130 Search Results for isaac
March 12, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Lauren Enders, an amazing AAC SLP from Pennsylvania, graciously shared this list of professional development opportunities that may be of interest. Lauren works as an Augmentative Communication/Assistive Technology Consultant for Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22. In the list below, she shares resources for AAC learning in both online and face-to-face formats. Enjoy! You can see more of Lauren’s guest posts here. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS FOR AAC IMPLEMENTATION ONLINE SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING OPTIONS: Power AAC modules: a FREE training series developed by The Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)with Gail Van Tatenhove, CCC-SLP. This series of brief modules can be used for professional development by individuals or groups who are supporting students with complex communication needs and who need or use AAC. The POWER AAC modules are intended to build the capacity of school personnel to improve communication skills and provide flexible, generative vocabulary for students who need or use AAC. AAC Institute... [Read More...]
February 19, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Today we are excited to share a wonderful collection of articles that help to expand the theoretical underpinnings and empirical knowledge base in AAC. The Augmentative and Alternative Communication journal is providing free access to six articles that are part of an ongoing international collaboration of researchers and clinicians in 16 nations. You can access articles from this project, entitled “Becoming an Aided Communicator: Aided Language Skills in Children aged 5–15 years: A Multi-site and Cross-cultural Investigation,” below. Kudos to the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) and the journal co-editors (Drs. Martine Smith and Bronwyn Hemsley) and Dr. von Tetzchner for making this special issue so widely available. We hope you enjoy reading Aided Language Processes, Development, and Use: An International Perspective.
February 7, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
How can we help people who use AAC to develop their leadership skills? One way is to give them models of successful leaders who use augmentative communication technology. In today’s post, we hear from India Ochs, an attorney and advocate who uses AAC, and her son, Jack. They talk about the ways that each of us can become leaders in everyday situations and offer suggestions for how to inspire others to lead. The presentation is part of the ISAAC webinar series. You can learn more about ISAAC here. Enjoy! Many thanks to ISAAC for hosting this session and making it available for us to learn from. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a2PmKq_qKk
December 9, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
I’m honored to have AAC pioneer Dr. Sarah Blackstone join us today for a guest post that highlights the work that is being done by the US chapter of the International AAC Society (ISAAC). The US chapter, known as USSAAC, has a long-standing commitment to supporting the AAC community in times of national disaster. Dr. Blackstone is both a past president of ISAAC and a founding member of USSAAC. She has authored many AAC-related texts and articles and is a partner emerita of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement. She has served the AAC community with distinction, having been granted honors and awards by ASHA, ISAAC, USSAAC, and other organizations. Dr. Blackstone previously practiced at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, and in a private practice that serving children with AAC needs. Currently, Dr. Blackstone is on USSAAC’s Board of Directors. She and Harvey Pressman co-chair USSAAC’s AAC Disaster... [Read More...]
November 29, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Visual difficulties are common in individuals who use AAC, and few of us know more than ‘the basics’ of vision impairment. If you work with individuals with cortical visual impairment (CVI), this post may influence your selection of AAC and learning materials, how you present them, and much more. In today’s featured video, Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy provides a detailed explanation of CVI with a focus on how it impacts our AAC learners. Many thanks to USSAAC and ISAAC for hosting this helpful presentation. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE23MGY87PQ&feature=youtu.be You can hear more from Dr. Roman-Lantzy here.
November 22, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
There is no doubt that people with AAC needs are incredibly vulnerable in emergency and crime-related situations. In today’s featured video, SLPs Sarah Mankey and Mariesa Rang discuss ways they address this issue proactively and provided free training to firefighters and law enforcement officers in their community. In addition to introducing them to basic concepts in AAC, first responders learned how to communicate with people who use AAC and worked through real-life scenarios. Kudos to these professionals for this important work and to USSAAC and ISAAC for making this video available. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wuZGcyt-EY
October 19, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
She’s bAACk! We couldn’t be happier to have another guest post on AAC assessment practices from Vicki Clarke of Dynamic Therapy Associates. In today’s post, she shares her tips and experiences for applying the SETT Framework to AAC assessment. If you are looking for information about how AACtual SLPs conduct their evaluations, Vicki’s posts are just what you need. You can view her previous contributions to the AAC Assessment Corner here. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Ready, SETT, AAC Evaluate! Last week I had the pleasure of joining the AAC After Work online conference hosted by Yapp Guru University. Jenna Coyer and I presented a session chatting about AAC assessment in emergent communicators. As we have worked to define our process for evaluation, we found ourselves repeatedly returning to the same approach our Assistive Technology teams use—the SETT Framework. The SETT Framework was developed by Joy Zabala as a process for making decisions about... [Read More...]
October 16, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
It’s not too late to celebrate the contributions of AAC or help build awareness of the field. In fact, we’re just getting started! If you are just joining this party, you might want to take a look at the resources in these posts. Week 1: Hands-on Activities Week 2: AAC Printables & Downloads In this third week, we’re turning inward and sharing ideas for how we can each grow our own skills for supporting people with AAC needs. Register for AAC-Everyone has a Voice! From Disability Rights NJ and ATAC Follow the USSAAC Webinar Series. On October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. ET Dr. Yoosun Chung will moderate a panel on Celebrating AAC Awareness Month. Podcasts are a great way to squeeze in some professional development, so consider listening to some AAC-related content while you exercise, drive, or just enjoy a cup of tea. Listen Up! AAC-related Podcasts Learn by Listening... [Read More...]
October 12, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
What better way to start the day than to see how AAC Awareness Month is being celebrated in a school system?! Today, pediatric SLP Elisa Parker tells us how they do it in the school district where she works. For the past 20 years, Elisa has served young children in the Park Hill School District in Kansas City, Missouri. Her passion for AAC and children with autism led to her becoming an Autism Coach and Assistive Technology Facilitator. She has been an Autism Coach for the Gerner Family Early Education Center for 7 years and the Assistive Technology Facilitator for 3 years. Elisa consults with and provides AAC training for teachers and support staff of young students who use AAC and has also coached teams at the K-12 level. ============================ Celebrating October – AAC Awareness Month There are so many hardworking staff members I work with who implement AAC in their classrooms... [Read More...]
October 8, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Have you been having some AAC Awareness Month fun? Let’s keep it going! Monday – AAC Awareness Month, Week 1: Hands-on Activities Wednesday – Video of the Week: The Power of Core Thursday – How We Do It: Developing & Implementing a District-wide Focus on Communication and Core Vocabulary (Part 2) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: If you’re in the mood to browse around the AAC universe a bit more, here are some posts to explore. They each link to handouts from AAC-related presentations by various researchers and practitioners. Core Vocabulary Implementation AAC and Literacy The World’s AAC Conference AAC Implementation AAC in the Classroom