“Do it yourself!” This statement is often heard in reference to school work as well as tasks related to school such as carrying your own backpack, putting your own coat away and gathering materials needed for a project or class.
While self-sufficiency is always important for students as we prepare them for life as independent adults, [...]
Did you know that typically developing children from literate homes have heard their favorite stories 200 to 400 times (Adams, 1990)? For some students with significant disabilities, access to books can be challenging. Many students have difficulty manipulating books due to physical disabilities (ex., cerebral palsy) while others have difficulty accessing books due to sensory [...]
I was talking with a group of SLPs last week and the subject of teaching AAC within daily activities came up. It may seem obvious and logical that we would introduce and teach AAC use to individuals with Autism within daily routines and activities. But several people in the discussion group were under the assumption [...]
What are some exciting ways you’ve used teams in your classroom? I talked to a teacher in the Pittsburgh area last week who recounted a parent calling him to indicate that his son, Jimmy, a student in the gifted program, was not getting enough enrichment opportunities in their social studies curriculum. The teacher promised to [...]
There was a strand recently on a listserve in which a question was asked as to the appropriateness of peers using an individual student’s AAC device. This is a very appropriate and important question.
It seems to me that this question may have arisen from hearing about a technique known as Partner Augmented Input (PAI) or [...]
While I am not expert on this subject I have used this concept for one student, a young boy using an AAC device. I consulted with his therapist via Skype. This is not for everyone, but it worked in this particular situation. I could have conversations with the student and see where language and communication [...]
Every January 1st, I set out to make resolutions for the upcoming year. But why not create resolutions for the new school year? When working with students who use AAC devices, it is often a challenge to juggle everything you need to do to support their communication and learning. I’ve tried to come up with [...]
This morning I received an email from a local SLP that indicated I should give her a call – she had exciting news to share! Once we connected, she told me that her 8th grade student has had a major breakthrough in using his DynaVox Xpress device. In the past few weeks the team has [...]
Have you ever had a student use their device in a loud, crowded environment, and all of a sudden the volume you had set was just not loud enough? What about a scenario where the student enters a quiet study hall or work session, and the set volume is noticeably too loud?
I often observe teams [...]
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with an old friend and becoming acquainted with her family. She has a 6-year-old with a very inquisitive nature. Frequently, she asked “what” we were saying, “why” something occurred, “when” and “where” we were going. She was curious not only about the schedule but about [...]
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