610 Search Results for visual support
December 29, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Taking down the Christmas tree Chilling a bottle of champagne Reflecting on New Year’s resolutions Is it really possible that, in another few days, we’ll be saying goodbye to 2015? As we welcome another prAACtical year, it’s time to start preparing the materials we’ll need to model and teach core words to our AAC learners. Next week, we’ll talk more about the instructional methods to use with these materials. For now, though, our focus is on getting the word cards and other materials for the Year of Words (Set 1/2013; Set 2/2014) ready to use with the AAC learners in our lives. Thanks to the kindness of PrAACtical AAC readers we have posts with a variety of resources: Minspeak/Unity version: Set 1/2013 PCS versions: Set 1/2013 , Set 2/2014 Speak for Yourself version: Set 2/2014 SymbolStix version: Set 1/2013 Lesson Pix: Set1/2013 We are so appreciative for the support of... [Read More...]
November 24, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
When SLPs and teachers work together for the benefit of students with little or no functional speech, the results can be magical. Today, we travel to Wisconsin to visit with SLP Dana Brown and Special Educator Sara Olsen who work together at the elementary school level. In this post, Dana and Sara tell us about their experiences using PODD in a classroom of students with intellectual disability. You can learn more about their work on YouTube (Watch Your Language) where they post Word of the Week videos and snippets of AAC use in different clasroom activities. Regular readers know that we’ve posted a few articles and videos on PODD. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: We write as a team of special educators, a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) and an Intellectual Disabilities teacher, and one thing that we’ve learned working closely together is that AAC is difficult and ongoing. In this post, we are excited to share... [Read More...]
October 18, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It’s been a wonderful week of building awareness and acceptance! Monday – October Site of the Month: The National Professional Development Center on ASD Tuesday – “But he doesn’t use it!” 5 Things to Try to Boost Requesting with AAC Wednesday – Video of the Week: Adapting Books with Visual Scene Displays Thursday – PrAACtically Halloween: Considerations for an AAC-friendly Holiday
June 29, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
What a wonderful way to start off a summer of learning! Last week, I was fortunate to be able to sit alongside a wonderful group of SLPs, OTs, teachers, and graduate students and participate in two full days of learning from Sean Sweeney, known to many of you as The Speech Techie. Thanks to the generous support of the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Centers for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD) and the Partnership for Effective Programs for Students with Autism (PEPSA), funded by the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, we were able to offer this workshop for free. The topic, Apps in Context: Aligning Technology with Methodologies and Clinical Objectives for Students with Autism, is one that is near and dear to my heart. Like many on you, I am always looking for new ways to engage AAC learners, and using fun apps is a great... [Read More...]
May 17, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Monday – Sound/Music Cause and Effect Apps for Engaging AAC Learners Tuesday – Say What?!? AAC Assessment for Children Who Speak with Dr. Jill Senner and Matthew Baud Wednesday – Video of the Week: Communication Supports for Problem Behavior with Dr. Pat Mirenda Thursday – How I Do It: The All-in-One-Visual-Support Tool by Tabi Jones-Wohleber
March 12, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Like many of you, I’m always on the hunt for ways to support beginning communicators who are also learning to read. As SLPs, we have a huge opportunity to advocate for and provide good literacy learning opportunities for individuals with AAC needs. For learners past the preschool age, it can be challenging to find material that engages them and yet respects the fact that they are no longer young children. Last month, we share a handout from a wonderful ATIA presentation that Drs. Hanser and Musselwhite did on this topic (you can see that post here). Today, I’m sharing the thoughts of Erin Sheldon, whose work in inclusive education for students with significant disabilities and support of families with Angelman Syndrome (AS) is known to many of you. Erin’s work is directly informed by her daughter Maggie, who has AS and is fully included in her general education classroom. A... [Read More...]
February 26, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
March is around the corner, so if you are following along our 2013 Year of Core (12 words/month) or the 2014 A(nother) Year of Core (16 words/month; Different than the previous year’s core words), it is time to get ready to focus on a new set of words. “Wait! My clients/students didn’t master the January or February words. Should I really go on?” Yes, you probably should! Every situation is different, of course, but for the vast majority it makes sense to move on. Sticking with the same set of words is likely to bore you and frustrate the kids. With a core word approach, it’s about progress, not perfection. We aren’t giving up on the prior words. In fact, we will continue to model them (with aided language input) and create opportunities for our learners to use them, providing supports, as needed). At the same time, we’re expanding our focus to... [Read More...]
February 3, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
The recent ATIA 2015 Conference in Orlando served as validation that core vocabulary is now a widely accepted practice in supporting language development with AAC learners. Presentation after presentation discussed the rationale, research support, and strategies for implementation. In 2013, we suggested that one way to help strengthen learners’ abilities with core words is to take a different set of 12-20 core words each month and focus on them for a few weeks. How? By modeling those words, making resource materials (like word cards with the symbols), creating activities in which those words figure prominently, posting them in the classroom/therapy room, reading books that have heavy use of these words, sharing them with families, write stories using them, etc. In this post, we share some sample sentences to model for our February 2013 and 2014 core words. The target words for this month are in CAPS. 2013 Year of Core again... [Read More...]
October 1, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Could it really be October already?! Let’s start off AAC Awareness Month with a giveaway. We are so grateful to the following organizations for donating raffle prizes for this drawing. Please take a moment to thank them. Aacorn Ablenet Alexicom Appy Therapy Choice Works/Bee Visual Hump Software Lesson Pix News 2 You Safe N Sound Mobile Saltillo Smarty Ears Speak For Yourself Speak MODalities SpeechPathology.com Speech Tree Apps TapSpeak Therapy Box Tobii-Dynavox How Does It Work? We use Rafflecopter to administer the giveaways. All entries made through there will be counted toward our drawings. Once we’ve drawn our winners, we’ll send an email to each one. You’ll need to be a good sport to play along because we’re not going to get into requests for specific prizes or substitutions. (As I learned from wise-beyond-her-years Pauleen, “You get what you get, and you don’t get upset.” Love that!) The winners will... [Read More...]
August 28, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Today, we turn to the UK in a guest post by Laura Tarver. a London-based Speech and Language Therapist working with children with ASD and other complex needs. She previously worked in a primary school for children with ASD, where PODD and Aided Language Displays were introduced as part of a school wide approach in order to enhance the communication-friendly environment for all pupils. In this post, she shares how they used PODD books and aided language input to build the students’ communication skills. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: PODD (or Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display) communication books were developed in Australia by Gayle Porter, originally for children with cerebral palsy. As their use becomes more widespread throughout the world, practitioners are considering the benefits of using them with other clinical populations. Their structured organisation and emphasis on visual communication means that they are also a valuable tool for developing the communication of those with... [Read More...]