Tag Archive: social interaction

AAC at the Table: 5 Tips for Building Social Communication at Mealtimes

November 12, 2018 by - 2 Comments

AAC at the Table: 5 Tips for Building Social Communication at Mealtimes

Think back on some of the meals that you’ve shared with others recently. What did people talk about? In most cases, there’s a lot more that ‘Pass the peas,’ ‘What’s for dessert?’, and ‘Can I go now?’ Mealtimes are social experiences in many cultures and it can take some work to ensure that our AAC learners can take part. Here are some ideas for supporting the development of social communication during shared meals. Build a routine that includes social communication: AAC learning takes time and lots of prAACtice. We can support the march to AAC proficiency by incorporating specific kinds of social exchanges into our mealtimes so that AAC learners know what the expect and have practice opportunities for this skill set at mealtime. Some examples: Sharing Time (i.e.., everyone shares something that happened to them that was funny/interesting/memorable), Question of the Day (e.g., “What’s your favorite __?” “Where’s the... [Read More...]

Filed under: ,

Tagged With: , ,

Beyond Requesting: A Week of Routines to Increase AAC Use at Mealtime

May 19, 2016 by - 2 Comments

Beyond Requesting: A Week of Routines to Increase AAC Use at Mealtime

“Waffle.” “I want ___.” “More.” “I’d like a diet coke, please.” “Help.” Most AAC interventionists are quite effective at helping clients use their communication systems during snack or mealtime in order to make requests. How can we move beyond that and help AAC learners communicate for a wider variety of purposes? Mealtimes are wonderful social opportunities and we can take advantage of that by building interaction opportunities around predictable routines. Why build a routine? The predictability helps learners understand what is expected of them. Understanding the expectation sets the stage for active participation. When something becomes a routine, it gets implemented regularly. That gives our learners lots of opportunities to practice their new skills. It also gives us the opportunity to get better at key instructional strategies, such as aided language input, creating explicit opportunities, and using language expansions. Need some suggestions for routines that can be created to foster... [Read More...]

Filed under: ,

Tagged With: , ,