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October 27, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
There has been a wonderful shift over the last few years highlighting an important foundational concept in supporting people who use AAC: Communication serves to connect us. Although in writing goals and planning therapy/instruction, we focus on component skills like communicating for a range of different purposes and expanding vocabulary, we can never lose sight of the role that AAC can play in helping build connections between people. In today’s featured video, Heather Prenovost and Brittany Toney remind us of that as discuss ways to support AAC learning in informal conversations designed for people to get to know each other. You can download their interactive background slide with clickable links here. Here are links to other resources mentioned in the recording: Manual Communication Board, Organization Tool, Reference Sheet Many thanks to Heather, Brittany, and PRC Saltillo for creating and sharing this helpful video. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-VBMcXAp3g&ab_channel=Saltillo
October 21, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Preparing graduate students to become effective clinicians for individuals with complex communication needs goes beyond classroom and clinical experiences. Future clinicians also have to learn how to advocate: for their client, for themselves, for their profession, and for the AAC field. Today, Clinical Associate Professor and SLP Krista Davidson, returns to share more about the teaching pre-professionals in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at the University of Iowa about AAC Awareness Month. Growing AAC Professionals: AAC Awareness Month I love October! Not only is autumn my favorite season, but it’s also the month we celebrate AAC (although if you’re reading this, and you’re like me, you probably celebrate AAC all year long). Each October I ask my clinical team of students to complete a project in honor of AAC Awareness Month. In the past, they have created educational videos, infographics to share around our building and on social media, and... [Read More...]
October 20, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
“The lack of connection is by far the most difficult part of having a communication disability.” It is hard to overstate the value of learning from people who use AAC. Today, we are pleased to share an archived webinar from USSAAC and ISAAC featuring Lance McLemore, who began using AAC as a young adult. In this video, Lance shares his story and provides a unique perspective that is important for AAC service providers to hear. You can access the handout for this session here. Many thanks to USSAAC, ISAAC, and the presenters for making this important information available to all. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGdvWG1ySVI&t=10s&ab_channel=InternationalSocietyforAugmentativeandAlternativeCommunication%28ISAAC%29
October 18, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Goal writing is a challenging topic even for veteran AAC service providers. Today, we continue the AAC Goal Writing series guest authored by AAC and AT expert, Lauren Enders, who works as an AAC/AT Consultant for Bucks County Intermediate Unit in eastern Pennsylvania. A frequent presenter at local, regional, and national conferences, Lauren uses her knowledge to support families and professionals alike. In this post, she provides suggestions for addressing some of the most common challenges in writing AAC goals and objectives. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: FIVE COMMON AAC GOAL WRITING CHALLENGES In the inaugural post of this series, you learned that if you feel intimidated by the process of writing goals and objectives for AAC learners, you are not alone. AAC goal writing can be intimidating. The good news is that with guidance, resources, tools, and practice, AAC goal writing gets easier. In this post, we’ll examine common AAC goal writing... [Read More...]
October 13, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
In celebration of AAC Awareness Month and all those who communicate with the help of AAC, we’re pleased to feature a new video that is being released today. This Is Not About Me is the story of Jordyn Zimmerman, a college student with autism who uses AAC. While we’re only able to share a short snippet, we hope that it entices you to rent the full-length version to view. All proceeds go to Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN), CommunicationFIRST, and Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism. Don’t miss this one, AAC friends. Direct Link to Video – https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thisisnotaboutme
October 11, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
To be effective in supporting students who use AAC during their high school years, professionals have to work together as a collaborative team. Today, AAC SLP Ashley Larisey is back to discuss some of the most common challenges and share solution strategies. Ashley is an SLP at Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor and Instructor at Saint Xavier University. If you are new to this series, you might want to check out her previous posts in this series here. Be sure to see her video on this topic at the end. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Collaborative Teaming for High School Students Who Use AAC Collaborative teaming is one of the most critical components in maximizing student outcomes for learners who use AAC. However, collaboration is not always easy. Whether it be finding the time, fostering a shared vision, or meaningful implementation, teams report... [Read More...]
September 30, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Tonight we’ll be turning the page on the calendar and preparing to celebrate AAC Awareness Month! For the past decade, October has given us some extra opportunities 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.... [Read More...]
September 23, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been talking about the concept of Fair Testing Practices and how that might apply to people who use AAC. If you missed those posts, you can check them out using the links below. Introduction to Fair Testing Practices in AAC AAC Fair Testing Practices: Preparation In today’s post, we consider how students will respond to a number of testing situations. Teams can explore each of the topics listed below, brainstorm possible solutions, and work together to make decisions about how the student will respond with forced-choice questions, open-ended questions, and test items that require physical manipulation of test materials. Topic 4: How will the student answer forced-choice questions, such as true/false or multiple-choice questions? Many AAC users can answer these types of questions the same way that their speaking peers do. Adjustments may be needed for individuals with fine motor difficulties, such as... [Read More...]
September 22, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
Students who use AAC often need a good deal of support to develop their language skills and be able to communicate complex thoughts and ideas. In today’s featured video, we head to PRC Saltillo to learn from SLP Elyse Pycraft, who shares information that will be helpful to clinicians and therapists who support speaking, reading, and writing. Many thanks to Elyse and the team at PRC Saltillo for this helpful video. Direct Link to Video – https://www.prentrom.com/assets/articulate/Teaching_Lang_in_the_Classroom/index.html#/lessons/p3AcdbUD4V0zuGfoo0lauuUrsHRUgLP3
September 15, 2021
by Carole Zangari -
How can we support individuals who are literate and prefer a text-based communication app? In today’s video, we travel to Minnesota to learn from AT Specialists Terri Rosen and Elizabeth Barry from the Simon Technology Center at the Pacer Center. In this archived webinar, they discuss important aspects of text-based communication and review a number of helpful AAC apps. You can obtain the slide handout here and a supplemental resource document here. Many thanks to Terri, Elizabeth, and the Simon Technology Center for making this video available. Enjoy! Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LEUNQk5cuo&ab_channel=SimonPacer!