Tag Archive: resources
April 26, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
– Conversations with health care providers can be confusing, particularly when medical terminology comes into play. But what if you and your doctor literally speak different languages? Yup, there’s an app for that. – Medibabble is an app that translates thousands of medical questions and instructions into five different languages (English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Haitian Creole). The Spanish language option is preinstalled and the rest are easy in-app downloads. The app itself and all the languages are free. – The main feature is a large database of questions, answers, and patient instructions that are organized by body systems (e.g., respiratory, digestive) and symptoms to allow medical staff to gather accurate case history information and convey information. There are also greetings/farewells, introductions (e.g., “I am your physical therapist), common responses (e.g., “Thank you for answering my questions”), and explanations (e.g., “Since an interpreter is not available immediately, this device will allow... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: Apps, Medical, resources
April 25, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
We’ve shared a number of resources for downloadable AAC materials in previous posts like this and on some of our Pinterest boards. Sometimes we start from scratch but other times we check out what other professionals and families have created, then download and adapt them for our use. It’s wonderful to see the generous online community growing! Here are some more sites we like for AAC and visual support downloads. – 1. For Visual Supports from Hamilton Boone Madison Special Services Cooperative 2. From Special Education Technology-British Columbia: PictureSet 3. Free software with symbols for making visual supports: QuickPics Symbols from Patrick Ecker 4. Behavioral supports from eLearning Visuals 5. Wonderful activities to support language and literacy from Dr. Caroline Musselwhite – Where do you go for online materials to download materials for your AAC work?
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: resources, visual supports
April 24, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
– We’re still getting used to the whole idea that social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, can play such a powerful role in professional development. In addition to our our very own Facebook page, we, regularly visit a number of others for AAC and related content. – Augmentative Communication Resources and Help Boardmaker Sharing Group Raising and Teaching Individuals with Severe Disabilities Assistive Technology Technology in Education – How about you? What Facebook groups/pages do you find helpful? –
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: resources
April 21, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Although every field has its moments, speech-language pathology is not generally known for high levels of controversy and drama. In the AAC world, the glaring exception to that is Facilitated Communication (FC). FC has had many critics and supporters (e.g., Syracuse University’s FC Center, now the Institute on Communication and Inclusion). The editors of Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention, Drs. Ralf Schlosser and Jeff Sigafoos, have graciously allowed us to share a link to a paper by a former FC facilitator which appears in the EBP Speaker’s Corner section of the journal. You may download the article for free until June at: http://bit.ly/I7JEt4 .
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: FC, resources
April 19, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
Reading is one of our passions and we love to address it in our therapy not just because of its importance but also because it is so much fun. Here are some of our current favorite places to visit for resources on AAC, reading, and writing. – 1. Communication 4 All: See their literacy section for helpful resources – http://www.communication4all.co.uk/HomePage.htm 2. The Bridge: Assessment protocol for literacy learning in people who use AAC by the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at https://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/resources/early-childhood-resources-1/the-bridge-assessment 3. Handout on adapting books by Pam Harris on the AAC Institute site at http://bit.ly/HQ7oHM 4. Printable Classroom Signs and Labels for Early Years at SparkleBox: http://bit.ly/xITodP 5. Mini books, book materials, resources for alphabet learning, and other goodies at DLTK’s Educational Activities site: http://bit.ly/zJV28S 6. More fun downloads that are AAC-friendly at Let’s Book It withTech’Knowledge’y: http://bit.ly/HStHx0 – Happy reading! –
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: literacy, reading, resources, writing
April 13, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
If you’re like us, you’re always happy to find sites where AAC materials can be downloaded, preferably for free. Bookmark those sites because they are huge time savers. If you’re trying to build your own professional resource library, check out this site for boards designed for people to communicate about healthcare, employment, sexuality, transportation, and other topics. Several of the communication boards are also available in Spanish (like the example shown here) and Haitian Creole. Kudos to the fine work done by the AAC-RERC and the Temple University Institute on Disabilities. –
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: communication boards, Emergency, Medical, resources
March 31, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
In this last post on our March Strategy of the Month, visual schedules, we address a couple of questions about using schedules and end with a list of helpful resources. Lots to click on and explore! – What about activities that don’t happen very often? How do we incorporate those into the schedule? Many of the learners with whom we work get quite stressed when the typical routine is violated. It could be an undesired change, like a fire drill or a dentist appointment. Or it could be that a regular event gets cancelled, such as when our music therapist is out sick or when outdoor recess is cancelled due to bad weather. Even changes that involve the addition of a positive event, such as a birthday party or a special classroom guest, could lead to stress and meltdown. If we have advance notice of the change, we can use... [Read More...]
Filed under: Strategy of the Month
Tagged With: resources, visual schedule
March 28, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
When I took my daughter to a specialist awhile back, she recommended a treatment that was a bit extreme. Her verbal explanation for the expensive and involved treatment made sense, but I still wasn’t convinced and asked it there was something we could read that explained the scientific underpinnings of the approach. She disappeared for a moment and came back with a task force report on the treatment that reviewed literature on this approach. Reading through it and seeing the studies, critiques, and responses helped us make an informed decision. – Chances are, many of you have had similar experiences. Trust in our healthcare professionals is critical, but when it comes to big decisions, we want to know the science that stands behind the options. – Making the decision to use AAC is a huge one for all of us, but families are especially burdened with its weightiness. Not only... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: research, resources
March 19, 2012
by Robin Parker -
It has been a really long weekend. A very close relative had a significant medical emergency this week. The emergency involved intubation, an air ambulance (that is helicopter), and many many procedures. With the intubation, there was a temporary loss of speech which made communication difficult to say the least. This was a time that the patient (my relative) needed communication most, yet there were multiple barriers to effective communication (no speech sounds, tubes in the mouth obscuring lip movement, noise, etc..). Although the hospital staff was amazingly wonderful, communication was not their priority. Lucky, for us, I just happened to have some AAC apps on my iPhone. At one point, the AAC app was literally a lifesaver (thanks so much to Verbally for providing an easy way to communicate complex questions, reminders, and comments). As I was waiting around for many hours, texting Carole, we started thinking about... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: change of schedule, distress, emergencies, Emergency, hospital, illness, Medical, pain, resources, visual supports
March 15, 2012
by Carole Zangari -
We’re big fans of AAC devices and apps that help with data collection. When used with appropriate attention to confidentiality issues (e.g., client consent, etc.) they can help SLPs gather data on how language is used under real-world conditions. When the data are interpreted skillfully, these are wonderful clinical resources that can help us adjust our intervention plans to accelerate learning. – Many times, however, we’re also looking for data collection tools that are separate from the AAC tool itself. – Here are some ideas for forms and tools for collecting data that help us plan better intervention. – 1. The book How Do You Know It? How Can You Show It? Making Assistive Technology Decisions (Reed, Bowser, & Korsten, 2002) has a good overview of concepts in data collection in AT and helpful forms. You can get a PDF of that book here. 2. The blog Teaching Learners... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: data, resources