What Went Well
We love writing posts about AAC topics, but we also love hearing about the AAC experiences of SLPs, both experienced and new to the field. In honor of 
AAC Awareness Month, we thought it would be fun to reach out to you and find out what is happening in your part of the world.
Today, we’re asking our PrAACtical AAC friends to comment below to tell us about a positive AAC-related experience that you’ve had recently. It could be learning about a new SGD, an experience with a client, a webinar you attended, working with a family or colleague, of anything else related to AAC. We’re calling it ‘What Went Well.’ We’d love it if you took a moment or two to share your WWW news below.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
This post was written by Carole Zangari
9 Comments
I had two new high school students this year who arrived in my classroom with iPads and Proloquo2Go. In “theory” I knew what to do, but finding PrAACtical AAC has actually helped me implement the use of the AAC in my classroom and engage my students in lessons and communicating with classmates. My paraeducators and I all know how to program the devices and are now trying to figure out how to best model language using devices with our students. Thank you for your incredible resource. I look forward to your posts everyday!
Megan, it sounds like your leadership is paying off in spades. We are all a work in progress, but as long as we keep challenging ourselves to learn and try new things (even when it feels uncomfortable) then the kids will benefit. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and share a bit about your journey.
Hey today, I caught our PT using aided language stimulation, with one of our nonverbal 3 year olds! They were playing Mr. Potato Head and I had printed and laminated a board I got through Practical AAC. Our little friend was attending to the pics and playing appropriately !! But best was that the staff member implemented this strategy!!
Whoo hoo, Mary Beth! What an awesome story. That clapping you hear is us cheering you on. 🙂 Tanna’s Mr. Potato Head post is one of my favorites.
Yesterday, I visited a middle school SID/PID class for the first time this year to meet a teacher and SLP to discuss AAC ideas for their class. For one girl with a bright affect and signficant spastic-like physical impairments, we tossed around ideas for switch placement for cause/effect activities around her wheelchair.
On a whim, we decided to try simple partner-assisted scanning to make a choice between 2 favored activities. Though not entirely clear if the switch hit for music was purposeful, I sang an old English lullaby for her nonetheless. She just stared after its conclusion. Since we knew she loved music, we gave her the choice of my singing again or listening to the latest hit from teen country star, Hunter Hayes.
It was an immediate switch hit for Hunter Hayes followed by a big smile and what looked like an attempt at a head nod! Coincidental … perhaps they said, but I am betting not! The experience did give her teachers something new to try with her! Though I could be wracked with disappointment that my lullaby was not a smash, I was pleased to listen to country music several times that afternoon!
Jennifer, that is so cool! Sounds like this kid really ‘gets it’ and will probably get faster and more fluent as time goes by. ‘Coincidence?’ I wouldn’t blame this young lady if she was itching to prove them wrong. One of my favorite sayings: ‘Success is the best revenge.’ So glad you took the time to share this with us. 🙂
Today I spent 15 minutes programming holidays, and Halloween vocabulary into one of my student’s devices. When I stopped by her classroom later on in the day, I asked if I had shown staff where the new vocabulary was located. I learned they had been practicing using it for the last 10 minutes! I can’t wait to see her, and all my other kiddos use their AAC to trick or treat at my office and around the school tomorrow!
I use AAC with a variety of populations. One 10 year old no communicative child with cerebral palsy had never used an AAC, but after learning a low tech picture word board, he began to speak. More complex language and an increase in vocabulary have been mastered using the iPad apps. He is beginning to use both the touch screen (using his thumb)and limited speech to function in a school setting. All other cognitive area have improved as well. He is currently using CommunicAide AAC Pro for iPad. I can upload new vocabulary that is personalized for his environment and age.
Love hearing about breakthroughs! Thanks for sharing that, Betsy.