Tag Archive: communication book

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week #45: November 2019

November 10, 2019 by - Leave your thoughts

AAC Posts from PrAACtical Week #45: November 2019

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. We’ve got some AAC reading for you to catch up on. Monday – PrAACtical Resources: Mini Communication Boards Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Tips for Supporting Students Who Use AAC in School Thursday – Make It PrAACtical: DIY Adapted Toys :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: While you’re here, why not sample some of these past posts? Organizing Vocabulary for Communication Books: Getting Started More on Teaching Core Vocabulary Join Together Core and Fringe AAC In the Classroom: Considerations for Modeling Core Vocabulary If you’re looking for more in-depth information on teaching language to AAC users, join us in Orlando in January for a full-day workshop. Use the slider on the graphic below to learn more and find the registration link.

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PrAACtical Resources: Mini Communication Boards

November 4, 2019 by - 4 Comments

PrAACtical Resources: Mini Communication Boards

Fall seems to be a prime time for training classroom staff on AAC tools and strategies. These mini communication boards were a topic of conversation at a recent training so today we’re sharing an editable PowerPoint file for you to download. The slides are set to a custom size so when you print them, they’ll fit inside a badge holder. Plenty of AAC options for you to choose from and you can resize the image to meet your needs.   You can download the mini communication board file here. Enjoy!

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Video of the Week: A Look at PODD Books

August 21, 2019 by - Leave your thoughts

Decorative image with title: Video of the Week: A Look at PODD Books

Do you know someone who wants to get familiar with the basic idea behind PODD books and PODD on the iPad? In today’s video, AAC parent Tracey Campbell demonstrates different forms of PODD and explains how they work to fellow parent Jenny Trott. The relaxed format makes this video a good one to share with those who are just getting familiar with the concept of communicating via PODD. Many thanks to Tracey and Jenny for this helpful video. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p5eH1u1j40&t=23s  

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How I Do It: Pocket Flipbooks for Teens

June 24, 2019 by - Leave your thoughts

How I Do It: Pocket Flipbooks for Teens

Thanks to all who reached out to express appreciation for Katherine Dally’s series on making and using flipbooks for adults and teenagers with complex communication. Today, she continues that series with a case example of how she used this to support a young woman who communicates through multiple modalities, including an SGD. Katherine is an SLP who works both as an AT consultant for an educational service center and as a home health SLP serving adults with neurological conditions in Ohio. We’re grateful to Katherine for sharing her experiences and for the downloadable materials that are linked at the end of her post If you missed her previous posts in this series, you may want to check those out: How I Do It – Pocket Flipbooks for Adults & Teens: Part 1, Part 2. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: How I Do It: Pocket Flipbooks for Teens Let’s go through a teen case example... [Read More...]

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Video of the Week: Make a Core Vocabulary Folder

March 22, 2017 by - 12 Comments

Video of the Week: Make a Core Vocabulary Folder

Looking for a core+fringe AAC display that is easy to make and not overwhelming to use? This post may have just what you need. It’s great to see the variety of ways in which professionals are embracing AAC options and using what they know to teach others. In today’s post, we feature a video by the Louisiana South/Central Regional AT Center in which they take us through the step-by-step process of making a versatile AAC support that can be a wonderful starting point for some of our learners. In addition to the video, this generous team shares their files so you can make one of your own (click here to download; you can get the SymbolStix version here) and even share the source for the vinyl pockets they use. Pretty prAACtical! Thanks, Louisiana South/Central Regional AT Center, for your collegiality in sharing this with all of us!

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Free Resources for Making AAC and Visual Supports

February 23, 2017 by - 6 Comments

Free Resources for Making AAC and Visual Supports

For comprehensive AAC systems, there is no doubt that we need access to tools with the communication symbols that match our client’s needs. There are times, though, when ‘free’ and ‘simple’ fits the bill. Whether you are a graduate student clinicians/teacher, parent, or professional, these tools may come in handy. Picto4Me: This executable program works with Google Chrome and allows you to create communication boards and other visual supports at no cost. You can view and use the boards online via computer or mobile device or print them. This program offers voice output and scanning, too. ARASAAC: We’ve written about the wonderful resources at the Aragonese Portal of AAC in previous posts. Keep them in mind as you are searching for symbols or creating AAC supports. Trial versions: Some companies offer a free trial of their symbol software or programs so that consumers can try before they buy. We love... [Read More...]

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PrAACtical Resources: Step-by-step Guide to Making a Tabbed Communication Book

January 9, 2017 by - Leave your thoughts

PrAACtical Resources: Step-by-step Guide to Making a Tabbed Communication Book

Sometimes it’s the little things that trip us up. A detail we missed, a corner we cut, or a small step we didn’t know about…Any of these can foul up an entire project (not too mention our mood!). That’s why appreciate clearly written guides like this one from Kate McCallum at Equality Time. Hope you find it helpful.   Note: Those outside the UK will need to adjust printing for their own paper sizes.

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Make It Monday: Manual Communication Boards with Core Vocabulary

July 11, 2016 by - 11 Comments

Welcome to Make It Monday, a series in which we hope to inspire your team to create communication boards and instructional materials for students who need or already use core vocabulary. In the first post, Getting Ready for a Core Vocabulary Journey, we talked about getting set up to make materials for expressive and receptive language use. Today, we get into making manual communication boards (MCBs). About Manual Communication Boards The term manual communication board refers to a ‘no-tech’ AAC support that students can use to express themselves. Typically printed on paper and laminated, most MCBs have grids of words organized by part of speech (e.g., verbs in one area, adjectives in another). MCBs that are designed for use in a particular activity, such as doing an art project or participating in Circle Time, are called activity-based communication displays, or ABCDs. ABCDs were very popular in the early days of... [Read More...]

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How I Do It: Classroom CORE Book by Tabi Jones-Wohleber

June 15, 2015 by - 7 Comments

How I Do It: Classroom CORE Book by Tabi Jones-Wohleber

Although summer is just beginning, many SLPs in our region are already thinking about the next school year. If you are trying to increase classroom use of AAC, you will want to check out the core vocabulary resources developed by Tabi Jones-Wohleber. Tabi is a Maryland-based SLP who works on the Frederick County Public Schools AT Team. You can view her earlier post (and accompanying downloads) here. In this post, Tabi shares her wonderful Communication Opportunities Ready to Engineer (CORE) book and explains how she uses these materials. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Classroom CORE (Communication Opportunities Ready to Engineer) Book: When posed with the question “How can I use core more?” by a group of teachers inspired to make communication a priority, I was thrilled to be part of a team motivated to investigate this exciting question.  These talented Rock Creek School educators teach a diverse population of students with all manner of physical,... [Read More...]

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How I Do It: Using PODD books and Aided Language Displays with Young Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder

August 28, 2014 by - 19 Comments

How I Do It: Using PODD books and Aided Language Displays with Young Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Today, we turn to the UK in a guest post by Laura Tarver. a London-based Speech and Language Therapist working with children with ASD and other complex needs. She previously worked in a primary school for children with ASD, where PODD and Aided Language Displays were introduced as part of a school wide approach in order to enhance the communication-friendly environment for all pupils. In this post, she shares how they used PODD books and aided language input to build the students’ communication skills. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: PODD (or Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display) communication books were developed in Australia by Gayle Porter, originally for children with cerebral palsy. As their use becomes more widespread throughout the world, practitioners are considering the benefits of using them with other clinical populations. Their structured organisation and emphasis on visual communication means that they are also a valuable tool for developing the communication of those with... [Read More...]

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