Tag Archive: classroom

Conversations in the Classroom with Tina Moreno

May 21, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

Classroom Conversations with Tina Moreno

Better Hearing and Speech Month continues with guest blogger Tina Moreno. In this post, Tina shares some thoughts on building meaningful conversations in the classroom. She also made her visual support materials available for downloading (link at the end of her post). You can read Tina’s previous post for BHSM here.   CONVERSATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM Fostering opportunities for meaningful conversation is critical throughout the school setting.  Great discussions can happen in the classroom, but it can prove challenging for students to remain on topic, take conversational turns and give their peers wait time.  In order to help students acquire these skills, we need to provide direct instruction, modeling by adults (and typically developing peers whenever possible!) and visual supports. Aim for the conversation target It can be difficult for students to keep track of the conversation target, especially in large group, fast-paced settings.  It can be especially challenging for... [Read More...]

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How We Do It: AAC at the Larc School with Kaitlyn Connors and Rachel Egbert

May 18, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

How We Do It: AAC at the Larc School with Kaitlyn Connors and Rachel Egbert

In honor of ASHA’s Better Hearing and Speech Month, we’ve invited clinicians who use AAC in their schools to share a bit about their work here on PrAACtical AAC. Today’s post is from Kaitlyn Connors and Rachel Egbert, two school-based SLPs in New Jersey. For the past 8 years, Kaitlyn has worked with children who use AAC. She earned her Master’s degree from Ithaca College and remains passionate about AAC, and helping each student communicate to the best of their abilities. Rachel earned her Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2013.  She eagerly keeps abreast of the latest advances in AAC, which help her to deliver the most positive outcome possible for her students. Both Kaitlyn and Rachel currently serve students at Larc School. Beyond Requesting: PrAACtical Ideas for Building Language in the Classroom To take one student beyond requesting during snack time we implemented a core language board... [Read More...]

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How I Do It: The All-in-One-Visual-Support Tool by Tabi Jones-Wohleber

May 14, 2015 by - 11 Comments

How I Do It: The All-in-One-Visual-Support Tool by Tabi Jones-Wohleber

I am constantly in awe of the creativity and generosity of AAC practitioners, particularly those like Tabi Jones-Wohleber who make fabulous materials and share them with colleagues that they’ve never even met. Tabi is an SLP on the AT Team for Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland.  A graduate of Penn State University, her career has focused on AAC.  Though she works with many schools and addresses a variety of AT needs, most of her time and creative energy is devoted to working with students with the most significant disabilities.  In this post, she introduces us to the All-in-One-Visual-Support Tool. You wont want to miss Tabi’s treasure trove of prAACtical materials. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  It was a conversation I’d had many times before.  A conversation that kept resurfacing in one form or another.  It’s the conversation of how to manage all the stuff; all the visuals, all the reinforcers, all the communication tools.  The benefit of visual supports to... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: Multimodal Communication in the Classroom

May 6, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: Multimodal Communication in the Classroom

All around the world, students with AAC needs are increasingly afforded the tools and supports that they need to build effective communication skills. Today, we travel to England to peek into a classroom at the Milestone School in Gloucestershire. One thing that I just love about this video is that the adults honor and model multiple modes of communication. AAC devices are wonderful, but we can’t get so focused on them that we forget the important role that gestures, vocalizations and manual signs can play. Take a look. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HygplCyZtoA  

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How I Do It: Classroom Support for Students with AAC Needs by Tina Moreno

May 5, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

How I Do It: Classroom Support for Students with AAC Needs by Tina Moreno

We are fortunate to have a return visit from Tina Moreno, who brings her experiences both as an SLP and also as a mom of a teenager who has used AAC for most of his life. In this post, Tina shares some of the strategies that she has used to support AAC students in their classrooms. If you are a school-based SLP, don’t miss Tina’s classroom observation form for gathering data on how AAC is being used in various activities and lessons. GIVE THEM FIVE As an SLP in the school setting, helping teachers support students in the classroom can be a big challenge.  While we can see students making progress in our therapy sessions, it can be difficult to get the same results in the classroom.  An important role of the SLP is to collaborate with teachers to help students generalize these skills in conversation with their peers and other... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: AT Throughout the Day for Students with Significant Disabilities

January 14, 2015 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: AT Throughout the Day for Students with Significant Disabilities

Everyone knows that when it comes to skill development for students with significant disabilities, it’s important to provide a great deal of practice. Making that happen, however, can be challenging, particularly as students get older. Take a look at these ideas shared by the Provisional Inclusion Outreach Program of British Columbia Minstry of Education. Quick Time Required: http://www.pisp.ca/video/videos/High%20School%20Participation.mov

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How I Do It with Rachael Langley: PODD in the Classroom – Quick Tips for Teams

October 9, 2014 by - 4 Comments

How I Do It by Rachael Langley: PODD in the Classroom

Today we welcome SLP Rachael Langley, who  has been working in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist for over 12 years. Currently working as an AAC Specialist in Mid-Michigan, Rachael tells us that she strives to spread the message about the importance of AAC and unlocking the communication potential of all students. In this post, Rachael shares some of her best tips for building communication with learners who are getting started with PODD books. The PODD system offers a complete language approach through carefully organized symbol sets. Because the PODD system promotes a language immersion model, there is no pressure on our language-learners reproducing specific words or patterns at a specific rate. Here are some quick tips I share with classroom teams who are starting out with PODD:  Input before output! Model, model, model! – Without digging too deep into the importance of Aided Language Stimulation, we want to make sure... [Read More...]

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How I Do It: Cooking in the Classroom with Carol Goossens’

September 4, 2014 by - 3 Comments

How I Do It: Cooking in the Classroom with Carol Goossens'

There is something about fall that puts us in the mood for cooking. Today, we are honored to learn from an AAC pioneer, Dr. Carol Goossens,’ who is an SLP and special educator based in the New York City area. She has consulted extensively in a variety of classrooms serving the full spectrum of children with special needs. Carol has presented both nationally and internationally about her collaborative work with teachers, therapists and families. She is known for her ability to seamlessly integrate technology in the classroom and for developing innovative ways to help children learn …while having fun doing it! In this post, she shares one of her latest projects, making animated recipes for using in cooking activities in the classroom. Cooking appears to be motivating for most children … the magic of putting together ingredients that ultimately become something delicious to eat. Teachers, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and occupational therapists (OTs) often use food preparation activities... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: PODD in the ASD Classroom

August 17, 2014 by - Leave your thoughts

Video of the Week: PODD in the ASD Classroom

When something works, it’s worth sharing. This week, we travel to the UK, where SLP Laura Tarver gives a quick overview of using PODD books in a classroom of children with ASD at Eagle House Primary School. You can learn more about PODD here. Direct Link to Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shrO9jd73Pg  

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Research Tuesday: Supporting Children with Severe and Profound Multiple Disabilities

July 8, 2014 by - 2 Comments

Research Tuesday: Supporting Children with Severe and Profound Multiple Disabilities

  What do we know about the best ways to provide communication support to individuals with severe and profound multiple disabilities (PMLD)? PMLD is a term that generally refers to people who experience profound cognitive limitations in addition to sensory and/or physical disabilities. Many of these individuals have complex medical histories and chronic health concerns. Often, the communication difficulties experienced by individuals with PMLD cause them to be isolated and excluded from many social and educational opportunities. Despite their many challenges, there is evidence to suggest that AAC supports can help these children develop their communication skills. Not much is known, however, about how to structure the AAC intervention to maximize learning. In this study, Harding and her colleagues sought to reduce isolation and promote personal autonomy by providing AAC supports to two children with PMLD. As other researchers have demonstrated the positive impact of AAC on people with PMLD,... [Read More...]

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