October 8, 2012
by Robin Parker -
It is National Fire Protection Week October 7-13, 2012. Check Out These 5 Great Tips, Tricks, and Teaching Ideas: Sensory Breaks & Learning Activities Firefighters are being Educated in Auburn On-Line Fire Safety Games for Kids How To Teach and Present Information, Lesson Plans, and Visual Supports for children and adults with Intellectual Disabilities For Teachers and SLPS
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC Strategies, Fire Safety, resources, teachers, visual supports
October 3, 2012
by Robin Parker -
Behavior challenges tend to be a major concern of speech-language pathologists, parents, and educators alike. It is the area that is often most nerve wracking for many professionals and families. But once you get a set of strategies that help you have a plan, most challenging behaviors can be reduced. We like to think of challenging behaviors as opportunities 1: for the learner to practice understanding or expression of communication and language and 2: for facilitators/educators to use behavior strategies or learn new ones. So in order to be best prepared for challenging behaviors, start a Communication-Behavior Strategy Tool Kit. Here some powerful tools that will help ALL learners. 3 Power Tools for Communication & Behavior Choice Boards- helps give a learner power but under our guidelines and boundaries. With choice boards, a student learns more communication while having less power struggles/behavior challenges. Opportunity to teach choice making, expression... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC Strategies, Challenging Behavior, choice boards, first-then board, signs, visual supports
September 2, 2012
by Robin Parker -
We have recently been surprised (ok, shocked) by the absence of communication supports in educational settings that are supposed to be supporting learners with significant communication challenges. To be even more specific and blunt, the students do not have functional spoken speech. They can’t speak to let you know: what they need, what they don’t need or want, how they feel, what they see, what interests them, what questions they have, what they like and don’t like, when they really reallywant something, etc., etc. etc. And, trust us, they do need to say all of these things. If you work with anyone who does not use spoken speech and we mean ANYONE, they deserve the basic right to communicate with you. Our PrAACtical AAC Absolute A’s: AAC displays need to be accessible ALLOVER. There is no special ‘communication time.’ Communication teaching is ALL the time in authentic situations.... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC Strategies
April 19, 2012
by Robin Parker -
We have many students who are getting older. It’s a time many of our families are looking at transition steps. Some families are interested in employment opportunities, others in having their now adult children live outside the home with a little or a lot of support, and others just wish there was a place for them to go after school ends. . It is difficult finding quality options. Even if there are options, it seems ‘they’ want the ‘easy’ people. (disclaimer: Now I move from the ‘we’ into the ‘me’ since Carole has been on vacation and I have been dealing with some ‘crap’ and don’t want to speak for Carole since I am hoping she is relaxed and positive). So here goes…. I could argue now that there are no ‘easy’ people. I could rant now because it has been one of those days where not a lot has... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AAC Strategies, aac systems, employment, positive behavioral supports, Positive Feedback, visual supports