SpeakUp Blog
Beyond Face to Face: Teaching Distance Communication as Part of AAC Implementation
Are AAC users able to participate in virtual environments? Are we teaching them the skills they need before they transition to adult settings? The digital divide impacts many marginalized groups, including people with disabilities. Access barriers exist in the virtual world. We, as educators, can work to minimize their impact.
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AAC Strategies & Resources
THE AAC ZONE IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
The “AAC Zone” was a small community designed to welcome individuals who use AAC to engage with shop owners, neighbors, and society in a more powerful and interactive way. The AAC Zone consisted of 11 local businesses, services, and facilities that welcomed patrons who have difficulty communicating.
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AAC Strategies & Resources
Inspiring Communication
As the adults who are responsible for teaching children how to communicate, it’s our responsibility to INSPIRE.
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AAC Strategies & Resources
AAC Awareness Month 2019
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Awareness Month begins next week and our Awareness Committee has been busy at work planning activities and events to help spread the word.
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AAC Strategies & Resources
One size symbols? Not fit for all!
Today we are pleased to share a guest post by EA Draffan and David Banes on their work in the area of developing culturally appropriate symbols. If you enjoy this post, the authors are also presenting a USSAAC-sponsored webinar on June 4th entitled Global Systems: Design and Use of Symbols that Reflect Local Language and…
Mobile Apps for Your AAC Implementation Toolbox
When we are able to shift our focus to modeling and teaching language within highly engaging and interactive activities, we can foster more language growth and build better relationships!
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AAC Strategies & Resources
Using Videos to Support Language and Learning Across the Curriculum
May is Better Hearing & Speech Month and we’re celebrating by sharing timely and relevant information about AAC. Today we welcome Betsy Caporale, speech-language pathologist and AAC specialist to share her post about video modeling interventions. Video modeling has gained popularity as an intervention for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) over the past decade.…
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AAC Strategies & Resources
Stories of Ourselves: I DARE to Build/Expand Communication and Literacy Skills
We all use stories to share our personal identity, culture, and create a sense of belonging and closeness. Personal photos and personalized multi-media presentations are contexts that enable students to comment, describe, and label in addition to ask questions and engage in information transfer.
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AAC Strategies & Resources
Telling my Story in Boston
Although there were about 250 chairs set up in the room, some people stood along the walls or sat on the floor. I looked around and found a woman to focus on. Then I put my hand on my device, pushed a key, and said, “Hi! My name is Todd. I would like to tell you about my...”
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Firsthand AAC Perspectives
Honoring EVERYONE’s right to communicate
Happy New Year USSAAC members and guests. We’re ready to start the new year off right with a thought-provoking article by Patricia Politano about strategies we can use to ensure that EVERYONE can communicate. —– We can all agree that everyone has the right to communicate, the right to express themselves in the ways THEY…
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AAC Strategies & Resources
AAC Info
There’s a broad range of strategies and devices that individuals may use for communication if their speech isn’t functional.
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