1058 Search Results for Core

AAC Fair Testing Practices: Preparation

September 2, 2021 by - 1 Comment

AAC Fair Testing Practices: Preparation

In an earlier post, we talked about the difficulties that people who use AAC experience when they have to participate in tests or other assessments for educational or therapeutic purposes. (You can see that post here.) One approach to addressing these challenges is for key stakeholders to come together and develop a set of guidelines that teachers, therapists, and others can use when they need to administer an assessment.  Today, we’ll look at some of the guiding questions that teams can use to develop these Fair Testing Practices. The idea here is that AAC users, families, professionals, and other team members can come together to discuss a number of specific issues regarding preparation, materials, means of answering questions, etc. Later in the series, we’ll talk about ways to facilitate meaningful participation by individuals who use AAC but are still developing their communication and language skills. For the time being, though,... [Read More...]

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 32: August 2021

August 8, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 32: August 2021

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that you might have missed. Monday – AAC Goal Writing with Lauren Enders: Laying a Solid Foundation Tuesday – AAC link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Bridging Research to Practice with Visual Scene Displays Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC Intervention Strategies Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados Con Links  :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Here are a few more for those who want to do a little more AAC reading. Back To School with AAC (printables) AAC Goes to High School: The Power of Peers AAC Goes to High School: Community-based Instruction Extension Activities for AAC Practice Making AAC Core Vocabulary Materials

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 31: August 2021

August 1, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 31: August 2021

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts that you might enjoy. Monday – AAC in Secondary School: Social Media Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: MASTER PAL Modules 7, 10, & 11 Thursday – PrAACtically August: AAC Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary Words ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Looking for a few more places to browse? Check out some of these posts on working with teens and young adults. Starting AAC with Teens and Young Adults Conversation Practice with Teens and Young Adults 5 Ways to Use Magazines in AAC Therapy Books for Beginning Readers of Any Age Visual Supports in AAC Therapy with Older Student and Adults Have a great week, everyone!

AAC in Secondary School: Social Media

July 26, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC in Secondary School: Social Media

Social media is highly motivating for teens and young adults, but how can we incorporate it into our AAC teaching? Today AAC SLP Ashley Larisey is back with some activity suggestions and ideas for implementation as part of the AAC in Secondary School series.  Ashley is an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: SOCIAL MEDIA As learners get older, the use of digital communication tools (internet, social media, e-mail) often increases. Digital communication plays a huge role not only in communicating with someone who is not in your immediate environment but in making connections with others who have similar interests or lived experiences. Recent research suggests that social media can be an invaluable tool to support AAC users in many areas, including connecting with other individuals, making communication easier, gaining independence,... [Read More...]

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 30: July 2021

July 25, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 30: July 2021

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might have missed. Monday – AAC Parking Spots Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Building an AAC Culture in Schools Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Thinking About Assessment :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Here are a few more to explore before you go. Why We Love Language Experience Activities 5 Things to Do If You’re Not Confident Teaching Core Vocabulary Building Sentence Length through Conversational Routines & Games 5 Quick & Easy Games That Build AAC Skills 5 Ways to Promote Generalization of AAC Use Have a great week, AAC friends!

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 29: July 2021

July 18, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 29: July 2021

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We’ve rounded up some posts that may be of interest. Monday – Customizing Core Boards: 3 Initial Steps to Consider  Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Inclusive Education for Students with AAC Needs Thursday – PrAACtical Resources: AAC-friendly Materials for Hurricane & Storm Preparation :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 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?

Throwback Thursday: Looking at AAC Language Learning Activities

July 8, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

Throwback Thursday: Looking at AAC Language Learning Activities

What are the language learning priorities for the AAC users in your life? Expanding vocabulary? Increasing sentence length and complexity? Using a greater range of communicative functions? Applying morphological markers? Given the heterogeneity of our AAC learners, it’s no surprise that the language goals we address are just as diverse. Today, we dig through the archives to highlight activities that can be used to target an array of language learning objectives. Browse through the list to see if you can find some that are of use in your AAC work. Concept Sorts Using Surveys to Support Language Learning Magic Moments with Tellagami New Word Teaching: A Look Inside Some PrAACtical Therapy Sessions Teaming Up to Build Communication with a Treat Cart: Part 1, Part 2 AACtual Therapy: Use Your Best Spud to Teach Vocabulary With Tanna Neufeld PrAACtical Supports for AAC Learners: AT Recipes for Success – Sensorimotor Activities AAC... [Read More...]

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 27: July 2021

July 4, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week # 27: July 2021

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. And Happy Independence Day to those here in the US. We have some posts that you may have missed in your busy week. Monday – PrAACtically July – AAC Resources for A Year of Core Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Breaking Down Ableism in AAC Thursday – Growing AAC Professionals: Resources for Self-Advocacy, Reducing Abandonment, Medical Encounters, & More Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados Con Links – Julio 2021 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In the mood for some more AAC browsing? We have a few suggestions for you. 5 Ways to Support Self-Advocacy in AAC Learners How We Do It: Using AAC to Repair Communication Breakdowns PrAACtically SLPs: Hungry for Bilingual AAC 5 Kinds of Pre-stored Messages That Put the AAC Learner in Control PrAACtical Perspectives: Randomness & AAC  

Growing AAC Professionals: Resources for Self-Advocacy, Reducing Abandonment, Medical Encounters, & More

July 1, 2021 by - Leave your thoughts

Growing AAC Professionals: Resources for Self-Advocacy, Reducing Abandonment, Medical Encounters, & More

It’s always exciting to see how university programs are inspiring future professionals to enter the world of AAC. Today, AAC SLP Vicki Haddix, Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis, is back to share some of the work completed by her SLP graduate students. With her guidance, they create videos, handouts, and other materials that can be used by families, clinicians, and educators. Kudos to Vicki and her students for their fine work! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: When I designed the AAC course, I tried to incorporate elements of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) within the class. One of the elements I’m particularly proud of is allowing the students to choose their own final projects, which are worth 50% of their grade. I give them the following guidelines:  Your final project should: Collect information from a variety of sources (i.e.: not only a survey or only research articles);  Ground itself within the... [Read More...]

PrAACtically Reading: Books Featuring Children & Youth with Disabilities (Updated)

June 24, 2021 by - 8 Comments

PrAACtically Reading: Books Featuring Children & Youth with Disabilities (Updated)

Looking to freshen up your library of books that include characters with disabilities? This updated list has a few that you may want to check out. The books in these lists vary in terms of their subject, target audience, and reading level. As with any book that you consider providing to children and youth, be sure to review it first to determine its appropriateness for the individual reader. Some of the books, particularly those for teens, have scenes that are intense and may contain mature content, and/or strong language. Note: If you have others that you would recommend, please reach out to us and we will update the list. Books Featuring Children & Youth with Disabilities AAC Dancing Daisies (2013) by Sara Pyszka Fur Cubs Present First Day of School (2010) by C. Lynne Luster How Katie Got a Voice (And A Cool New Nickname) (2012) by Pat Mervine Inside... [Read More...]