Tag Archive: forms
September 10, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
We’re excited to have another guest post today by Vicki Haddix, an AAC SLP and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis. Vicki joins us periodically to share some of the work completed by her SLP graduate students. Under her leadership, they create videos, handouts, and other materials that can be used by families, clinicians, and educators. Let’s take a look. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: As I have said in previous posts about teaching the graduate class on AAC, I find Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to be a very helpful framework when designing the course, although I’ve realized I don’t typically name UDL when I discuss activities or assignments. But I was thrilled when Lindsey Hull came to me wanting to look at integrating students who use AAC within the general education classroom, and we got to talk about UDL. She put together a narrated PowerPoint full of great ideas for... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: & Tools, Checklists, forms, myths, videos, visual supports
August 13, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, millions of teachers, therapists, families, and students are planning to return to school, whether virtually, in person, or with some combination of the two. No matter what the format for instruction, one of the most important things for students who use AAC is having their SLPs, teachers, and families on the same page. They each have a different but very intense relationship with the student’s AAC system. Today, we reprise a popular post with some prAACtical thoughts on getting everyone pointed in the same direction. 1. Develop a communication profile of the student: In the initial weeks, try to get a baseline of how the student is communicating at the start of the year. For beginning communicators, we track things like their communicative intents (WHY they are communicating), modalities (HOW they are communicating), and the frequency of their communication. We’ve written about one of our favorite... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: & Tools, back to school, Checklists, Education & Schools, forms, Teaming & Collaboration
July 16, 2020
by Carole Zangari -
AAC SLPs are a creative bunch and would do anything to help teams get on board with appropriate supports and services. In today’s post, we hear from Elena Feder, who introduces us to the ‘Communication World’ approach. Elena is an AAC SLP at the New England Assistive Technology (NEAT) Center in Connecticut and has a lot to share about AAC implementation. Don’t miss the wonderful planning tool that she shares at the end. Before we get to that, though, take a look at the AAC Summer Bash that she runs with her colleague and fellow SLP Sarah Brink. In normal times, this is a face-to-face experience but due to the novel coronavirus, it has migrated to an online event. There are a few other things that you might like to know about the AAC Summer Bash. It’s free! You’re invited! You must register by July 17th. The AAC Summer Bash... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: & Tools, Checklists, forms, Implementation Ideas & Tips
August 14, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Are you doing some planning for students with AAC needs? Here are a handful of resources that may be helpful. Vocabulary graphic organizer by Speak for Yourself Form to collect information about fringe vocabulary for home and school by Gateway to Language and Learning Needs assessment by Gail Van Tatenhove
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: downloads, forms, planning
February 20, 2017
by Carole Zangari -
Last week, we posted about taking data on communication partners, something that can be very helpful when we are looking for ways to expedite the AAC user’s progress. Based on feedback from that post, we’re sharing a sample data collection form for this purpose. Do you have another idea for collecting data on the behavior of communication partners? We’d love to hear about it.
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: data collection, download, forms, partners
October 14, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
One of the best ways to enhance our teaching is to understand and respect the things that motivate our learners. We are all motivated by different things, though, and sometimes it can be hard to figure out the specifics of what a particular learner likes well enough for it to be used as reinforcement. Sometimes it’s easy. We all know kids who would do anything for [iPad time; Thomas the Tank Engine, Super Why, Pokemon, Hello Kitty] or [you fill in the blank]. We can use those in formal and informal ways to keep these learners motivated and engaged. And that’s important because, often, what we are asking them to do is hard. But sometimes, we work with people for whom those ‘magic motivators’ aren’t so clear. The ‘typical’ reinforcers don’t seem to work for those folks, and that can slow down progress. How can we figure out what motivates... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: forms, preferences, reinforcement, teaching
August 31, 2016
by Carole Zangari -
The month of August is almost over and we’ve saved the best for last. The month wouldn’t seem complete without hearing more of Vicki Clarke’s ideas on AAC assessment. In addition to many other things, Vicki’s practice, Dynamic Therapy Associates, does 50+ of these evaluations each year, both in the clinic and in school settings. In this post, Vicki shares some thoughts on assessing the AAC skills of people who use direct selection. As always, she packs in a lot of information and generously provides the protocol and data collection forms that she uses. You can explore some of her previous posts in the AAC Assessment Corner series here. * ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AAC Skills Assessment for Direct Selectors I spent the morning with a great group of students at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Dr. Satterfield’s AAC class. I was asked to talk with them about AAC assessment with an emphasis on... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: access, assessment, assessment form, forms
May 5, 2015
by Carole Zangari -
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...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: assessment, classroom, forms, implementation ideas, intervention, resources, Tina Moreno
August 22, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
As a rule, SLPs are pretty good about collecting data in their clinical work. Here are some of our prAACtical thoughts about data collection. 1. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. We’ve visited several programs where the client data filled a huge 3-ring binder. In some places, they logged the data daily, reviewed it frequently, and actually USED it to make programmatic decisions. If that works for you, great! But most programs only reviewed the data when they had to report it or prior to a visit by someone who might want to see and discuss those data. In those cases, the data really wasn’t serving it’s original purpose: to see how instruction might need to be tweaked for a client who was learning quickly, slowly, or not at all. The takeaway: Don’t collect more data than you’re prepared to review and put to use. 2. We should... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: assessment, data, data-based decisions, download, forms
August 3, 2013
by Carole Zangari -
Here in the US, August is Back-to-School month. Throughout this month, we’ll try to post ideas and resources to help make the transition back to school a smooth and successful one. One of the most important things for students who use AAC is having their SLPs, teachers, and families on the same page. They each have a different but very intense relationship with the student’s AAC system. Here are some prAACtical thoughts on getting everyone on the same page. 1. Develop a communication profile of the student: In the initial weeks, try to get a baseline of how the student is communicating at the start of the year. For beginning communicators, we track things like their communicative intents (WHY they are communicating), modalities (HOW they are communicating), and the frequency of their communication. We’ve written about one of our favorite tools for this, the Communication Matrix. 2. Share what you know:... [Read More...]
Filed under: Strategy of the Month
Tagged With: collaboration, Communication Matrix, education, forms, gesture dictionary