each communication partner. With aphasia, there is difficulty in these language areas, but it is not that language is lost, it is that it needs to be accessed differently. These quick start tips will support accessing conversation and connections. Write or Draw Key Words– When you are talking, write key words to support your spoken language. Gesture Key Words– When you are talking, supplement spoken language with gestures to illustrate a main point Show Related Photographs or Remnants– While you are talking, use photographs or some remnant of the an experience or event you are talking about. Written Choices to... [Read More...]
May 16, 2013
by Robin Parker -
It’s PrAACtically Memorial Day! Memorial Day is prAACtically here. We remember, appreciate, and honor the people who have protected our freedoms. Getting ready so EVERYONE can participate is important. We wrote about memorial day last year and had found some good gluten-casein free Memorial Day recipes. There are even more resources today. Check out Gluten Free Memorial Day Weekend Menu and Recipe Ideas or Gluten Free Casein Free Applesauce Muffins. Cooking and baking provide meaningful language experiences as well as just plain fun. There are symbol based recipes on Pinterest at Picture Recipes and Visual Recipes for Children with Autism, and at Specialty Chef. There are also prAACtical AAC ways to teach about Memorial Day’s meaning as well as the typical memorial day vacations, activities, and events. Learning about Memorial Day Memorial Day Activity Board Memorial Day Vocabulary Cards Memorial Day Bingo Memorial Day Adapted Bingo Summer Pack Memorial Day After learning about Memorial... [Read More...]
March 13, 2013
by Robin Parker -
Saint Patrick’s Day is coming up. We love focusing on holidays in our sessions because it is a chance to teach new vocabulary and as importantly (if not more for some learners) it is a chance to teach social conversation about what many people in the community are talking about. Holiday’s also give us fun ways to focus on many other goals as well. The theme (in this case – a holiday) can serve as the platform for any goal that is appropriate. We just always ask ourselves (and our graduate students)- ‘What is the point’ or ‘What is the Goal’ when we have a great new themed activity. This is a time to work on core and fringe vocabulary, social conversation and interaction, play skills, and more. These are some fun activities matched to goals that we use to get ready for Saint Patrick’s Day. Surveys & or Questions–... [Read More...]
January 30, 2013
by Robin Parker -
January is (was) a fairly crazy and busy month for us. After a late back to school week, the CARD Conference, the Dan Marino Foundation WalkAbout Autism, and ATIA Conference (hope to see you there), we got a bit of a late start on a few things. To stay ahead of ourselves, we want to end January by being ready for February…… For February, we have a calendar for incorporating AAC into everyday activities (it goes with yesterday’s post 28 things to do). Feel free to print out and share and use anyway you want to promote PrAACtical AAC. A PDF version (free) can be found at our Teachers Pay Teachers site. Our new Strategy of the Month (on Saturday) will focus on Communication & Language Beyond Requesting. There are no pre-requisites to learning and being immersed in ALL of the reasons to communicate (communication functions). For some learners, it... [Read More...]
January 29, 2013
by Robin Parker -
It’s almost February and and we were thinking about ways to encourage communication in a fun and meaningful way for the whole month. The best way we know is to build a visual language environment by providing lots of AAC modeling (Aided Language Input-ALI) and by using lots of visual supports. Here are some ideas to expand opportunities and/or to get started. We would love to know what works, what doesn’t, and any other ways you build visual language into everyday experiences. Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to say ‘I Love You’ . Make it part of a routine Offer learners a book choice board/choice book when deciding what book to read in speech-language therapy/classroom/home Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to tell how you feel when something is hard or difficult for you Use a ‘stop sign’ symbol to indicate an off limit area Use Aided Language Input (ALI) to... [Read More...]
December 29, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Custom tailored suit or off the shelf? Shoes that pinch or ones that are just snug? It stands to reason that when something fits well, we are more likely to wear it. Communication books, like clothes, have to ‘fit’ the user. But what does that really mean? When we’re ‘tailoring’ a communication book for someone who is learning to use AAC, there are three areas that we think about: How it looks, what it has inside, and how it ‘sounds.’ Appearance & Aesthetics As we’ve said before, everyone deserves communication tools that look great. Communication books should reflect the style and personality of the person who’ll be using it. Customizing a communication book doesn’t need to be expensive. You can use special papers for the cover or pages, and stickers to decorate. Here are some ideas to get you started. Send them shopping: There’s nothing that speaks to ownership like... [Read More...]
December 15, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Four-year-old Josiah had a tiny one that was clipped to his belt loop so it was handy all throughout his day in preschool. Mr. Allan, who was hemiplegic and used a manual wheelchair, liked to keep one underneath his right thigh so he could grab it quickly whenever he wanted to talk. Dougie’s was big, really big, and he carried it under his arm wherever he went. Marla’s was a permanent fixture on her wheelchair laptray, and if she came without it because a caregiver forgot to put it on, it was likely to be a very l-o-n-g day. Geena’s looked like a DayPlanner and had it’s own special compartment in her purse. What are we talking about? Communication books, of course. And despite the fact that they all served the same general purpose, the communication books referenced in these examples couldn’t have looked more distinct. In this week’s post,... [Read More...]
December 5, 2012
by Robin Parker -
The topic of communication books was introduced this month. We will continue to think about the multitude of decisions to make as we design individual communication books. Obviously, content is the most important issue, but we are often reminded that function and form must go together. Carole gave some great examples of reasons to make the books appealing and personal. I had a situation this week that illustrated this concept perfectly. We continue to learn from the ‘learners’ that we are teaching. I know a little girl with autism who most people think does not care about her peers or how things look. She uses some natural speech and a no-tech communication book. She uses the communication book during her speech-language therapy sessions but only inconsistently outside of the therapy room. She has not expressed interest in taking the communication book with her and although she has some specific visual... [Read More...]
November 24, 2012
by Robin Parker -
We love incorporating new vocabulary into fun motivating activities even when we are doing direct vocabulary instruction. We embed new vocabulary in activities using all of the language modalities- reading, writing, talking, and listening. We use planned vocabulary instruction activities as well as unexpected opportunities to embed new vocabulary. We like to stay within the theme of vocabulary learning but try and stay flexible in case a perfect opportunity arises that allows us to reflect back on an old vocabulary theme or mention a future planned theme. The main goal of direct vocabulary instruction is more than learning a new list of words, it is learning robust word knowledge so that language skills can be broadened. Consider these vocabulary instruction steps by Robert Marzano. These steps were not specifically developed for AAC users but if we add a language focus and a little more fun and active participation, they... [Read More...]