Minspeak E-Newsletter - 2/1/12

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Send to Friend February 01, 2012 Intervention Planning: All of the intervention plans and teaching materials were highlighted for learning to ask questions, except for “am” questions. Download the “Am” Intervention Plan and 3 simple PDF books: “Am I –I Am?”, “I Am-Are You?” and “Am I – Am I Going?” Teaching Materials Exchange: Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Print out the “Do You Like Me? – Will You Be Mine?” card that encourages your students to ask 2 simple questions. The card is coded with Pixons and icon sequences from Unity®45, Unity®60, Unity®84, and Unity®144. Teaching Tip: Do you need to make a quick and easy communication vest. Simply take a T-shirt, cut off the sleeves and cut open along the side seams. Create a pocket to store materials by flipping up the front of the T-Shirt about 2 or 3 inches and sewing along the outer edges and in the middle. Finish off the raw edges with seam binding. Add 2 or 3 strips of Velcro along the top of the front of the t-shirt. Attach a 3 to 4 inch piece of elastic from the front side to the back side (about 6 inches under your arm). This makes it easy to put on and take off and prevents the front of your communication vest from flapping or rolling up. Pittsburgh Language Seminar Series: Check your calendars to see whether or not you can attend one of the upcoming seminar series. February 14-16 features Katya Hill as the guest speaker, March 13-15 features Jane Odom, April 17-19 features Marilyn Buzolich, and May 22-24 features Gail Van Tatenhove. All of these seminars are provided free of charge, with meals and lodging provided. Contact Renee McGough immediately at 412-885-8541 or email her at rmcgough@minspeak.com to register. Announcements: Gail Van Tatenhove will be presenting a webinar for ATIA entitled “Core Vocabulary: Why Use It?” on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 from 3:30 – 5:00 pm EST. Register with ATIA to attend this webinar. The webinar code is: AT12-WEB04.       Benefits of Minspeak Using multi-meaning icons. The power of motor automaticity. Use of Minspeak Minspeak systems with different disabilities. Minspeak and cultural-linguistic diversity. The Power of Minspeak Minspeak, language and literacy development. Using Minspeak in the classroom. Support of Minspeak Strategies to support use of Minspeak. Minspeak teaching materials. Visit us online www.minspeak.com © Semantic Compaction Systems 2009 1000 Killarney Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15234, USA. Tel. 412.885.8541 Fax 412.885.8548 This message was intended for: gmeier@villaesperanzaservices.org Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails. Unsubscribe

Key Technology's Plate Switch

Pasadena Child Development Associates celebrated the launch of their AAC Center tonight with an open house! They showcased a number of AAC options, access, and communicative contexts for interaction.  One highlight was the Plate Switch. It's an ultra-thin membrane switch and is highly sensitive to light touch. It can be slipped under static visual targets, pages of a book, or mounted positions. Take a look at Key Technology's Plate Switch!

Gripcase! iPad protection that works

Villa Esperanza Services' Non-Public School is loving the Gripcase for our iPads (first version and iPad2).  The continuous handle provides both a continuous 'crumple zone' and a hand hold in both portrait and landscape orientations.  The supple yet sturdy molded foam can withstand bumps and drops, but would likely give way to a firm chomp (the texture does seem somewhat appealing for oral input!).  

Take a look at their website for a short demo video, www.gripcase-usa.org

- Gwendolyn Meier, SLP, MT

Dynavox Operational Training - Santa Ana, Feb 16

This just in from Mara Marshall:

Please mark your calendars for the next Orange County DyanVox Operations Skills Training. It will be held on February 16, from 9 am to 2 pm. The training will focus on beginning skill level basics. It is at ATEC, which is located at 1601 East Saint Andrew Place, Santa Ana, Ca. 92705. Hope to see you there!

Boardmaker Share - New Visuals & Overlays

If you haven't been on Boardmaker Share lately, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the volume of excellent visual resources created by your colleagues far and wide...Log In or Sign Up for free and start downloading!

Pittsburgh Language Seminar Series (Feb-May)

Pittsburgh [Sorry SoCal-AACers] Language Seminar Series

Schedule of Events

These seminars provide clinically proven ideas for using Unity^® with children and adults who are both nonspeaking and possibly language impaired. Participants will learn how to enhance language growth leading to successful use of communication devices including the SpringBoard™ Lite, Vantage™ Lite, and ECO™2.  Participants will have the opportunity to learn the Unity^® software through hands-on interactive instruction offered by Dr. Bruce Baker and Russell Cross.  In addition, each seminar will feature a different guest speaker as listed below.

FACULTY

Bruce Baker, A.M., L.H.D., will begin the seminar with an in-depth, research-based discussion on language development and core vocabulary as it pertains to AAC.  He will also discuss various methods of representing vocabulary, a comparison between the referential and descriptive methods of instruction and motor automaticity. 

Katya Hill, Ph.D. will discuss evidence-based assessment for AAC and how to generate successful funding requests for speech generating devices. 

Russell Cross, BSc.(Hons.), DipCST, MRCSLT. will explore the power of multi-meaning icons and core vocabulary, including how assigning multiple meanings to pictures is a natural linguistic occurrence.  He will also provide participants with the opportunity to learn Unity^® software through hands-on demonstration using the PASS software. 

Each seminar will also include a guest speaker, as indicated below:

(PAST - Sorry!!) January 17-19, 2012

Now You’re Talking – Becoming Fluent in Unity^®

Guest Speakers:  Darlette Navrotski, MA, CCC-SLP

& Debbie Witkowski, MA, CCC-SLP

 The goal of this immersion session is to have all participants really talking with the Unity^® Language program.  D & D will facilitate participants’ learning of Unity^® through use of materials from the AAC Language Lab and other teaching and implementation strategies.  Participants will observe their own progress through using the Language Activity Monitor and will experience the power of communication through using single word vocabulary.   Participants will leave with tools for teaching language. 

February 14-16

AAC Assessments:  Will Your Teams SGD Funding Request be Chopped?

Guest Speaker:  Katya Hill, Ph.D.

 Katya Hill, Ph.D., CCC-SLP will provide an in-depth presentation on of the techniques of evaluation and documentation that are instrumental when seeking funding approval for SGDs.  AAC for individuals who have experienced strokes will be highlighted. She will discuss, as well, gathering clinical data on all populations and how a teacher or therapist can explain the role of AAC to family members, teachers, and caregivers. 

March 13-15

Best Practice for Integrating AAC into the Classroom

Guest Speaker: Jane Odom, M. Ed.

This presentation will focus on strategies to teach and promote the use of an augmentative communication system: how to get students to independently initiate spontaneous, novel utterances rather than simply repeating pre-stored sentences when prompted. The strategies presented will cover a range of communication ages and abilities, including those at the level of emerging language and literacy. The teaching strategies presented are appropriate for a wide variety of devices and programs. The workshop is not limited to people using PRC devices. This presentation is appropriate for anyone (teacher, SLP, parent, paraprofessional, etc.) working with a student using a communication device.

April 17-19

Supporting Unity^® Users in the Classroom and

Communication Sampling and Analysis:  Focus on Unity^® Users

Guest Speaker: Marilyn J. Buzolich, Ph.D.

This presentation will discuss how to meet curricular needs of Unity^® users in elementary classrooms; adapting curricular materials, customizing systems, and providing support to classroom staff to effectively assist students during instruction. The presentation will include video clips of classroom instruction, staff training materials, and lesson planning.  In addition, Marilyn will provide in-depth discussion on obtaining and analyzing language samples.

May 22 – 24

Supporting Language Development for Children and Adults Using Unity^®

Guest Speaker:  Gail Van Tatenhove, P.A., M.S., CCC-SLP

This presentation will focus on the use of a multi-modal Unity^® system to build motor automaticity, strengthen semantic networks and stimulate grammatical output.  Gail will review how to teach strategic skills in the classroom as well as how to develop and use visual support materials to teach Unity^® paradigms. 

All of these seminars are provided free of charge, with meals and lodging provided.  If you are interested in attending one of the events listed above, please contact Renee McGough immediately at 412-885-8541 or email her at rmcgough@minspeak.com to register. 

SPEAKER TOPICS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Access (PRC) - Tips and Tools, January

January 2012 PRC HOME PRODUCTS FUNDING TRAINING SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ABOUT US NEWS AND SUCCESS STORIES If you are unable to view this newsletter, the HTML version is available at http://www.prentrom.com/newsletter/January 2012.  Teach Featured Tip - What's New in the AAC Language Lab? Featured Tip for Professionals and Parents - Language Lab:  Core Words New App for iPad Learn Fundamental Funding Chat a Success Let's Talk Funding:  When My Client Needs a New Device... Connect PRC Fights Hunger with Online Food Drive Have You Joined Their Circle?  PRC Launches Google+ Page Succeed Victoria Advocate Promotes Communication Success Story:  Francis Evanich Success Story:  Jennifer Linder