1030 Search Results for Core
March 26, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Many of us have worked with learners who have a special interest in trains, but even kids who don’t give trains more than a passing glance still generally love the Toca Train app by Toca Boca. In this post, we welcome back SLPs Nerissa Hall and Hillary Jellison of Communicare, LLC who share how they use Toca Train in their clinical work with young AAC learners. In addition to their prAACtical suggestions, they generously share a train-themed communication board and their data sheet for the phrases that can be targeted in this activity. iPad applications are fun and engaging, and can be a great addition to any clinician’s intervention toolkit. We use iPad applications to engage our learners in play-based activities that address a range of speech, language, and communication goals. One of our learners’ favorite applications is Toca Train; a bright and colorful application that involves a train moving around a track at different speeds, controlled... [Read More...]
March 22, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Monday: Core Concepts in Core Vocabulary Instruction Tuesday: PrAACtical Questions: “What Should I Program on the AAC Device?” Wednesday: Watch It Wednesday – AAC Goes to the Library Thursday: Make It PrAACtical: Mounting Board for a Walker
March 17, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
“My client has a new SGD and will begin bringing it to school. What words should I program on it?” We are so fortunate to be practicing at a time when the high tech SGDs and robust AAC apps come pre-loaded with lots of vocabulary. Still, when you sit down to prepare the device for an actual client, it can be hard to determine what needs to be there right away and what can wait. You’ll find lots of forms and checklists floating around, some for children and some for adults. There are lots of right ways to do this. In making these decisions, I typically run through a mental checklist of a few categories, thinking both about single words and longer messages. Single Words Core Vocabulary: In most cases, we’ve selected an AAC tool that has ample core words to choose from. Use what you know about normal language development... [Read More...]
March 10, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It’s green where we live, but even our friends who’ve been battling snow and ice for far too long (!) have been seeing bits of color…IF you count the rainbows and gold-filled pots in their therapy rooms, offices, and classrooms. St. Patrick’s Day can be a fun, playful holiday to celebrate, and there are plenty of thematic materials around to build language and literacy skills. For some learners, acquiring holiday-related vocabulary. like shamrock and leprachaun, makes sense. But for most of the AAC learners with whom we work, the priorities are elsewhere. That’s one reason that I’m delighted to share Karen Natoci’s PrAACtically Reading for March. As always, Karen is incredibly generous in sharing both information and materials (such as her lesson plan and PowerPoint story). What I love most about her post, though, is that it honors the excitement and traditions of the holiday while keeping focused on the goal of building core... [Read More...]
March 9, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Vocabulary instruction and definitions generally go hand-in-hand. We’re used to creating learner-friendly definitions for the new words we teach, then using those definitions to introduce the word with focused language stimulation. In some situations, though, working with definitions is not the way to go. Here are some examples. Limited receptive skills: When we’re working with learners whose receptive vocabularies are very small, it can be impossible to define a new vocabulary term using only words that the learner already understands. Simone is a beginning communicator who is just starting to get the hang of symbolic communication. On a good day, she can pick out symbols for things that she wants to do (like play and eat) without any help at all, but following single step directions, identifying symbols, and matching them is more of a challenge. Giving her a definition for our new words, (open and big), isn’t likely to... [Read More...]
March 8, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Monday: Speaking in Core – Sentences for March Words Tuesday: Resources for A Year of Core Vocabulary – March Words Wednesday: Watch It Wednesday – AAC in Early Childhood Thursday: Growing Our Ranks – An AAC Confessional
March 5, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It’s funny where life takes you. A former student of mine was unhappy as an attorney, but found deep satisfaction in becoming an SLP. Another one enjoyed her work as an SLP, but reached even more lives by founding a company for low tech communication and literacy materials. As SLP students, we might not have considered the role that people with AAC needs would play on our caseloads. And with over 90% of school-based SLPs serving kids with autism, my guess is that many who are now supporting nonverbal or minimally verbal students had no intention of specializing in AAC. And yet, there they are: a language lifeline for students who cannot communicate effectively through speech. I am so grateful to today’s guest author, Sara Barnhill, for sharing her own experience in becoming an AAC service provider. Sara is an SLP who has has worked at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at... [Read More...]
March 1, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
Was it a busy week where you live? Here are some AAC posts you may have missed. Monday: Magic Moments with Word Clouds Tuesday: Teach Me Tuesday: TalkRocket Go by My Voice Wednesday: Video of the Week – Communication Supports for People with Rett Syndrome Thursday: Strengthening the Core: Getting Ready for March Core Vocabulary
February 19, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
The 2015 ATIA conferences was one of the strongest in recent memory, with lots of AAC presentations to choose from. As you can see, I had a blast! There was AAC in every direction, from the Town Hall Meetings, App Smackdowns, expanded poster sessions, traditional sessions, and, of course, the exhibit hall. If professional development in AAC is a priority for you, be sure to put the 2016 conference (in Orlando) on your radar for February 2-6, 2016. In the meantime, here are some of the handouts to whet your appetite. Lori Wise and Marlene Sotelo’s terrific talk on using iPads to build social engagement with people who have ASD along with their app lists here and here was one of my favorite presentations of the conference. [Note: Their handouts are hosted on the ATIA conference site and may only be available for a limited time. Grab them while you can!] Gretchen... [Read More...]
February 17, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
We are so pleased to have SLP Karen Natoci back with the second edition of PrAACtically Reading. You can see her first post here. I love that this lesson focuses on older students, providing an age respectful activity (who else loves Mad Libs?!) and a prAACtical way for students with lower verbal skills to develop their reading abilities. Writing to Read: Mad Lib, Core Words, and Literacy Instruction Core Vocabulary focus: like, dislike, uh-oh, again Sometimes it is fun to just write our own BIG BOOK and this month, we decided to do that by using a simplified “mad libs” format. Honestly, I’m not sure who had more fun, the teachers, the student authors or myself! I was inspired by the work of Gretchen Hanser. I attended her workshop on writing at Oakland Schools (MI) in the fall of 2013. She showed us that all students develop writing and experience... [Read More...]