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January 7, 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. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries. Today, she shares some video stories of AAC in action. Enjoy! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Bienvenido 2022, comenzamos este nuevo año con muchos deseos y proyectos personales y colectivos para aprovechar al máximo las oportunidades y el poder de la CAA en la comunidad de hispano hablante. A través de este espacio queremos compartir experiencias, ideas e información que haga posible a todos tener acceso a sistemas de... [Read More...]
December 6, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Students with disabilities rarely play an important role in developing and discussing the plan that guides their educational experiences, the IEP. That needs to change. Today, we’re delighted to welcome back AAC SLP Ashley Larisey to continue an important discussion on this topic. Ashley Larisey, an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois, discusses ways to support students who use AAC as they prepare to transition out of school in the AAC in Secondary School series. Ashley, who is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University, has some prAACtical suggestions that are important for school teams, students who use AAC, their families, and school administrators. You can find Ashley’s first post on this topic here. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Centering AAC Users in the IEP Planning Process Part Two: Putting It into Action Last month, we discussed different strategies for including AAC users in the... [Read More...]
December 3, 2021
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. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries. Today, Claudia shares a digital activity that focuses on AAC modeling. Enjoy! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Llegamos a Diciembre, un mes lleno de emociones que nos invita compartir con aquellos que queremos, un mes para revisar lo que hemos hecho y lo que nos queda por hacer antes de terminar el año. Disfruta este mes modelando CAA en español, una actividad cada día te permitirá no dejar mucho... [Read More...]
November 25, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
grat·i·tude /ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/ noun the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness Today, we pause to reflect on our blessings and offer thanks. We’re grateful for: The people who use AAC and their families for all they do to help us get better at this business of supporting communication Service providers in homes, schools, clinics, hospitals, and community agencies The university programs that have a dedicated AAC class, especially if they have a permanent faculty member with expertise in this area Bonus thanks to those that also offer supervised clinical or student teaching experiences with AAC mentorship opportunities or an AAC lab with SGDs, AAC apps, switches, and mounts. The professional and service organizations that support AAC through professional development opportunities, grants, mentorship programs The power of e-communication platforms for the AAC support on listservs, blogs, groups, threaded discussions, and through the sharing of images and... [Read More...]
November 8, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
In theory, teenage students with disabilities should play an important role in developing their IEPs and in meetings to discuss them. In practice, this rarely occurs. Today, we’re addressing this important topic with another post in our series focusing on supporting students using AAC during their high school years. AAC SLP Ashley Larisey, an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois, is here to discuss ways to support students who use AAC as they prepare to transition out of school. Ashley, who is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University, has some prAACtical suggestions that are important for school teams, students who use AAC, their families, and school administration. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Centering AAC Users in the IEP Process When supporting older students who use AAC and are quickly approaching adulthood, our Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), goal development, services, and progress monitoring will... [Read More...]
November 7, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have a handful of posts for you. Monday – AAC at Upcoming Professional Conferences: 3 Online Learning Opportunities Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Implementing Comprehensive Literacy Instruction for Students Who Use AAC Thursday – AAC Fair Testing Practices: Test Administration Procedures Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados Con Links – Noviembre 2021 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, why not sample some of these past posts? Organizing Vocabulary for Communication Books: Getting Started More on Teaching Core Vocabulary Join Together Core and Fringe AAC In the Classroom: Considerations for Modeling Core Vocabulary PrAACtical Resources: Mini Communication Boards
October 11, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
To be effective in supporting students who use AAC during their high school years, professionals have to work together as a collaborative team. Today, AAC SLP Ashley Larisey is back to discuss some of the most common challenges and share solution strategies. Ashley is an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University. If you are new to this series, you might want to check out her previous posts in this series here. Be sure to see her video on this topic at the end. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Collaborative Teaming for High School Students Who Use AAC Collaborative teaming is one of the most critical components in maximizing student outcomes for learners who use AAC. However, collaboration is not always easy. Whether it be finding the time, fostering a shared vision, or meaningful implementation, teams report... [Read More...]
October 1, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
October is AAC Awareness Month, and sharing resources for AAC learning in Spanish is a wonderful way to kick things off. 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. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries. Today, Claudia shares a bit about the group that she runs called ‘International Friends.’ The post appears in both English and Spanish so that everyone can hear about the work they do. Enjoy! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Comienza octubre el mes de visibilidad y concienciación de la CAA.... [Read More...]
September 30, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Tonight we’ll be turning the page on the calendar and preparing to celebrate AAC Awareness Month! For the past decade, October has given us some extra opportunities to spread the word about all things AAC, and it’s pretty exciting to think back on all we’ve done and also to plan for the current year. Each week during AAC Awareness Month we’ll share suggestions for things to do to help others learn about a field that emerged to support children and adults with complex communication needs. This week, we’ll focus on hands-on activities. A popular approach to AAC Awareness Month is to invite a group of colleagues or families to come together and communicate only through AAC for the event. Some years, we’ve held ‘Silent Snack’ events before class where we put out a variety of board games and invited some of our AAC clients to come in and play along.... [Read More...]
September 13, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for activities that will help in teaching older students to be effective communicators with AAC? AAC SLP Ashley Larisey is back with us to share another post in the AAC in Secondary School series. Ashley is an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University. In today’s post, she shares ideas and resources for using games to support AAC learning by high school students. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Using Games to Support AAC Learning for Older Students It’s no secret that using games is a great way to increase student engagement. Games provide opportunities for language and literacy learning, personal enjoyment, social connectedness, and laughter. Games can be used to target communicative functions like requesting (I want the green piece), commenting (No way!, Me too, Get out of here!), rejecting/refusing (Not that one, Don’t like, Don’t... [Read More...]