520 Search Results for year of core words
October 4, 2013
by Robin Parker -
We love to start planning for holidays early. It helps facilitate conversation before, during, & after exciting activities and events. When we begin using core and fringe vocabulary early, frequently, and authentically the learner has the most opportunity for success. Use Schedules: Use a monthly calendar to have a Halloween countdown, Use mini-schedules to make food recipes, spooky science concoctions, or even to plan the trick or treating routes. Use a small talk app like Fat Cat Spooky Chat to prAACtice what you will SAY (October core words) on Halloween. Use a social narrative to prepare everyone for what to expect on and around Halloween. More Halloween social narratives can be found at Autism Community, One Place for Special Needs, Katherine Sanger You Tube, & Kentucky Autism Training Center Prepare a choice board of Halloween costume options and let the learner decide on the costume. PrAACtice a script to be... [Read More...]
August 29, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
We are so excited to start off the new school year with a wonderfully prAACtical post by Lauren Enders. Lauren’s “How I Do It” posts have been very popular and this one is no different. Today, she shares ways to incorporate key AAC principles in engaging intervention activities and models that with high school students. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: LEARNING TARGETS (Samples: can be changed to meet student goals) Using core vocabulary, the student will: control the actions of others (beginning with core words like “more”, “stop”, “go”, “again”, and “different”) express his or her opinions through commenting (beginning with core words such as “like”, “don’t like”, “good”, “bad”, and “silly”) TARGET POPULATION: all ages (I have used variations of this activity successfully with students from age 3 through age 21.) TYPE OF AAC: ALL types!! What’s crucial here is the availability of core vocabulary, not the system used. Systems used can vary from... [Read More...]
August 17, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Like many of you, we are always racking our brains trying to help students who use AAC be successful academically. Because we serve these students in a clinical setting, we could easily pass on the opportunity to align our AAC goals with academic standards but what would be the fun in that? Here are some things we try to think about with school-aged kids who have AAC needs. SLP to SLP If it takes a village to raise a child, how many people does it take to help a kids with AAC needs to develop communicative competence and succeed academically? It boggles the mind. As SLPs, message is this: We have to work together. Many kids who use AAC have private therapies in addition to their school services, and yet, we rarely connect. We have to find a way to do a better job at this so that kids with... [Read More...]
July 18, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
It’s always a good day when we get to share the thoughts of veteran AAC SLP, Marlene Cummings. In this post, Marlene talks about the signs to look for as clients gain skills with AAC and wraps up her series of posts on her yearlong experience in providing embedded professional learning experiences in Oakland Schools. You can see her earlier posts on cultivating the right mindset, their framework for AAC success, her AAC implementation toolbox, and the communication environment. 5 things in our “Destination Toolbox” “Are we there yet?” or “Five Ways to Tell That Your Students are Becoming Competent Communicators” Students are: Participating in the purposes of communication by novelly generating multiple word phrases demonstrating a variety of communicative functions Taking multiple communicative turns with multiple partners in multiple environments Using words from many different word classes Using words to talk about words Using language to communicate and communicating to learn... [Read More...]
July 4, 2013
by Robin Parker -
Check out these 4 free apps that can help SPARK commenting. They are great fun that will inspire commenting but can also help with core (and fringe) vocabulary as well as with being familiar with July 4th festivities. By engaging with these apps in an interactive manner, there is not the noise and confusion of the day. The apps become a good tool for familiarizing and preparing the learner for July 4th. Celebrate 4th of July, Independence Day of the United States , with sparkling fireworks (by Auryn Apps) Free – Just shake or touch the iPad and beautiful fireworks get triggered. The are really beautiful which are opportunities to comment again and again (“wow”, “beautiful”, “so cool”, “look colors”, etc.). Each firework reveals images that relate to Independence Day. This app is a gift from Auryn Apps which is a generous and dedicated developer for July 4th and throughout the year.... [Read More...]
June 28, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Marlene Cummings is back to share some thoughts on creating communication-friendly environments. As an AAC consultant to the Oakland Schools, Marlene gets to support AAC implementation in a variety of classrooms with all types of learners. You can read her earlier posts here and here. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 5 Things to Consider in the “Communication Environment” The first thing we want to ask: Is language being represented visibly? We in AAC are often known by our “stuff”. Because we need to represent language visibly and love technology, we typically have a lot of “stuff”. I, for one, currently have a large storage unit holding 30+ years of “stuff” waiting to be distributed to all my new teams since I am no longer in the classroom. Let’s start by looking around our instructional environment. It is our intention to model the use of language being represented visibly and to provide the vocabulary and opportunities for... [Read More...]
June 13, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Now that the school year is winding down, some of you have a little more time to read, process, and prepare for next year. We are really excited to share more ideas from Marlene Cummings, one of the most experienced AAC SLPs that we know. Those of you who have been following Marlene’s posts on the AAC implementation will be pleased to see the next part of the Framework for Success that she developed with the AAC Team at Oakland School District. If you missed her first and second posts, go take a peek at them when you can. 5 Things in our “Implementation Toolbox” When we begin the process of implementing AAC it is important to consider our “thinking”. We always want to approach every student, every team and every classroom with as much wisdom and respect as possible. One of my colleagues, Dr. Penny Hatch, from UNC Chapel Hill... [Read More...]
May 30, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
We couldn’t be more excited to have a return visit from Marlene Cummings, a wonderful SLP who is currently serving as an AAC Consultant to the AAC Team at Oakland Schools. In her first post, Marlene talked about strategies for cultivating the right mindset for AAC teaching. In this post, Marlene continues sharing elements of her Framework for Success in discussing the Knowledge Toolbox, developed with the Oakland Schools AAC Team. 5 Things in Your “Knowledge Toolbox” What is already in my “knowledge toolbox” of communication, language and learning? Yes, you do have a full toolbox. You just don’t realize it. And of course there are always new and exciting things to add. You already know this stuff!! REMEMBER??? It is important to step back and think broadly about communication and what it really does. Sometimes we get caught in the details of our work and can’t see the forest through the... [Read More...]
May 28, 2013
by Robin Parker -
If you know someone with significant speech difficulties, BEGIN AAC NOW…. If you know someone, try something… Doing something, even if it isn’t perfect, is infinitely better than doing nothing at all…. There is no specific order for these suggestions, try what is appropriate and doable for you… A year from now you may wish you started today (K. Lamb)… So begin now at any level.. for someone, a class, a clinic, for a few… Create a Visual Language & AAC Environment: Visual Immersion Program, Meaningful Language Experiences, Importance of Using Visual Supports Speak AAC to the AAC Learner: Use Aided Language Input (ALI), Learning to Use ALI Get Assessment Information: Communication Matrix , AAC Evaluation Genie, Thoughts & Ideas, AAC Assessment Forms, Write & Implement Some AAC Goals: Goals That Matter, AAC in the IEP by Lauren Enders, PrAActical Goals Learn and Use a Core Word Approach: Core Word Communication Board Samples, About Core Words- First... [Read More...]
May 18, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Earlier this month, we shared some ideas for making communication boards using color coding and also for creating boards geared to different communicative purposes. Making the communication board according to some basic principles is a good thing, of course, and it takes a decent amount of thought and planning. Even more important, though, is developing an intervention plan so that the augmentative communicator learns how to use the board effectively. Here are some of our thoughts on how to teach someone to use a new communication board. Model It We’ve talked about aided language input so many times that I’m almost embarrassed to mention it. Almost. The truth is, it is a ‘must do’ strategy when we’re first introducing a communication board, book, SGD, or AAC app. Incidental learning is important for just about all of the people with whom we work. It is never the only strategy we use,... [Read More...]