AAC and Aided Language in the Classroom


Book Description

Have you got learners in your class who have Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCNs) who would benefit from resources to support their communication skills, such as using Aided Language/ Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)? This empowering book is designed with these questions at its heart. Written in an accessible style, by teachers for teachers, it offers guidance and support to help you to overcome barriers and successfully implement AAC. The book: Addresses myths and misconceptions, with discussion points to encourage the reader to reflect on their own practice. Shares the current evidence base around successful support strategies. Includes easy to implement, practical strategies that can be adopted in any classroom to have maximum impact and enhance learners’ communication skills. Contains a wealth of relatable, real-life examples and case studies included throughout, to bring theory to life and help you deliver effective classroom practice and support your learners with SLCN. Clearly outlines the variety of different assistive technologies available for facilitating communication. Providing readers with a range of useful tools and resources to implement Aided Language/AAC, AAC and Aided Language in the Classroom builds practitioners’ confidence and enables educators to provide a universal level of support for learners with SLCN. It is valuable reading for school leaders, SENCOs, teachers, and learning support assistants, as well as speech and language therapists supporting educators with the implementation of Aided Language/ AAC.




It's Okay to Be Different


Book Description

It's okay to need some help. It's okay to be a different color. It's okay to talk about your feelings. It's okay to make a wish... It's Okay to Be Different cleverly delivers the important messages of acceptance, understanding, and confidence in an accessible, child-friendly format featuring Todd Parr's trademark bold, bright colors and silly scenes. Targeted to young children first beginning to read, this book will inspire kids to celebrate their individuality through acceptance of others and self-confidence. Along with the four other bestselling Todd Parr picture books debuting in paperback this season, It's Okay to be Different is designed to encourage early literacy, enhance emotional development, celebrate multiculturalism, and promote character growth.




Augmentative and Alternative Communication


Book Description

The fourth edition of the foundational, widely adopted AAC textbook Augmentative and Alternative Communication is the definitive introduction to AAC processes, interventions, and technologies that help people best meet their daily communication needs. Future teachers, SLPs, OTs, PTs, and other professionals will prepare for their work in the field with critical new information on advancing literacy skills; conducting effective, culturally appropriate assessment and intervention; selecting AAC vocabulary tailored to individual needs; using new consumer technologies as affordable, nonstigmatizing communication devices; promoting social competence supporting language learning and development; providing effective support to beginning communicators; planning inclusive education services for students with complex communication needs; and improving the communication of people with specific developmental disabilities and acquired disabilities. An essential core text for tomorrow's professionals--and a key reference for in-service practitioners--this fourth edition prepares readers to support the communicative competence of children and adults with a wide range of complex needs.




Tele-AAC


Book Description

Tele-AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication Through Telepractice is the first comprehensive resource guide to Tele-AAC. Tele-AAC is the use of telepractice specifically for providing services to individuals using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This text establishes Tele-AAC as a new service delivery model and promotes safe, efficacious, evidence-based, and ethical telepractice for individuals who need AAC systems. The goal is to provide readers with fundamental information about policy and service delivery of AAC services via telepractice to enable clinical practice. The text details the specific technical components unique to Tele-AAC service delivery, and how the technology, personnel, and service delivery practices may vary across settings and populations. It offers didactic and case-based content for speech-language pathologists across all levels, from introductory to advanced. Chapters are included that clarify and define the term Tele-AAC, highlight the procedures used while providing assessment and intervention via Tele-AAC, identify ethical and cultural considerations while providing Tele-AAC, and demonstrate its application in a variety of settings. The content has been enriched by the input and knowledge offered by leaders from both telepractice and AAC disciplines, and offers readers the right combination of foundational information and principles to help form a base of understanding for practitioners engaging in Tele-AAC. The field of Tele-AAC is evolving and will transform as the technology changes and advances. This text provides a threshold of understanding from which the field and practitioners can grow.




Breaking the Speech Barrier


Book Description

In school, but "locked out" 13 youth, each with fewer than 10 productive words to use to build their relationship with families, teachers, and friends. That is, until they were introduced to the System for Augmenting Language, or SAL. In a wonderful meshing of science and the real world, this remarkable book chronicles the process of language learning through augmented means for people who have significant difficulty acquiring spoken language. In engaging storytelling style, speech-language pathologist Romski and psychologist Sevcik describe how they carried their research from language lab to school and in the process changed the lives of the youth to whom they brought the SAL. A replicable system that fosters naturalistic exchanges between communicative partners using electronic speech-output devices, the SAL extends the power of communication to children otherwise locked out of the world around them. With a new level of vocabulary mastery, students enjoy not only enhanced communicative skills but also higher judgments of competence from both familiar and unfamiliar observers. One award-winning SAL application, Project FACTT (Facilitating Augmentative Communication Through Technology) provides innovative augmentative communication services to school-age children with severe disabilities and is described in detail.







Comprehensive Literacy for All


Book Description

An essential resource for educators, speech-language pathologists, and parents--and an ideal text for courses that cover literacy and significant disabilities--this book will help you ensure that all students have the reading and writing skills they need to unlock new opportunities and reach their potential.




Effective Augmentative and Alternative Communication Practices


Book Description

Effective Augmentative and Alternative Communication Practices provides a user-friendly handbook for any school-based practitioner, whether you are a special education teacher, an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) consultant, assistive technology consultant, speech language pathologist, or occupational therapist. This highly practical book translates the AAC research into practice and explains the importance of the use of AAC strategies across settings. The handbook also provides school-based practitioners with resources to be used during the assessment, planning, and instructional process.




Aided Augmentative Communication for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders


Book Description

Just as autism is a continuum of disorders, it is associated with a broad range of neurodevelopmental, social, and communication deficits. For individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has a major impact on their daily lives, often reducing the occurrence of challenging behaviors. Aided Augmentative Communication for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders is a practical guide to the field, offering readers a solid grounding in ASD, related complex communication needs (CCN), and AAC, especially visual and computer-based technologies. Widely used interventions and tools in AAC are reviewed—not just how they work, but why they work—to aid practitioners in choosing those most suited to individual clients or students. Issues in evaluation for aided AAC and debates concerning its usability round out the coverage. Readers come away with a deeper understanding of the centrality of communication for clients with ASD and the many possibilities for intervention. Key areas of coverage include: AAC and assessment of people with ASD and CCN. Interdisciplinary issues and collaboration in assessment and treatment. AAC intervention mediated by natural communication partners. Functional communication training with AAC. The controversy surrounding facilitated communication. Sign language versus AAC. Aided Augmentative Communication for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders is an essential resource for clinicians/practitioners, researchers, and graduate students in such fields as child and school psychology, speech pathology, language education, developmental psychology, behavior therapy, and educational technology.




Practically Speaking


Book Description

Accessible addition to the AAC series that offers practical, targeted tools for advancing the communicative competence of children who use AAC.