Let’s Go Outside! Five PrAACtical Ideas

It’s spring where we live and that means that many of our prAACtical friends are itching to get outdoors. Whether we’re going for a walk, checking out a park, and lingering on the playground there are plenty of activities that provide a good excuse for some AAC practice that’s functional and fun.

Here are a few ideas for things to model (using aided language input, if you’re with a beginning communicators) and elicit. Keep in mind that some AAC learners will benefit from additional support to help them generalize skills used well in therapy rooms and classrooms to the great outdoors.

1. Where should we go? Making choices and giving directions for specific locations using core and fringe words (e.g., go there, on swings, under tree)
2. How should we move? Good opportunity to to practice verbs and descriptors (e.g., go, jump, walk, fast, slow, big, little).
3. Practice or introduce higher level vocabulary: Lots of great ways to introduce Tier 2 words and their meanings in context (e.g., Let’s collect some pinecones. Collect means to get and keep something.). If the client is already learning academic vocabulary, try to elicit some of the words they know but rarely use (e.g., Should we get more, or is this sufficient?). Pull out those vocabulary lists from worksheets/homework and give them some fresh air!
4. Get emotional: Use a broader range of words to describe feelings and emotions. Being outside offers opportunities to go beyond the basics and practice words like calm, excited, and joyful.
5. Make predictions and inferences: Being outdoors offers lots of opportunities to observe, think, and discuss (e.g., What might happen if we walk in front of those swing? How do you know it rained last night? Why do you think she is crying?)

What are you and your prAACtical friends talking about when you go outside?