Tag Archive: ASD
April 2, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Happy World Autism Day! April has evolved from the original concept of raising awareness to include much more, but it still gives us an opportunity to learn, improve, and celebrate. Why learn more about working with people who have autism? There are lots of reasons, but here’s one for my fellow SLPs. If you are a school-based clinician, there is an excellent chance that you have these students on your caseload. According to the 2014 SLP Schools Survey Caseload Report, 90% of the school SLPs serve kids with ASD. Whether you are a teacher, therapist, family member, paraprofessional or just a curious person, understanding more about autism, especially from people WITH autism, will be an enriching experience. Whether you #LightItUpBlue or choose to #WalkInRed with #RedInstead, let’s renew our efforts to provide better communication supports to people with autism. Today, we share some ideas both for increasing our own understanding of... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ASD, Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month
April 1, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Around the world, people are celebrating Easter and Passover. May the holiday bring a sense of renewal to your spirit and peace to your heart. For some of us, the reflection and celebration come with a big dose of AAC! Monday – PrAACtically April: AAC Resources for A Year of Core Words Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Pivotal Response Treatment Thursday – PrAACtical Resources: AAC for School Staff :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Today is also the start of Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. We’ll post more about that tomorrow, but here are some autism-related posts to get you in the mood to celebrate those around us who have autism. Building Engagement in Young Students with Autism AACtual Therapy: Making Core Words Fun for Students with Autism Autism and AAC: 5 Pinterest Boards to Follow Evidence-based AAC Strategies for Students with Autism with Betsy Corporale An ABA Perspective on AAC for Students with... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ASD, summary post
March 28, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Today we learn about Pivotal Response Treatment and its application to academics from Drs. Lynn and Robert Koegel of the Stanford School of Medicine. This 2-part presentation is available through the Tri-State ASD Webinar Series, which receives support from the Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN), the Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network, and the Colorado Department of Education. Part 1 Part 2 Enjoy!
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: ASD, Pivotal Response Treatment, PRT
March 1, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for information on alternative access for kids with significant motor limitations? Need a basic overview of communication and AAC for a para, parent, or colleague? Wanting to explore a variety of AAC resources? Check out the resources below. Working with Nonverbal Students with Autism: This was written by Susan Stokes under a contract with CESA 7 and funded by a discretionary grant from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. AAC Basics from Louisiana Assistive Technology Initiative’s AT Answers Indirect Access by Justin Sims Enjoy!
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: access, ASD
April 9, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you may have missed. Monday: 5 Misconceptions About Core Vocabulary in AAC Wednesday: Video of the Week: From Presence to Contribution – A Family’s Journey Towards an Inclusive Life Thursday: PrAACtical Resources: Behavioral Supports for Young Children
Filed under: Featured Posts
Tagged With: ASD, summary post
March 30, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
April is just around the corner and that means we’re getting ready to support the acceptance and inclusion of autistic people. Looking for ideas? Here are some to get you started. Treat yourself to some goodies from The Chocolate Spectrum (where you can order online, visit the cafe, or take a chocolate-making class) or other places that employ people with autism. Read and share 5 references that support the use of AAC & Autism. Help your family or community go beyond awareness and into acceptance. Learn and share information about Autism Safety – Be AWAARE! Know an autistic MineCraft lover? Introduce them to AutCraft. Educate yourself on terminology that relates to autism and people with ASD. We may have learned people-first language back in grad school, but there are different points of view on that. This is a great time to learn about identity-first language. Apply your critical reasoning skills to... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: acceptance, ASD
March 2, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
“But I don’t have just one student who needs AAC in my class – I have a bunch! How can I work AAC teaching into an already hectic day?” Teachers Amy Devin and Lauren Pawlowski are back with real-world suggestions for situations like these. Last year, they introduced us to Big Core, gave us tips for implementing it in the classroom, and explained how they integrate it into shared reading lessons and predictable chart writing activities. Today, they’re back with prAACtical information on how they provide explicit instruction on core vocabulary words. Amy and Lauren are public school teachers in Michigan who began teaching in resource rooms and moved to self‐contained ASD elementary classrooms in 2009. There was not much talk about core language when they started teaching and even less about incorporating into classroom lessons. AAC devices have changed a bit over the years, too. Initially, they worked with a 32-location core board on... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ASD, classroom, core word, implementation ideas
February 1, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Gaby is a huge Miami Dolphins fan and is dying to share the latest team stats with anyone she meets. Thomas knows all there is to know about rocks and isn’t shy about telling you lots of facts about them. Antonio is fascinated by washing machines and Simone could look at doors from sunrise to sundown. When individuals with AAC needs have an intense interest in a particular topic, service providers sometimes struggle with how to respond to these interests. How do we respect the individual and support their growth? Are these ‘obsessions’ that should be discouraged or preferences that should be honored? Do we incorporate these materials into our intervention or avoid them? What strategies can we use to use their special interests in a supportive and beneficial way? When dealing with learners who have strong interests in specific topics, professionals have many questions about how to proceed. In today’s... [Read More...]
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: ASD, special interests
December 29, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
We are closing out the year with a bang by combining two of our favorite things: working on AAC and literacy. In this post, Michigan-based teachers Amy Devin and Lauren Pawlowski return to discuss their strategies for building communication skills in the context of writing activities. Enjoy their detailed descriptions of how they implement a 5-day writing sequence in their classrooms! :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Predictable Chart Writing with Core Vocabulary If writing with your students is something you are apprehensive about, then Predictable Chart writing is a good place to start. You get a lot of bang for your buck, as you can work on many different concepts as you are instructing through the week. Some areas you will be able to work on is location and meaning of core, concepts about print, print awareness and fine motor skills. Prior to starting your Predictable Chart Writing, you have to have a plan on which... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ASD, classroom, school, writing
November 23, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
Looking for information on how to help people with autism and significant communication challenges become readers and writers? Dr. Janice Light has a full webinar on this topic that will certainly be of interest. Many thanks to the AAC RERC for the support in making this available to all.
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: ASD, Instruction, literacy