687 Search Results for communication book
June 2, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Well, it’s Week 4 of the new semester and, in our AAC classes, we’ve been talking a lot about how language is represented and organized in communication boards/books, SGDs, and AAC apps. We’ve talked about the pro’s and con’s of representing language in various ways, and discussed the options for how to set up displays so that people can easily access the words they need. At this point, we know how to choose appropriate symbols, select appropriate vocabulary, and arrange it in an appropriate format. In short, we know how to put language ‘in.’ Now comes the hard part: Getting it out. How do we get people to actually use the language that’s been so carefully stored in the no tech, low tech, and high tech AAC tools? Our June Strategy of the Month is about techniques for language facilitation. If you’re an SLP well-versed in language therapy with speaking children,... [Read More...]
May 31, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Magic Moments is an occasional series that discusses prAACtical ways of using favorite toys, games, apps, and selected websites for language and literacy learning. Our last Magic Moments post featured Toca Store, an app for children, so this time we raised our sights to address an older demographic. There are fewer age-appropriate, interesting materials designed especially for the AAC and learning needs of this age group so we are always on the hunt for creative ideas. Since we’re sharing digital curation tools as part of our May Strategy of the Month, we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to talk about ways to use Qwiki with clients who use AAC. and websites for communication learning. – Qwiki is an aggregation tool that combines video and web interactivity into a brief multimedia presentation. In their reference site, Qwiki allows you to enter a search term and get an interesting overview of that topic with images,... [Read More...]
May 31, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
The Fives 1. 5 Sites for Professionals who are Supporting Military Families with Special Needs Children 2. 5 Charitable Programs that Support Funding for Communication through Mobile Devices 3. 5 Sites for Tools & Tips on Self-Calming & Behavior Regulation 4. Five (More) Resources for Supporting Friendships in Individuals Who Use AAC PrAACtical Thinking Updated: 59 Free and Lite AAC Apps Magic Moments with Qwiki: PrAACtical Learning for Older Students and Adults PrAACtical Teaching PrAACtical Alert: How Your Junk Drawer Can Help People Who Use AAC Magic Moments with Toca Store Random App of Kindness Sticky Situation AAC ASD App From the Ivory Tower PrAACtical Resources: Evidence-Based Practice Maps PrAACtical Suggestions: 10 Ways to Help Families Make Informed Decisions about AAC PrAACtical Suggestions: How to Get Started with A New AAC Client, Part 1 International Cri du Chat Awareness Week Saying ‘I Love You’ on Mother’s Day iTaalk for Better Hearing and Speech Month... [Read More...]
May 30, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
When I first heard about curation being the next big thing on the internet, I had a hard time seeing how I would have time to get involved. Less than a year later, I can’t conceive of being on the internet without my curation tools. Every day, something comes up that I want to store on a curation site. And it’s almost every day that I send someone to those places for a specific tool, video, article, etc. – In addition to Pinterest, which we blogged about earlier, we are frequent users of Scoop.It and LiveBinders. Each one has its unique properties and so, they are each useful for different things. – Scoop.It is a pictorial magazine where you can collect and share websites related to topics of interest. Unlike Pinterest, with Scoop.It, you can add things that do not have a sizable image. Anyone can view Scoop.Its, but if... [Read More...]
May 19, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
We continue to celebrate ASHA’s Better Hearing and Speech Month with a focus on SLPs, specifically, strengthening our AAC connections in this digital world. This week we focus on websites that we find useful in our AAC work with graduate students, colleagues, clients, and families. – Ten years ago if you would have told us that sharing a list of useful AAC websites would seem dated and ‘old school,’ we would have either burst out laughing or withdrawn into a catatonic state. Now, however, it does seem a little old-fashioned to share a list of websites. Here is our starter list of sites to visit, explore, and bookmark. – 1. Resource and Training Material: The breadth, depth, and quality of the offerings by SET BC makes it one of our most frequented online resources. Downloadable AAC materials? Check! Curriculum supports? Got it! Accessible books? Yup! Training resources? Just wait ‘til... [Read More...]
May 17, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
– In one of my AAC classes, we’ve been talking about how to help families make informed decisions. To do that, they need to have solid information presented clearly, in digestible bites from a trusted source. When we don’t have that information, it is easy to fall prey to fads and/or adopt a herd mentality and do what everyone else is doing. Here are some suggestions for supporting families through the AAC decisions they will need to make. – 1. Have direct conversations about the pros and cons of the available options. For example, if the family expressed interest in an iPad with AAC apps over a full fledged SGD, then we’d have to be prepared to reiterate the merits and drawbacks of each. 2. Share a process for making AAC decisions rather than attempting to take the decision out of their hands. For example, you may want to encourage... [Read More...]
May 14, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
– Today’s post is in honor of the first ever International Cri du Chat Awareness Week and the lovely young lady pictured here (as well as in the brochure linked below). – Cri Du Chat Syndrome (CdCS, also called Lejeune’s syndrome and 5p deletion) is a low incidence genetic disorder caused by a deletion on the short arm of chromosome 5 (5p-). Most children with CCS experience general developmental and communication delays, some of which are quite significant. They tend to have strengths in receptive language. Their speech is often marked by frequent articulation errors, small phonetic inventories, and restricted syllable shapes. Many infants and children with CdCS also have feeding and swallowing difficulties. Children with CdCS have a higher co-occurrence of cleft lip/palate. – 1. 5p- Society (US) and the Annual Conference: Positive Attitude, Reaching New Heights (July, 26-29 in Denver, CO). This group also has a network of... [Read More...]
May 8, 2012
by Robin Parker -
In honor of Better Hearing and Speech Month, we wanted to share about iTaalk, one of the groups/pages on Facebook that we love. We had the pleasure of meeting (in person) the people who founded iTaalk. Wow- really special people! They work tirelessly to promote good teaching behind every app for communication and learning. They have programs to help families who need resources to begin teaching with technology, programs to help obtain more technology and try to ensure that quality teaching information goes with each app. They work to bring schools and families together with technology. You can expect to find great app lists, funding ideas, and much more from iTaalk. So check out iTaalk on Facebook and iTaalk website and enjoy!
May 1, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
— – – Strategy of the Month From Disney Princesses to Houseplants: More on Building Communication Opportunities 5 Apps for Tempting Commenting and Other Language Functions Go Ape! 10 Commenting Communication Temptations PrAACtical Play: Creating Communication Opportunities with Favorite Toys How to Make Communication Temptations Really Work Mining Preschool Routines for PrAACtical AAC Opportunities. Meaningful Communication Opportunities – The Fives 5 ‘Go-To’ Sites for AAC and Visual Support Downloads 5 Apps for Tempting Commenting and Other Language Functions 5 AAC-Related Facebook Pages/Groups We Love 5 Tools and Tips for Making Transitions Easier 5+ Sites for Free AAC-Friendly Literacy Resources 5 eGames for Switch Users 5 AAC/AT YouTube Channels We Love – PrAACtical Thinking 49 Free or Lite Versions of AAC Apps A Myth About Visual Schedules Lives On PrAACtical Resources: Making Decisions about Reading Accessibility Options PrAACtical Resources: Toolkit for ASD PrAACtical Questions: How Do I Find Good AAC Service... [Read More...]
April 19, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Reading is one of our passions and we love to address it in our therapy not just because of its importance but also because it is so much fun. Here are some of our current favorite places to visit for resources on AAC, reading, and writing. – 1. Communication 4 All: See their literacy section for helpful resources – http://www.communication4all.co.uk/HomePage.htm 2. The Bridge: Assessment protocol for literacy learning in people who use AAC by the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at https://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/resources/early-childhood-resources-1/the-bridge-assessment 3. Handout on adapting books by Pam Harris on the AAC Institute site at http://bit.ly/HQ7oHM 4. Printable Classroom Signs and Labels for Early Years at SparkleBox: http://bit.ly/xITodP 5. Mini books, book materials, resources for alphabet learning, and other goodies at DLTK’s Educational Activities site: http://bit.ly/zJV28S 6. More fun downloads that are AAC-friendly at Let’s Book It withTech’Knowledge’y: http://bit.ly/HStHx0 – Happy reading! –