Tag Archive: education
August 25, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
It’s so gratifying to see the growing number of AAC presentations that are being offered around the country. If you serve school-aged children, here are a few presentation handouts that might be of interest. Building Classroom Communities to Support AAC Users by Ashley Robinson AAC Implementation Strategies by Vicki Clarke and Jenna Coyer Making AAC Work in the Classroom by Ann Kuhlmeier
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: classroom, education, handout, presentation, schools
May 18, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
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...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: classroom, core vocabulary, education, Kaitlyn Connors, Larc School, low tech, Rachel Egbert
April 22, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
If you work in educational settings, there’s a good possibility and you and and your colleagues have had many conversations around the topic of progress monitoring. Progress monitoring in an approach to assessing student performance and evaluating the effectiveness of instruction. How does that apply to students who use AAC and other AT? Today, we hear from Elizabeth Panek on that very topic. Thanks to the Pennsylvania Department of Education and PaTTAn for making this available.
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: assessment, education, PaTTAN, progress monitoring, schools
October 7, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
As much as we appreciate spontaneity, it is sometimes true that well-conceptualized policies and procedures help things run more smoothly. Today, we head to the UK where the ACE Centre has developed a comprehensive guidebook to help schools develop good AAC policies. Obviously, the specifics will vary based on the locale, but there is much to be gained from this thoughtful approach. Take a look. https://acecentre.org.uk/resources/developing-aac-policies-schools/
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ACE Centre, education, policy, schools
September 4, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
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...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: classroom, cooking, education, recipe, visual supports
September 3, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
What does it take for a student to be included and challenged? Tyler seems to have some good ideas about this. Thanks to Pat Mervine for sharing his video. Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jSwCnuWcQ0#t=37
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: education, inclusion
January 22, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
We sometimes get contacted by colleagues who are looking for references supporting the use of AAC. Here are some that are specific to inclusive settings in schools and in the community.* Alquraini, T., & Gut, D. (2012). Critical components of successful inclusion of students with severe disabilities: Literature review. International Journal of Special Education, 27(1), 42-59. Balandin, S., & Duchan, J. (2007). Communication: Access to inclusion. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 32(4), 230-232. Batorowicz, B., Mcdougall, S., & Shepherd, T. A. (2006). AAC and community partnerships: The participation path to community inclusion. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 22(3), 178-195. Calculator, S. (2009). Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and inclusive education for students with the most severe disabilities. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 13 (1) 93-113. Carter, M., & Maxwell, K., (1998). Promoting interaction with children using augmentative communication through peer-directed intervention. International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education 45(1) 75-96. Daugherty,... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: community integration, education, inclusion, references, research, schools
January 19, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Moms and dads know it. Teachers and SLPs know it, too. As children get older, the impact of peer relationships edge out the adults. There’s just nothing like the presence of a peer to get a communicator interested in using their best language abilities. Today, we’re excited to share a set of videos on peer power that are part of a larger module by Jacob Wolf and Earle Knowlton from the University of Kansas. Enjoy! Direct Link: http://www.aacmodules.com/Peer_Training-Module2.php
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: education, inclusion, peers
October 27, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
In many schools, educational teams struggle to develop appropriate curriculum-based instruction for students with significant disabilities. In this week’s video, the group from PaTTAN has collaborated with from University of Kentucky to present a workshop addressing this topic. Enjoy Educating Students with Complex Support Needs in a Standards-Aligned System, presented by Jeannine Brinkley, Sarah Kennedy, Dori Anderson, Debbie Brown, Mariel Zeller, and Sharon Leonard.
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: classroom, education, Instruction, PaTTAN, standards
October 20, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
How can we address the needs of AAC learners as they grow and change? In this video, Karen Sheehan discusses iPad apps that can help students who with communication, organization, note taking, and reading. Thanks to the Accessible Technology Coalition for making this available.
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: education, note taking, transition