101+ Ideas - Links

I love it when others do your work for you! Taking a look at the AAC in the Desert line up (Feb 15-17, Phoenix, AZ; early bird registration through Jan 16) I stumbled across a document online - "101 Ways to Use a Step by Step" by Gretchen Hanser, with great ideas for social scripts, literacy, play, and also ideas for the toy/appliance function. 

A borrowed description of Step by Step communicators (aka. sequential message communication devices): These are simple devices that let you record messages in segments and then replay them in that same order. The initial activation of the device speaks the first part of the message aloud and then stops. When you activate the device again, it plays the second part, and so on. Download the 101+ list in PDF, HERE.

Here are more ideas from Carole Zangari at PrAACticalAAC.org on sequential message devices and apps, LINK HERE.

This reminded me of a list of communication ideas I once saw for the Big Mack (single message voice output button). These also apply to the Little Mack, of course. 

Here is one such list from Ablenet. Fantastic! Download PDF, HERE.

Link to Ablenet, HERE

Here's another list from CENMAC. Download PDF, HERE.

Still more ideas gathered by Barbara Solomonson, SLP, HERE.

Looking down the results list a little further, I came across a remarkable collection from TalkSense, also for Big Mack. Take a look at the Ideas, Suggestions and Problem Solving section (starts bottom of pg. 3) and its wealth of uses as a switch, creative locations for various points of access, prompting ideas, as well as communicative ones. Download PDF, HERE. 

And may I add - No naked switches! That is to say that giving the purpose of the switch and defining its meaning using text or symbol is an important element of teaching switch success. Read more ideas as great as this one from Kelly Fonner in this doc, LINK HERE.

Break out the single message VOCAs and try out some of these. Leave a comment with your favorites.