The Southern California Augmentative and Alternative Communication Network...

...is a support group for professional development, problem solving, leadership, mentoring, and training in the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to develop communication in non-speaking and minimally verbal individuals in the Southern California Region.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Parents Webinar from PRC - 12/22/14




CoreScanner: Vocabulary Review and Basic Setup



  • December 22, 2014 (Monday), 11:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. EST
  • Price: FREE


AAC in the Home:
For Parents, From Parents



  • December 22, 2014 (Monday), 12:00p.m. to 1:00p.m. EST
  • Price: $24.00
"This course highlights how to make AAC communication a part of daily life in our home." - Elizabeth S.

We Believe Everyone Deserves a Voice™

Friday, December 12, 2014

iPad Webinars from Closing the Gap

Tuesday, December 16, 2014
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Central Standard Time

It can be challenging to find apps for students who have significant developmental delays, significant motor developmental impairments or multiple disabilities and find apps that are appropriate to meet their unique needs. They can have sensory, motor, neurological or medical issues that can make it difficult for them to access a mobile device. This webinar will focus on alternate ways to access a mobile device, such as switches, pointers, mounting systems, etc. We will cover device features and apps that can be used to support students with significant needs, such as cause and effect, communication, literacy, entertainment and more.

PRESENTER: MARK COPPIN, B.S., is an Apple Distinguished Educator and the Director of Assistive Technology, Anne Carlsen Center for Children, Jamestown, ND.
 
REGISTER NOW






Using iTechnology as Evidence-based Practice! Self-regulation Strategies for Students with ASD
90 MINUTES
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
10:00 am - 11:30 am Central Standard Time
  
iTechnology (iPads, iPods, iPhones) can be highly motivating tools that, by design, remarkably address the unique learning style of students with ASD. This fast-paced webinar will provide an overview of various apps that can be customized to meet the learning and behavior needs of students with ASD and, most importantly, to increase their independent functioning for self-regulation. Apps that use the evidence-based practice for self-regulation to teach students with ASD how to recognize signs of increased anxiety and subsequent strategies for relaxation and stress management will be shared.
 
Participants should have a general knowledge of iTechnology device "basics", including accessories and access tools, for making these systems user friendly for both students and adults.

PRESENTER: Susan K. Lewis Stokes, M.A., CCC-SLP; Educational Autism Consultant and Trainer, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Comment on Medicare SGD Funding Today!

Medicare Funding Alert
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday and you are feeling recharged for some advocacy work.

Medicare has given all of us the opportunity to comment on how Speech Generating Devices (SGDs) should be covered in the future, but with a comment deadline of December 6th, the window for comment submission is closing fast.

This is a critical opportunity to help educate Medicare about the people we work with who do not use natural speech and who deserve every right to communicate using the most appropriate technology available.

Please use a few minutes today to take action on this issue!
Thanks,
Chris Gibbons
Chris Gibbons, PhD, CCC/SLP
Director of SGD Services
AbleNet, Inc.
Take Action Now

Re-Post: It's PrAACtically Chanukkah!

Re-Post from PrAACticallyAAC.org, 11/29/12

Its PrAActically Chanukkah!
Hanukkah Marshmallow & Chocolate Kiss Dreidels
Chanukkah is prAACtically here, even though it seems very early.  Chanukkah starts at sundown on December 8th and ends at sundown on December 18th.   Holidays are usually fun and busy.  With all the fun comes changes in routines, less sleep, more stress, more excitement, more people, more compromise, and overall different expectations.  This is a time to plan in advance the visual supports, visual systems, and AAC displays that will help everyone understand, organize, and communicate most optimally. Check out these great resources to help with the planning:
Gateways Program Resources- There are  visual supports for the  Chanukkah Blessings. There are social story books that help with understanding that birthday candles and Chanukkah candles are different, that Chanukkah candles go out by themselves, and about Chanukkah candles and fire safety.  There are visual instructions for the steps in lighting the Chanukkah candles (which is a mini-schedule). There are also folder activities for keeping busy while learning vocabulary, word knowledge, matching, and relationships between objects.  But maybe most fun of all, there are visual supports for Chanukkah songs.
HanukkahPinterest Board by Pediastaff- Hanukkah Themed Therapy Activities- The most comprehensive Hanukkah resources, stories, projects around.
Visit PrAACtically AAC's blog for daily info, tips, and resources on implementing AAC. It's Fantastic!!!