584 Search Results for tell me about it
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...]
January 28, 2013
by Robin Parker -
We are extremely proud to be part of the Dan Marino Foundation WalkAbout Autism, which is a large South Florida event. It is a true collaboration between the community, volunteers, sponsors, donors, walk partners, and the Miami Dolphins. The Walkabout helps raise money for organizations that provide programs and services for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. It also promotes a sense of community collaboration and awareness about autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities. We are writing about the WalkAbout, not as a plea for money (although read about the WalkAbout and donate if you are so inclined), but instead to tell you how we continue to try to integrate AAC & visual strategies into community events. We are so grateful to Dan & Claire Marino and their family and Jeff & Rachel Ireland and their family for continuing to dedicate their time and effort for this amazing event. This past weekend was the 3rd WalkAbout Autism. It was a... [Read More...]
January 26, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
This month we’ve been talking about requesting and choicemaking, specifically how to teach it. Today, we’ll put it into a clinical context by talking about a hypothetical session that targets this skill, but also highlights other strategies. As you read about the materials, preparation, and script, look for how they incorporate strategies such as building specific communication opportunities {CO}, aided language input {ALI}, and expansions {EX}. The clinician also builds in repetition with variety so that there is sufficient opportunities for teaching and practice using multiple modes of communication. In this scenario, you’ll meet Jenna, a 5 year old with significant language difficulties secondary to Cri du Chat syndrome. Jenna’s communication system includes about a dozen manual signs (SIGN), 20-25 word approximations (SPEECH), a few gestures (GEST), some manual communication boards (COMM BD), and an iPad with a full-featured AAC app (iPAD). She also uses movement (MOVEMT), vocalizations (VOC), and... [Read More...]
January 23, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Want to give your AAC learners more frequent opportunities to interact with others? We love using Language Experience Surveys for this purpose. The concept is a simple one. Once you have a language goal in mind, craft a survey with a key question that the communicator can use as a conversation starter. After some instruction and practice, they can then ask people the question. You’ll need to create visual supports for the survey so that the communicator can use it as a cue and show to the interaction partners. In some surveys, the partners then use the visual support to record their responses. Putting the visual support on a clipboard works well in some situations. The simplest way to do this is with a forced-choice question with a list of response options. The survey could be about favorite TV shows or places to visit, for example, and show different options.... [Read More...]
January 16, 2013
by Robin Parker -
Thematic language therapy can be part of a meaningful language experience. This is true for everyone but especially helpful for learners with social communication/language difficulties. The theme of a session or theme of a month (or semester) can help a learner understand the relationship of individual activities to a larger main idea. For some learners it is easier to understand the details than to understand the ‘big picture’. By adding well thought out thematic features in intervention, the learner can then have many opportunities to relate the component parts of a theme to a main topic. Another aspect and benefit of thematic language learning has to do with word, concept, & vocabulary access. If a theme is used in a variety (or ALL) activities, there is a greater chance that the learner will be using similar words and concepts in talking, listening, reading and writing. By using all language modalities, vocabulary, word... [Read More...]
January 10, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Welcome to AACtual Therapy, a new series on PrAACtical AAC that we’re undertaking in order to give you an up-close-and-personal look at SLPs who ‘do’ AAC. Each of these posts will feature one of our prAACtical friends, some of whom have been AAC interventionists for awhile and others who have come to it more recently. Each one is passionate about giving people a voice no matter what their age or ability level. They’ll be giving us a peek into an AAC therapy lesson that they use, and telling us about the strategies that make it successful. They’ll share a bit about the goals and objectives the lesson was designed to address, and what sorts of AAC their clients are using. Hopefully, we’ll see them in action Here’s what NOT to expect: Perfection. It doesn’t exist, so we don’t even bother looking for it. We’re featuring these clinicians because we want... [Read More...]
December 22, 2012
by Robin Parker -
The Communication Book is Ready… Now What? The fun begins…. Yes, we really do think that TEACHING a learner to USE the communication book is FUN. We get to participate in lots of meaningful language experiences, we get to be creative, we get to watch language blossom, and we get to be surprised by the communication competence ALL of our learners show us after prAACtice, prAACtice, and for some more prAACtice . The best way to get started with communication book teaching is to begin by trying out different teaching tips, strategies, and resources and find out what works best. Each communication dyad (communicator & communication partner) is different so the combination of strategies that will work will vary but at the core of the teaching process, there should be fun, motivation, and of course progress. STRATEGIES and CONSIDERATIONS Aided Language Input (ALI)– We can not say enough about... [Read More...]
December 19, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Sometimes it’s hard to know how best to help families of AAC learners. There can be a dynamic tension between the things we would like them to do to maximize the AAC learning process and what they can realistically accomplish given the competing demands of their busy lives. We really believe that having families do more AAC at home will enhance the communication learning, though I’m not really sure that we have evidence to back up that belief. Nevertheless, we push for it. Nicely, of course. But we push. On a good day, it all works out. Or, at least it seems to. But does it really? Here are some things we’ve been thinking about. Each family has their own culture. Some families are highly structured, others are more spontaneous, and a few are downright chaotic. Whatever their nature, it is who they are and how they operate. We have... [Read More...]
December 14, 2012
by Robin Parker -
As we are talking about communication boards this month, we wanted to share a great free resource that is available to everyone. ConnectABILITY is a virtual community and website focused on lifelong learning and support for people who have an intellectual disability, their families and their support networks. It is based in Canada and funded by a grant from Ronald McDonald House Charities. We have used many resources from ConnectAbility. We love that you can get information for all ages (children through senior adults). We love the multimedia formats. We have listened to podcasts, read about community and participated in interactive learning. But we absolutely love the Visual Engine which helps you learn about and make visual supports. We LOVE the way you can easily create communication boards and recently realized there are easy ways to add photos, symbols, or even your own pictures or photos. The ‘ease of use’... [Read More...]
December 7, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Last month, we talked a lot about semantic intervention with people who are learning AAC. Once we got started, we realized we could have done another whole month on the topic, but we had to move on. We ran out of time before we could really talk about outcome measures. As clinicians, how do we determine whether our therapy is effective? Here are some things to do after you’ve provided high-quality, well-sequenced vocabulary instruction. Make small comprehension checks a regular part of your instruction. Ask the AAC learner to tell you about ___ . Then score their response as objectively as possible (e.g., complete & correct, correct but incomplete, vague, incorrect). You’ll get some real-time feedback and can clarify or re-teach as necessary. Assess in a standardized fashion. Standardized means doing something the same way each time. Set up appropriate assessment tasks that allow you to judge how well the... [Read More...]