477 Search Results for opportunities
September 3, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Each month we feature a Spanish version of our AAC Link Up, CAA con Links. If you have AAC-related announcements, 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. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries and offer translations of material that can help families and service providers. Today’s post focused on literacy and AAC and includes a recording of a presentation from the 2022 AAC in the Cloud Conference, hosted by CoughDrop. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to add your link and see what others are sharing.... [Read More...]
July 14, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
It’s time for a little fun! Check out these past posts on AAC, play, and gaming. AAC in Secondary School: Using Games to Support AAC Learning for Older Students From Solitary Play to Interaction: 5 Things to Try With Kids Who Love Their iPad Games Let’s Play! Using Switch-accessible iPad Games for AAC Learning PrAACtical Resources: Structured Play Groups Building Sentence Length through Conversational Routines & Games 5 Quick and Easy Games That Build AAC Skills 5 Adapted Play Resources for Children with Motor Impairment PrAACtical Play: Creating Communication Opportunities with Favorite Toys Video of the Week: Aided Language Input During Play Video of the Week: AAC & Board Games
June 13, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
In the US, Juneteenth is one of our newest federal holidays and many are now getting ready to celebrate it. Whether you are relatively new to an understanding of Juneteenth or have been honoring it for decades, we hope today’s post has some ideas for integrating it into the AAC work you do. First published a few years back, we’ve updated it with some additional books, videos, and other resources. PrAACtically Juneteenth In the US, June 19th is a day that commemorates the ending of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation became effective on January 1, 1863, it took an additional two and half years for it to take root in all of the states. It wasn’t until June 19th, 1865 that Texas became the final state to uphold the proclamation. There are other days that memorialize the freedom of enslaved people, but Juneteenth is the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration. Traditionally marked... [Read More...]
June 3, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
On the first Friday of every month, we feature a Spanish version of our AAC Link Up, CAA con Links. If you have AAC-related announcements, 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. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts generally focus on AAC in Spanish-speaking countries. In today’s post, we learn about Carolina and Samuel from Costa Rica, Isabel and Eddy from Guatemala, and Lucas and Selim from Chile. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Este mes queremos compartir ideas sobre otro desafío que surge para los usuarios de Sistemas de CAA de nuestra comunidad de habla hispana, que comienzan a... [Read More...]
May 19, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for information on AAC in young children? Here are some posts you might enjoy. PrAACtically Reading: Books Featuring Children & Youth with Disabilities Parent-Implemented AAC Intervention for Young Children From Wheelchair to Hands-free Walker for Preschool Children with AAC Needs, Part 1, Part 2 Using Vest Displays with Preschoolers on the Autism Spectrum with guest author Dr. Carol Goossens’ Mining the Preschool Routine for PrAACtical AAC Opportunities Supporting Preschoolers with AAC Needs: A Case Study Visual Supports in Action in the Preschool Classroom TELL ME: AAC in the Preschool Classroom TELL ME About It (Year 1) TELL ME AAC Literacy Kits Brown Bear, Brown Bear I Went Walking From Head to Toe Here Are My Hands What Do You Like? Go Away Big Green Monster No, David Come Out and Play, Little Mouse The Lunch Box Surprise If You’re Angry and You Know It Max’s Breakfast All Are Welcome! I... [Read More...]
May 16, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
The case history for Aziz described him as ‘non-communicative.’ On Mia’s intake form, it says that she is ‘unable to be tested.’ One of Antwon’s therapists reported that he is ‘not motivated to communicate.’ Experienced, caring professionals said or wrote each one of these things. And while there may be a kernel of truth in some of their perceptions, it’s also likely that these statements don’t tell the full story and fail to accurately capture the student’s capabilities. How can we influence professionals who see limitations more clearly than abilities and potential? One approach is to do things that alter their perceptions of people with complex communication needs. Perception matters a great deal. Why? Because the ways in which we perceive people set off a whole chain of events. – The way that we perceive someone shapes the expectations that we have for them. – The expectations we have for someone... [Read More...]
May 6, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
On the first Friday of every month, we feature a Spanish version of our AAC Link Up, CAA con Links. If you have AAC-related announcements, 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. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts generally focus on AAC in Spanish-speaking countries. In today’s post, she shares a Spanish resource that may be of interest to many. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Este mes queremos invitarlos a compartir links y recursos que hacen posible apoyar a nuestros estudiantes con complejas necesidades de comunicación en el proceso de alfabetización. La evidencia nos confirma que ellos pueden beneficiarse... [Read More...]
May 2, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
It’s hard to imagine how our professional work would change without access to technology tools that make our work easier, more accessible, and better. In today’s post, we’re sharing a few tech tools that might be of interest. Editing YouTube Videos Need to do some quick and easy edits on your YouTube videos? YouTube Studio allows you to control the thumbnail, add hashtags, edit the captions, add end screens, and more. Learn how from Richard Byrne of Free Tech For Teachers. Direct link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bbNd4JyxNk&ab_channel=RichardByrne Word Clouds Word Clouds are incredibly useful in language intervention and academic instruction. There are a number of tools for creating them, and we’re listing a few of those here. Tagxedo has been around a long time and is popular for the ability to put the word cloud in pre-selected shapes or design your own shape. WordClouds.com is another website option for displaying... [Read More...]
March 21, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Language experience surveys are versatile tools with considerable applicability to AAC learning. These involve creating an informal survey based on a single question that was selected specifically to support communicative development. They can be used to give AAC learners more opportunities to learn from others in focused and specific ways. They also offer ample opportunities to practice emerging skills and generalize those skills from the therapy space or classroom to real-world contexts. You can learn more about them here. How can we use language experience surveys in our AAC work? Here are a few ideas. Introduce new words or concepts: We often precede direct instruction on a new word or concept with experiences that provide exposure to those. Using a language experience survey can be a powerful way to introduce AAC learners to a new vocabulary word in ways that are engaging, enjoyable, and memorable. Examples: “Can you tell me... [Read More...]
February 21, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
It makes a regular appearance at Circle Time and Morning Meetings. It’s part of our casual conversation on a daily basis. We learn about it in Science classes and it often plays a role in the books we read. Everyone talks about the weather. How can we take advantage of this ubiquitous topic to strengthen AAC learning? Here are a few ideas of language concepts to address. Core Vocabulary: Weather-related discussions offer many opportunities to model and elicit core words, both by themselves and in the context of longer sentences. Single words: Feel, it, like, look, see, that, what Multi-word combinations: I can see rain/snow/sun. Look at that. What is it like outside? Can you feel it? I don’t like when it is ___. More Advanced Vocabulary: Many AAC users have vocabularies that are smaller than we would expect, even when no cognitive issues are present. Talking about the weather... [Read More...]