April 4, 2019
by Carole Zangari -
Have you ever dreamed of taking a detour in your AAC work to address the needs from a totally different direction? Special educator Sarah Mueller did just that. Follow along as she tells us about her journey from teacher to student. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: “Autism isn’t something a person has or a ‘shell’ that a person is trapped inside. There’s no normal child hidden behind the autism. Autism is a way of being. It is pervasive; it colors every experience, every sensation, perception, thought, emotion, and encounter, every aspect of existence. It is not possible to separate the autism from the person – and if it were possible, the person you’d have left would not be the same person you started with. This is important, so take a moment to consider it: Autism is a way of being. It is not possible to separate the person from the autism.” – Jim Sinclair... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: advocacy, legislation, policy
April 12, 2018
by Carole Zangari -
Armando’s parents were so disappointed when they inquired about AAC supports for their son during a recent visit to his classroom. “We don’t ‘do’ AAC,” they were told. “We’d love to, but we just don’t have the resources.” When Mia’s family moved to a new school district, they were expecting her to be able to continue using the Minspeak-based device that Mia had been learning to use in her previous school. Instead, they were told that this school uses ‘other’ kinds of AAC and that Mia would be provided with one of the AAC apps used by some of her new classmates. After all the time and effort of an AAC evaluation, and then struggling to learn the basics when Mia first got her device, it seemed unreasonable to start over with a new AAC system. But, Mia’s parents were told, ‘once she gets used to it, she’ll be able to... [Read More...]
Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Barriers, policy, practice, schools
November 12, 2014
by Carole Zangari -
Tony and his team talk about the ways in which AAC makes living a full life possible, and the disastrous consequences of the Medicare policy implementation that restricts SGD features, among other things. The policy is on hold for now, and we have an opportunity for public comment. Take a look. Then take action. You can add your voice to the advocacy effort here. Public comments are open until December 6th.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: advocacy, Medicare, policy
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