April 14, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts you might enjoy. Monday – Building Awareness of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Talking Mats in School Settings Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Earth Day Resources :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you are looking to do some book-related AAC teaching this week, check out some of Karen Natoci’s popular literacy-focused posts from the archives. PraAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci It’s Okay To Be Different I Like Myself Yo! Yes? The Family Book Hello Baby The Five Senses Are You My Mother? Over on the Farm (with Karen Baca)
March 28, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
As March draws to a close, we extend our welcome to guest authors Michaela Sullivan and Lindsay Dougherty, who are back with another set of core vocabulary resources for teaching older students. Today, this dynamic team has a rich array of materials and suggestions to help them build fluency with the April core vocabulary words. They also discuss how to support AAC users during a popular classroom activity, shared reading. SCHOOL YEAR OF CORE- Older Student Lessons The Google Slide Resources Weeks 1-2 Google Slides Weeks 3-4 Google Slides INTRODUCTION- April 2024 Welcome back to the School Year of Core – Older student lessons for middle school to adult learners. How are things going? How are the resources working for you and your learners? We would love your feedback and your ideas. If you have any slides that you find work especially well for your students and adult learners, please... [Read More...]
March 1, 2024
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. In today’s post, Claudia introduces us to the Bright Ideas conference offered completely in Spanish. Take a look at the information, and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to add your link and see what others are sharing. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Comenzamos Marzo... [Read More...]
January 14, 2024
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts for you to check out. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Fun with Core Vocabulary Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC-friendly Resources for Martin Luther King Jr Day ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Before you go, take a look at some of these past posts from the AACtual Therapy series. AAC, Literacy, & Squishy Books Making Core Words Fun for Students with Autism AAC Intervention for Beginning Communicators: Presume Competence and Be the Fun Building Language and Emergent Literacy Skills with ‘Do You Wear Diapers?’ Informal Assessment Activity with Jeanne Tuthill
December 17, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts you might enjoy. Monday – Cultural-Linguistic AAC: Bilingual Literacy & AAC Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Collaborating on AAC-friendly Healthcare Information Thursday – Throwback Thursday: AAC & Peer Relationships ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you can squeeze in a few more, take a look at some of these posts from the archives. PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: Hello, Holidays! How We Do It: Using AAC to Repair Communication Breakdowns Data Collection for the Beginning AAC User: Essential Things to Measure AAC & ASD: Beyond Scripting More Words, Please! Expanding Our Manual Communication Boards Activity Schedule AACtion Wishing all of you the magic of the season!
November 19, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts that you might enjoy. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Executive Function and AAC Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Teaming & AAC ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, check out some of these previously published posts. 5 Ways to Tell If Your Students are Becoming Competent Communicators A Look at PODD Books Using Visual Supports to Bring Music Alive Supports for When Modeling AAC is Hard AACtual Therapy: Use Your Best Spud to Teach Vocabulary With Tanna Neufeld The Critical Nature of Literacy in AAC
November 3, 2023
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 focuses on some of the AAC Awareness Month activities held in Spanish-speaking areas, including two recorded video presentations. Take a look at the information, and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to add your link and see what others... [Read More...]
September 24, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Monday – Mobility for People Who Use AAC: Remembering Christine Wright-Ott Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Structured Literacy Support for AAC Learners Thursday – Throwback Thursday: Do It Yourself AAC Materials :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: In the mood for some more AAC exploration? Here are a few suggestions. Building AAC Awareness: Using AAC to Express a Range of Functions From Activity-based AAC to Robust Language: Part 1 From Activity-based AAC to Robust Language: Part 2 Social Stories and Narratives PrAACtically Reading with Karen Natoci: Apples Have a great week, everyone!
September 16, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
About This Week Welcome to Week 13 of your Stepping into AAC journey! Literacy is critically important to all AAC users, and they can all improve their skills in this area. This week, we do a deep dive into how to support reading in AAC learners. You will explore the following concepts this week: AACtion Steps Week 13 AACtion Steps Signposts Get the Handout Reading with AAC Travelog Week 13 Travelog Print the Week Want all of the resources shared in this week of Stepping into AAC? Download the entire digital bundle by clicking the download button below.
August 31, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
There is a lot to consider when working with people who are in the early stages of communicative development. If you are planning an assessment, preparing for therapy or instruction, or otherwise supporting an emergent communicator, these past posts may be of interest. Recommended Practices for Beginning Communicators Using Symbols with Beginning Communicators Getting Started with AAC Helping Beginning Communicators Expand Their Sentences A PrAACtical Literacy Activity for Beginning Communicators Beginning Communicators: Learning Through Touch Cues The Role of Meaning Making with Beginning Communicators: Motivating Interactions Influencing People’s Perception of Beginning AAC Users: 3 Things to Try