597 Search Results for visual support
December 7, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Tonight is the start of the 8-day celebration of Hanukkah. In recognition of the holiday, we’re sharing some AAC-friendly resources that might be helpful to those who celebrate or are learning about this festival of lights. This treasure trove of resources from Gateways includes symbols for prayers and songs, social narratives, instructions for lighting the menorah, Hanukkah fire safety, games, and activities. Hanukkah Resources Hanukkah Crafts with Visual Directions by Simply Visual Communication Boards for Hanukkah and Christmas for AAC Users by Susan Berkowitz Hanukkah Short Story Comprehension and Retell with Visuals by MollyB SLP Hanukkah Shared Reading | Project & Trace Chart Worksheet by Cooper’s Crayon Box Digital Token Boards FREEBIE (Hanukkah Edition) – BOOM Cards by Speech Bop Hanukkah/Dreidel Classroom Supports by Miss Laidlaw’s Classroom Free Spanish / English “My Hanukkah” Emergent Reader Mini-book by Miss Shibz Hanukkah recipes and books from PreK Pages Silly Hanukkah Joke Tellers... [Read More...]
October 16, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Many AAC professionals are known for their generosity in creating and sharing resources to support individuals with complex communication needs. In today’s post, we feature a sampling of some that can be helpful during AAC Awareness Month and beyond. Print and display an AAC Poster. Create a bulletin board with an AAC focus or sprinkle these around the environment. From Drawn to AAC: AAC Awareness Month October Printable Posters From Emily B. Speech: AAC Awareness Month Poster and Bulletin Board Kit From The AAC Coach: Never Too Late or Early From CoughDrop: Keys to Modeling From Rachael Langley: Subway Art From Lauren Enders: AAC Do/Do Not From Kate Ahern: The Periodic Table of AAC From Noodle Nook: 5 Tips for Communicating with Nonverbal Students From Scope: Speak Up and Be Safe From PrAACtical AAC: More Teaching, Less Testing Share handouts Print, hang, or give someone an AAC awareness image 10... [Read More...]
September 11, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
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...]
May 8, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, we’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day soon. If you’re looking for resources that you can incorporate into your AAC work, we have some ideas for you. These are great for highlighting core vocabulary, such as these: Pronouns: I, you, she, we, her, our Verbs: can, do, give, help, like, love, make, read, see, write Adjectives: good, nice, pretty, smart, strong Conjunctions: and, because, but, with Time Words: later, now, today, tomorrow Questions: what, who, where ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS Read about Mothers and Mother’s Day with some of these books. Mother’s Day Book for Early Communicators by AAC with Annie Mother’s Day book highlighting core words ‘like’ and ‘give’ from Speech by Carrie. You can also check out this one which focuses on the words ‘help’ and ‘make’ and offers practice with several pronouns. From Boardmaker From Tarheel Reader (SDJ) From Tarheel Reader (Nicolaus) Cards and letters... [Read More...]
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
February 16, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
If you’re in the role of supporting people with AAC needs who have vision difficulties, this edition of Throwback Thursday is for you. Check out these previously published articles and videos. Supporting Communication Development in Children with Vision and Hearing Impairments AAC & CVI: Can We Chat? Video of the Week: Exploring the Complexity of CVI and CCN Video of the Week: CVI – The Everyday Impact on People Who Use AAC Video of the Week: Supporting the Communication Needs of Children with CVI Video of the Week: The SLPs Role in Cortical Visual Impairment
February 3, 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. Today’s post focuses on AAC support for individuals with Rett Syndrome. Take a look and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to add your link and see what others are sharing. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Este mes los invitamos a recordar que la Comunicación... [Read More...]
December 22, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for some last-minute activities to use in your AAC work? Here are some AAC-friendly materials to explore. Communication Boards for Hanukkah and Christmas for AAC Users by Susan Berkowitz Help Santa by Joyful Occupational Therapy Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas Visual Supplement by Paige Sullivan Christmas Helpers Adapted Book EASY READER (Autism Support) by Alicia Mitchell Santa Emotions Boom Cards™ by Speechie Adventures There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell – Companion AAC Materials by Weave Chat AAC The Ninjabread Man (by C.J. Leigh) – AAC Companion Material by Weave Chat AAC How the Grinch Stole Christmas Adapted Book for Autism / Special Education by Anna Waddell Christmas Visual Grounding Mindfulness Activity by Behavior Belle Christmas Conversation Starters Visuals Task Cards Social Skills by LitRead Christmas Cookie AAC Mat by Sped Ventures Christmas Core Vocabulary Book by B and B SLP No Print Boom... [Read More...]
December 19, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Yesterday was the start of the 8-day celebration of Hanukkah. In recognition of the holiday, we’re sharing some AAC-friendly resources that might be helpful to those who celebrate or are learning about this festival of lights. This treasure trove of resources from Gateways includes symbols for prayers and songs, social narratives, instructions for lighting the menorah, Hanukkah fire safety, games, and activities. Hanukkah Resources Hanukkah Crafts with Visual Directions by Simply Visual Communication Boards for Hanukkah and Christmas for AAC Users by Susan Berkowitz Hanukkah Short Story Comprehension and Retell with Visuals by MollyB SLP Hanukkah Shared Reading | Project & Trace Chart Worksheet by Cooper’s Crayon Box Digital Token Boards FREEBIE (Hanukkah Edition) – BOOM Cards by Speech Bop Hanukkah/Dreidel Classroom Supports by Miss Laidlaw’s Classroom Free Spanish / English “My Hanukkah” Emergent Reader Mini-book by Miss Shibz Hanukkah recipes and books from PreK Pages Silly Hanukkah Joke Tellers... [Read More...]
December 5, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Data isn’t the only thing we use in AAC decision-making, but it’s a good-sized slice of the pie. Those using the feature match approach to AAC device/app selection, a gold standard for several decades, use direct assessment procedures to guide the selection of AAC devices and apps based on the features they contain. The symbol set(s) or systems(s) available in each AAC tool is one of the features that we consider. In this post, we share some of the assessment tasks that can be used to gain insight into how individuals do with different types of AAC symbols. In each one, the task is repeated with a specific type of symbol, so that we can make an apples-to-apples comparison. This part of the assessment is time-consuming and generally done over multiple sessions. These are drawn from the work of the later Dr. David Beukelman, and his co-authors, Dr. Pat Mirenda... [Read More...]