610 Search Results for visual support
May 3, 2021
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 highlight core vocabulary, such as these: Pronouns: I, you, she, we, her, our Verbs: can, do, give, help, 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. From Boardmaker From Tarheel Reader (SDJ) From Tarheel Reader (Nicolaus) Cards and letters are always appreciated and a great way to practice language and literacy skills. Here are a few to check out. From AU-SOME Little Learners From Blooming Kiddos From Education to the Core From Twinkl Printable Resources From Mollie Pouska Add a poem like this one... [Read More...]
April 19, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Do you serve students with cortical visual impairment (CVI)? Teacher of the visually impaired Dr. Sandra Newcomb and AAC SLP Debbie Perry regularly combine their expertise and collaborate to support children with CVI who are learning to use AAC. In today’s post, they take us beyond the basics to share their thoughts on the complex issues that we should consider in serving this population. Follow along as they challenge some assumptions and provide helpful suggestions. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AAC and CVI: Can We Chat? Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) is vision loss due to damage or malformation in the brain that interferes with the child’s ability to understand vision information coming from the eyes. It is the number one cause of vision impairment for young children in developed countries. It has been found that 10.5% of children with developmental disabilities have CVI [1]. This means if you are a pediatric SLP you will... [Read More...]
March 29, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Whether you are a parent trying to keep your child’s AAC skills up or a professional who is providing AAC support, we hope that our monthly Year of Core Vocabulary posts help you stay focused and keep your learners using their AAC skills. In today’s post, we share some ideas for boosting core word learning throughout the week, focusing on a small set of words. Whether you are following along with the Set 1 (12 words/month) or the Set 2 words (16 words/month; Different than the previous core words), or are just getting started, this post has some helpful resources. Our words for this month are as follows. Set 1 List: big, busy, do, drink, feel, he, in, make, out, some, tell, who Set 2 List: blue, brother, close, family, head, last, long, no, old, right, scared, soft, thing, top, wash, whole We have some specific ideas for how to build a learning... [Read More...]
March 5, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
AAC friends, it’s time for another AAC Link Up in Spanish. If you have 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. But before we get to that, we want to continue sharing AAC experiences with families in different Spanish-speaking countries, to help us create ties and form AAC communities in Spanish, to learn from each other. From Costa Rica, we learn from Carolina who shares the story of her amazing son, Samuel. Don’t miss the adorable video of Carolina and Sami at the end. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Los invitamos este Viernes a unirse a compartiendo links en español, para apoyar a esta comunidad hispanohablante que crece cada día en el ámbito de la CAA... [Read More...]
November 2, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Effective AAC interventionists know the importance of being skilled in using a number of different strategies and techniques for building language. So we’re pleased that SLPs Kate Grandbois and Amy Wonkka are making a return visit to talk more about their favorite therapy strategies and how to apply them to AAC skill-building. In today’s post, they discuss the use of chaining in teaching individuals with AAC needs. You can see their previous post here. Also, don’t miss the link to their podcast at the end, especially if you are interested in earning CEUs for listening. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Bringing it all Together, Episode 2: Chaining in AAC As we mentioned in our previous article, most SLPs have come across popular AAC interventions, like aided language modeling. But there are other interventions, like chaining, that don’t quite get the time in the limelight that they deserve. Chaining is one of these interventions. Chaining... [Read More...]
October 29, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Welcome to the November post in the School Year of Core Vocabulary Words series! Each of these posts, guest authored by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, and Beth Lytle, focuses on a selected set of words along with a suggested order in which to teach them. The Activity Packets, containing sheets on highlighting these words in a variety of activities, and Data Collection Forms. In addition to these resources, they share ideas for customizing AAC systems. New to this series? Check out the guest authors’ overview here. Enjoy! A SCHOOL YEAR OF CORE WORDS: NOVEMBER by Michaela Sullivan, Beth Lytle, & Alisa Lego To the parents, teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists, Paraprofessionals, friends, and other curious professionals or communicators – welcome back to the monthly School Year of Core Words- November Edition. If this is the first time you’re visiting this posting, we welcome you and hope that you find our resources helpful... [Read More...]
October 12, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
It’s time for another post with book-related ideas for supporting core vocabulary learning in preschool classrooms. Jeanna Antrim and Maggie Judson are back with another guest post in support of preschool teachers who are implementing the TELL ME program with their young students. Maggie and Jeanna are speech-language pathologists who work in the Assistive Technology Department for the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative (BASSC) in southern Illinois. They are AT/AAC facilitators and provide evaluations, direct therapy, consultations, and trainings with school teams. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TELL ME About It: AAC Learning with ‘I Know a Lot!’ by Stephen Krensky TELL ME About The Book The second book in this new series is “I Know a Lot!”. If this is a new title for you, you will LOVE the adorable illustrations, simple text, repeated phrases, as well as the focus on adjectives! And remember last month how we talked about following the CAR (Comment... [Read More...]
September 28, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Do you know any AAC learners like these? Jeremiah has an SGD with thousands of core and fringe words, but he uses less than 100 of them in day-to-day life. Bella used an AAC app with visual scene displays to interact at playtime and during daily routines for the past several months. Her team just added an app with a grid-based vocabulary so that she can begin to create novel sentences and expand her language abilities. Mason was recently evaluated for an AAC device, but it will likely take a few months to get the funding situation straightened out. In the meantime, his team created a manual communication board that mirrors the main screen of the SGD’s language software. Each of them needs lots of practice to become fluent with the core words in their AAC systems. Are you looking for resources to support your use of core words in... [Read More...]
September 25, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Though we are wrapping up the month of September, the core words selected for this month are high-frequency words that will live on throughout the year. Our new Year of Core Words School Edition is in development and the team is working hard to get these helpful posts to you prior to the start of each month so that you can plan and prepare your lessons and materials. Please bear with us for the first few posts as we get up to speed. As with the previous post, these will each highlight a selected set of words along with a suggested order in which to teach them. We know that you’ll appreciate the Activity Packets with information sheets on highlighting these words in a variety of activities, and the accompanying data collection forms. A key intervention strategy is also discussed in each of these posts, with September focusing on the... [Read More...]
September 24, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Predictable chart writing is one of my favorite ways to get kids who are new to writing comfortable with a writing routine. Today, our guest author Ashley Larisey shares detailed information that will help you implement this well and have fun doing it. And she helps us understand how to do this successfully in remote teaching. 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. In today’s post, she breaks down the steps of using predictable chart writing, points us to relevant resources, and provides a video overview of the process. Enjoy! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Predictable Chart Writing As many educators look for new and innovative ways to bring comprehensive literacy instruction into their practice, one of the first strategies that comes up in a quick google search is Predictable Chart Writing (PCW). PCW... [Read More...]