355 Search Results for assessment
January 9, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
We’re so pleased to welcome PrAACtical AAC contributor Vicki Clarke back to these pages. While you may remember Vicki from her outstanding AAC Assessment Corner posts, her most recent efforts focus on strengthening our AAC practices. Throughout the series, Vicki draws on her experiences supporting AAC users and teams in clinical and school settings and shares prAACtical information that we can all learn from Introduction to AAC 101 Steps to Learning It is no small task to consider how we will help our students progress from communicating only through behaviors to communicating any message they desire independently and spontaneously. In fact, in 1997, Gloria Soto conducted survey research that tells us: Teachers have always believed that communication training for students is positive, and Communication training is a collaborative effort between teachers and SLPs, Despite these beliefs, there is still a prevalent hesitancy to begin to explicitly instruct students in AAC.... [Read More...]
December 26, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
As we prepare to say goodbye to December and welcome the New Year, let’s revisit some of the most popular posts of 2022. PrAACtical Goals That Matter How I Do It: Writing IEP Goals for Students Who Use AAC with Lauren Enders AAC Assessment Forms How I Do It: Using PODD books and Aided Language Displays with Young Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder How I Do It: Planning AAC Therapy Activities Across Grade Levels Building Your AAC SLP Toolkit: Obtaining Free Apps for AAC Evaluations The First 12: Getting Started with Core Vocabulary Teaching Core Vocabulary Literacy for Everyone with Adapted Books A Year of Core Vocabulary Words Communication Boards: Colorful Considerations School Year of Core Vocabulary Words: AAC Resources for Month 1 (August) by Michaela Sullivan, Alisa Lego, & Beth Lytle Make It Monday: Manual Communication Boards with Core Vocabulary Do you have a favorite that didn’t make the... [Read More...]
December 12, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
If you’ve been following along in our PrAACtical Questions series, you know that we’ve been contemplating the role that symbols play in AAC decision-making. Previously, we addressed: “How can we make data-based decisions about AAC symbols?” “How important is symbol selection in choosing AAC devices/apps?” and, “What symbols are used in AAC apps & SGDs?” If you’ve followed this series, you know that we’ve advocated an individualized approach to determining which type of symbol to use for AAC. Informal assessment tasks, such as the ones we discussed in a past post, can be helpful in gathering data to use in making this decision. Today, we’re exploring additional factors to consider in symbol selection. When there doesn’t seem to be a clear preference and/or when the performance is similar across symbol types, we turn to some other factors that are worth considering as you make your selection. AAC User Perspective A... [Read More...]
December 5, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Data isn’t the only thing we use in AAC decision-making, but it’s a good-sized slice of the pie. Those using the feature match approach to AAC device/app selection, a gold standard for several decades, use direct assessment procedures to guide the selection of AAC devices and apps based on the features they contain. The symbol set(s) or systems(s) available in each AAC tool is one of the features that we consider. In this post, we share some of the assessment tasks that can be used to gain insight into how individuals do with different types of AAC symbols. In each one, the task is repeated with a specific type of symbol, so that we can make an apples-to-apples comparison. This part of the assessment is time-consuming and generally done over multiple sessions. These are drawn from the work of the later Dr. David Beukelman, and his co-authors, Dr. Pat Mirenda... [Read More...]
November 28, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
They are often the first thing we notice in looking at a new AAC app or device. Are they realistic or minimalist? Overly juvenile or age respectful? Dull or appealing? Transparent, translucent, or opaque? Familiar or novel? AAC symbols are among the many things that AAC practitioners have to think about when supporting people with significant communication challenges. Symbols are not the sexiest part of our AAC tools yet they play a critical role. Decisions about how to represent language should be made thoughtfully and with some data to justify our conclusions. Symbol Sets vs Symbol Systems Most AAC symbols are part of a set or collection. There are conventions for things like how movement is represented or how people are depicted, but there aren’t explicit rules governing how symbols are created. Symbol systems, on the other hand, do have concrete rules for how they are developed and used. In... [Read More...]
October 19, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
When considering which AAC apps to trial as part of the feature match process for SGD assessment, it’s helpful to do some side-by-side comparisons. The team at the Simon Technology Center, which is affiliated with the Pacer Center, recorded a webinar on this topic that might be of interest, Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ4u6vKxJN8&ab_channel=SimonPacer —
October 6, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Telling stories is such an integral part of the human experience. While any symbolic communicator can create or co-create narratives, it’s not something that is taught as often as it should be. If you’re looking to enhance intervention to build narrative skills, these posts may be of interest. Helping People with AAC Needs Develop Personal Narratives Video: Personal Narrative Writing & AAC PrAACtical AAC & Personal Narratives Let Me Tell You Something- Narratives for the Beginning Communicator Narrative Assessment and People who Use AAC Narrative Skills for People With AAC Needs The PrAACtical Power of Co-Construction in AAC Support Video: Narrative Skills in Students with ASD
September 8, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
When working with people who are in the early stages of communicative development, there is a lot to think about. 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
August 31, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
If you work with individuals at the earliest stages of communicative development, the Communication Matrix can be a powerful addition to your AAC toolbox. It’s been more than a decade since we first wrote about this wonderful tool and it has been exciting to see its evolution. In today’s featured video, we learn about this from Deirdre Galvin-McLaughlin who first presented this session as part of the University of Central Florida’s Echo AAC for Adults initiative. Many thanks to Deirdre and the fine team at UCF School of Communication Sciences and Disorders for creating and sharing this helpful presentation. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8_XlZDxTqw&ab_channel=UCFAACCollaborative
August 10, 2022
by Carole Zangari -
Despite the large number of AAC devices and apps available for people with complex communication needs, there are only a handful of different approaches to organizing words and messages. Understanding the difference, advantages, and disadvantages of each is a critical part of doing a good assessment and making appropriate AAC recommendations. Today, we feature a presentation on this topic by AAC/AT experts Beth Poss and Kelly Fonner. Originally offered as part of the AAC in the Cloud Conference, hosted by CoughDrop, this is a helpful video that you won’t want to miss. Many thanks to Beth and Kelly for sharing their expertise and experience, and to the fine team at CoughDrop for making this archived presentation available. You can obtain the handout for the session here. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef57eYip318&ab_channel=CoughDrop