Stop by the Exhibit Hall at the CSUN 27th Annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference for some great drawings:
- Win Boardmaker Studio from Mayer-Johnson/Dynavox in the entry-way (can't miss them)
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Giveaways! CSUN Exhibit Hall
Minspeak E-Newsletter, Issue 44- 2/29/12
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Blog Stats: Thanks for reading
First initiated in July 2011, the Southern California AAC Network blog has received between 200-600 page views per month - and climbing! If you have any AAC-related resource, strategy, training or tip to share about, please do not hesitate to pass the word along to us at socalaacnetwork@gmail.com. And don't forget to friend us on facebook (our name is a little strange) SoCal Aac Scaac-n
Monday, February 27, 2012
SCAAC-N, Two Years Strong
It was February 27, 2010, that the Southern California AAC Network held its first ever event entitled "AAC: A Framework for Applying the Latest Technology." This 6-hour workshop hosted in Pasadena was the brainchild of Anne Davis, Gwendolyn Meier, and Sharon Rogers as members of the the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CSHA), District 7 advisory council. Along with our district head, Sonia Aller, we organized the content and presenters for over a number of months, and have been pleased to see the group grow and flourish over these past two years!
We hope that you will keep in touch via our free, quarterly, networking meetings, this blog, our facebook page, and gmail. Your contributions and your participation are very welcome!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
PRC - Teaching Core Vocabulary
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Sunday, February 19, 2012
Online Conference: Partner Instruction in AAC (June)
From:
Mary Ann Lowe
Boca Raton FL
Boca Raton FL
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Exciting news! ASHA will be presenting an online conference developed in cooperation the SIG 12 (Special Interest Group, Division 12, AAC).
Cathy Binger and Jennifer Kent-Walsh are coordinating the efforts to produce the conference: Partner Instruction in AAC: Strategies for Building Circles of Support. The topic provides information on how to enhance communication potential for clients by working with families, friends, caregivers, and other communication partners. Up-to-date information on partner instruction will be provided for: Adults with aphasia, adults with acquired disorders/minimal movement, working adults who use AAC, pre-symbolic children, children with autism spectrum disorders, and children with sensory impairments.
The dates of the conference are scheduled for June 13-25, 2012 (registration begins March 1). This online conference format will provide recorded lectures that are available on demand, lots of interaction with speakers, and lots of CEUs.
Cathy Binger and Jennifer Kent-Walsh are coordinating the efforts to produce the conference: Partner Instruction in AAC: Strategies for Building Circles of Support. The topic provides information on how to enhance communication potential for clients by working with families, friends, caregivers, and other communication partners. Up-to-date information on partner instruction will be provided for: Adults with aphasia, adults with acquired disorders/minimal movement, working adults who use AAC, pre-symbolic children, children with autism spectrum disorders, and children with sensory impairments.
The dates of the conference are scheduled for June 13-25, 2012 (registration begins March 1). This online conference format will provide recorded lectures that are available on demand, lots of interaction with speakers, and lots of CEUs.
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P.S. It's not inexpensive.
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More info from ASHA's website:
Partner Instruction in AAC
Strategies for Building Circles of Support
Wednesday, June 13 - Monday, June 25, 2012
On online conference developed in cooperation with ASHA Special Interest Group 12, Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Enhance the communication potential of your clients who use AAC by working effectively with their families, friends, caregivers, and other communication partners. From recorded lectures by prominent clinicians and researchers, you’ll get up-to-date information on partner instruction for:
- Adults with aphasia
- Adults with acquired disorders/minimal movement
- Working adults who use AAC (instruction for employers and colleagues)
- Pre-symbolic children
- Children with autism spectrum disorders
- Children with sensory impairments
...and more!
Other sessions will address the IMPAACT Program, parent-focused interventions, bilingual environments, and peer-mediated interventions for children.
In this online conference, you’ll have on-demand access to thirteen recorded lectures by prominent clinicians and researchers including Jennifer Kent Walsh, Cathy Binger, David Beukleman, David McNaughton, MaryAnn Romski, Rose Sevcik, and more. Plus, live, online text-based "chats" with the speakers let you get first-hand answers from the experts.
Full conference information is coming soon...watch this page!
Why you’ll love the online conference format
- Recorded lectures are available on demand. You can watch them on any desktop or laptop computer, at any time that fits your schedule. (Sorry, mobile devices are not supported.)
- No travel. You can participate at home or work.
- Lots of interaction with speakers. In live, text-based "chat" sessions, you have the chance to get answers to your questions. Discussion threads linked to each lecture involve speakers and participants in ongoing, topic-focused discussions.
- Lots of CEUs. We estimate that you’ll be able to earn as many as 2.6 ASHA CEUs (26 professional development hours) for this event.
Registration
Conference registration will be available beginning March 1.
Below are the registration fees for the conference:
| Early Bird Registration (on or before May 30) | Regular Registration (May 30 or later) | |
|---|---|---|
| ASHA Member and SIG Affiliate | $269 | $299 |
| ASHA Member | $299 | $329 |
| Nonmember | $369 | $399 |
Tuesday! SCAAC-N Winter Quarterly Meeting with Cynthia Cottier
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - join us in welcoming Cindy Cottier, M.A., M.Ed., C.C.C., at our quarterly Southern California AAC Network Meeting (FREE as always). If you missed Cindy's presentation at the 2011 American Speech-Language Hearing Association conference in San Diego - you're in luck! We'll meet from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Villa Esperanza Services in Pasadena, CA, and hear about Cindy's experiences using iPad applications with multiply handicapped individuals.
When: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: 2116 E. Villa Street, Pasadena, CA, 91107
Street and limited lot parking available
When: Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: 2116 E. Villa Street, Pasadena, CA, 91107
Street and limited lot parking available
Cynthia, A. Cottier, M.A., M.Ed., CCC, is a Speech-Language Pathologist who has been working in the field of AAC since 1980. She has extensive experience working directly with individuals ranging in age from 2 to 75+ years and of all disabilities. In addition, Ms. Cottier has vast knowledge of a wide variety of state-of-the-art augmentative and assistive systems, techniques and strategies.
Initially, Ms. Cottier coordinated and developed the Los Angeles Unified School District's Augmentative Communication Program for 7 years; then in 1992 she began her own private practice in Pasadena, CA, that is dedicated to servicing all individuals who use augmentative communication devices and assistive technology systems. She has participated in numerous projects, studies and grants to further professional knowledge and clinical guidelines for augmentative communication service delivery. Ms. Cotter has given numerous presentations at state and national conferences, as well as conducted various workshops and seminars for training institutes and state universities.
Hope to see you then!
Friday, February 17, 2012
AAC Apps Assistant - AAC Tech Connect
AAC Tech Connect has provided help to beleaguered assessors for years via their side by side comparisons of SGDs known as the Device Assistant.
Well, they've done it again with their AAC Apps Assistant. Its a great place for families, professionals, and administrators to compare features, functions, costs, and capacities of over 100 communication apps. Currently, their review covers apps that are available for Apple devices (aka. iOS devices), but they assure that additional platforms will be added soon!
I haven't yet had a chance to take advantage of their generous 1-month free trial, but that's what 3-day weekends are for!
Don't worry, be App-y.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Minspeak E-Newsletter, Issue 43- 2/15/12
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Monday, February 13, 2012
Dual Device Modeling - Thank you, Meher Banajee
At the most recent Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) conference in Orlando, Meher Banajee, Ph. D., CCC-SLP (Louisiana State University), spoke about the extremely important and daunting task of teaching the functional use of speech generating devices. She recommends, and has studied the efficacy of, dual device modeling; using a second device in interaction with the learner in order to model language use in a naturalistic learning environment. (Download handout, HERE)
Dr. Banajee used dual device modeling to teach a learner with Autism Spectrum Disorder to participate in functional greeting, initiating interaction, reciprocal conversation with unfamiliar partners across two volleys, commenting, answering questions about himself and his activities. Her study had some great outcomes (read below)!
Dr. Banajee used dual device modeling to teach a learner with Autism Spectrum Disorder to participate in functional greeting, initiating interaction, reciprocal conversation with unfamiliar partners across two volleys, commenting, answering questions about himself and his activities. Her study had some great outcomes (read below)!
I hope that Dr. Banajee won't mind if we share excerpts from her valuable presentation, shared with us via our dedicated colleague and ATIA attendee, Terry Kappe, CCC-SLP.
Excerpt (in blue):
Facilitators traditionally are prone to conduct symbol training as a prerequisite for symbol production training (Gossens’, Crain & Elder, 1992)
Speech language intervention for individuals using speech generating devices has traditionally been conducted in a “skill and drill” fashion
Individuals using speech generating devices are instructed to point to symbols of objects or actions
The clinician maintains a tally of the successful responses.
This training is very different from the manner in which children acquire language
If an individual is to learn to use their speech generating devices to communicate, then they need to see the use of speech generating devices used frequently and interactively
This is referred to as augmented input (Beukelman & Garrett, 1988) or aided language stimulation (Gossens’, Crain & Elder, 1992)
Aided language stimulation or augmented input is a teaching strategy in which the facilitator highlights symbols on the speech generating device of the user while he or she interacts and communicates verbally with the user
Dual device modeling refers to the teachers' use of a second speech generating device in order to model language use and expansion of utterances for the learner, so that they might learn language in a naturalistic environment that more closely reflects normal language development
Dual device modeling refers to the teachers' use of a second speech generating device in order to model language use and expansion of utterances for the learner, so that they might learn language in a naturalistic environment that more closely reflects normal language development
Overall outcomes of Dual Device Modeling (M. Banajee)
• Increase in production of target responses
• Decreased perseverations on SGD
• Progress in terms of icon recognition and SGD page navigation.
• Reduction in vocal outbursts during individual and group sessions.
• Increased attention to task.
• Increased vocalizations per session (unexpected, but welcomed outcome)
The use of a second device has not always been viable due to the cost of and funding for traditional speech generating devices. With the advent of the iPad, dual device modeling is ever more plausible as a teaching strategy.
Thank you Dr. Banajee!
Symbol consistency in Autism - L. Hodgdon
Pictures for Autism Communication – Does consistency matter?
From Linda, Monday, February 13th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
I heard a speaker recently talking about using pictures for teaching language to children with autism. She was discussing the concept of changing the art so students would generalize a concept.
I understand that we want to use different pictures so children will learn that there are many kinds of dogs when we use that word. Therefore one stage of teaching is helping students learn to understand that a bull dog and lab are both dogs. It’s a skill that develops in those first few years of “typical language development.”
But what about the pictures we use for communication interaction? If I am using a picture to give a student information, what part of that picture is he paying attention to? The size? Shape? Color? The specific photo or art? What about the words written on it? Does it matter if I use the same picture all the time? What happens if I change the picture and use a different one to communicate the same thing?
These are important questions to begin to ask. One thing I know. Many of our children with autism demonstrate strength in understanding visual information. But that does not mean they interpret those pictures the same way we do? While I am reading the words on a picture, that student may be choosing his picture because it is the one with the corner curled up. I may be paying attention to the symbol or drawing while he may be focusing on the color of the background.
That reminds me of a story about my UPS delivery man. We made a sign for the front porch. On one side was a hot pink piece of paper that said, “YES, we have a shipment today.” On the other side on white paper it stated, “NO shipment today.” When the sign got old, I had my intern make a new one.
The next day, we had no order going out, but the UPS man rang the door bell anyway. I commented on the new sign and told him we didn’t have a shipment. He pointed to the sign and noted that it was pink, which meant “YES, we have a shipment.” Instead of duplicating the old sign system, the intern made both sides hot pink. So we discovered that we trained Mr. UPS to pay attention to the color, not the specific words on the sign.
Don’t assume that children with autism understand and interpret pictures and communication tools in exactly the same way we do.
Please share your experiences!
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