November 20, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, we’re getting ready for Turkey Day. If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, these resources may be of interest. Activities & Materials Sweet Potato Pie Poem by Bloom PCS SymbolStix Regular Turkey Waffle No-Bake Thanksgiving Activity by Preschool Speechie Plus Thanksgiving Book by Speech Brain Build a Scarecrow by Speechie Adventures Thanksgiving Questions by Amy O Speech Language Pathologist Peppa Gives Thanks Adapted by Meredith Rus from Weave Chat Thanksgiving Lunchbox Note Jokes by Southern Mom Loves Thanksgiving Wh- Question Board Game by Speech Time Fun Roll a Turkey Game by Unoriginal Mom Communication Boards/Materials Thanksgiving Dinner Table Tent by AAC for ALL Thanksgiving AAC Communication Board by Just SLPeachy Thanksgiving Communication Board by Adventures in Behavior Thanksgiving Communication Board by Breezy Special Ed Thanksgiving Picture Core Word and Communication Board by Susan Berkowitz
November 5, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We have some posts for you. Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Lived Experience of Ömer Güney Thursday – November Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links – Noviembre 2023 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 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 9, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Established in 2007 by ISAAC’s LEAD Committee, AAC Awareness month invites us 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. They enjoyed serving as our AAC Ambassadors, meeting new people, and ‘wow-ing’ the crowd with... [Read More...]
September 16, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
About This Week Welcome to Week 3 of your Stepping into AAC journey! This week will get us thinking about how words are symbolized, what kinds of words should be on AAC systems, and other foundational information. We will explore the following concepts this week: Why Use Symbols for AAC? Gain an understanding of symbolic communication and issues related to using picture symbols in AAC systems. Balancing Core and Fringe Vocabulary: Learn about different types of words that AAC learners need access to and the role of each. Navigating AAC: Build your knowledge of the logic in the design of communication boards, AAC apps, and speech-generating devices. AACtion Steps Week 3 AACtion Steps Signposts Link to References Gayl Porter & Linda Burkhart, 2010 – Limitations of Using a Representational Hierarchy Get the Handout Balancing Core & Fringe Get the Handout Navigating AAC- 3 Things to Know Travelog Week 3 Travelog... [Read More...]
September 7, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
We are excited to continue our series on multilingual AAC support, guest-authored by BilingüeAAC. In today’s post, one member of the team, Melissa Tapia, addresses ways to use specific instructional materials with bilingual individuals. BilingüeAAC is a group of SLPs with a shared belief in providing evidence-based intervention strategies and resources to bilingual Spanish AAC clients, families, caregivers, and professionals. Inclusive Practices Using Tell Me Program & Other Materials How can we effectively conduct inclusive practices in our work settings? What are some approaches or materials that we can use to integrate the culture of the home and community? Why are inclusive practices essential for the success of our students/clients? These are fundamental reflective questions I have found to guide me in collaborative therapy and lead to better participation with and from my clients and their caregivers. We are Bilingue AAC, and we are here to provide helpful tools to... [Read More...]
August 28, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
About Week 1 Welcome to Week 1 of your Stepping into AAC journey! You’ll begin this week by selecting a starter AAC tool for your learner. The resources below include a stepwise guide to help you choose one. You will need this for hands-on activities during each week of your Stepping Into AAC journey. If you already have an AAC tool with core vocabulary words, such as a speech-generating device, AAC app, or communication book, you can skip this step and use that tool instead. With your AAC tool ready, you’ll work through the following concepts this week: The 20 weeks of your Stepping Into AAC journey cover a lot of territory. The graphic below shows the major topics and themes covered in each week of the program and the focus of the hands-on activities, videos, and newsletter resources. Introduction to 100 Days of AAC Choosing an AAC Tool Get... [Read More...]
August 28, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
This table of contents has clickable links to help you navigate through various resources included in Stepping into AAC. You can view and download a PDF version with clickable links using the image or button below. Table of Contents Communication Boards Stepping into AAC requires the use of a communication board with target core vocabulary and/or the use of an AAC device or app that contains these words. If you do not already have access to one of these AAC tools, you will be guided to select one of the communication boards that appear in this section. We are grateful to the AAC organizations listed below for their collegiality in granting us permission to use these communication boards. Information on how to select a communication board is provided in Week 1. AssistiveWare Proloquo Core Board Proloquo2Go Core Board Proloquo Board Customization Template Proloquo2Go Board Customization Template Project Core Project Core... [Read More...]
August 27, 2023
by Carole Zangari -
Welcome to Stepping into AAC ! Stepping into AAC is a collaborative project created by PrAACtical AAC and the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) that focuses on supporting families who want to integrate AAC into their lives. There are 20 weeks of Stepping into AAC materials, which are intended to provide simple, week-by-week resources to help families support beginning communicators of all ages. Each week, there are easy hands-on activities, videos and companion handouts, and a newsletter to learn from. Thanks to the generous support of the ASF, these materials are available at no charge. Stepping into AAC is designed for families that include: Children, adolescents, and adults who are new to AAC and would benefit from using communication aids with high-frequency words or core vocabulary; and Individuals of any age who previously used AAC but are not currently communicating with it throughout the day. We hope that Stepping into AAC... [Read More...]
April 7, 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, she partners with Rita María Aceituno in focusing on the AAC support provided to Guatemalan children with Down Syndrome by Fundación Margarita Tejada. Enjoy the post, and remember to scroll to the bottom to add your link and see what others... [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...]