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Helpful Links
Helpful Links
Boulevard Heights Speech and Communication - a compendium of helpful resources, downloads, and visuals created by Fort Worth ISD SLPs, Kellie Cullen and Debbie Manning (former FWISD SLP)
LAMP - Words for Life Resource Guide for Teachers and Teacher Assistants
Words of the Week Calendars - not sure where to start as you emphasize core vocabulary at home or in the classroom with individuals with complex communication needs? This is a fantastic resource released every month by our very own Kellie Cullen!
high quality, relevant, free professional development opportunities, free downloads and tools, research, success stories from AAC users, teachers, and families, and more!
a collection of free resources for teachers and caregivers, including (but not limited to): core vocabulary companions for popular and widely used curricula such as N2Y and ULS, lesson plans and activities, starter guides, downloads, and more!
AAC Facts and Myths by the Boston Ability Center
a short blog post unpacking some of the most common myths & revealing the truth about AAC implementation and use
AAC for Caregivers Manual by The Specialised Assistive Technology Centre (ATC) SPD in Singapore
Book-Related AAC Resources by Symbols for All
especially helpful for teachers!
Tips for Starting AAC Therapy with Little Ones by PrAACtical AAC
a blog post by Carole Zangari, founder of PrAACtical AAC
AAC Tips and Tricks That Aren't Tricky by PrAACtical AAC
a video resource with many hands-on tips and tricks
Tips and Trick for Implementing AAC in the Classroom
see the next handout, "Aided Language Stimulation" for more in-depth information
5 Steps For Implementing AAC Devices In Your Child’s Routine
Aided Language Stimulation by TVCC
learn how to model and "speak" AAC throughout the day, providing our students who utilize AAC with consistent language input for maximized language, literacy, and quality of life outcomes
Resources for Aided Language Input by PrAACtical AAC
Communication Partner Strategies by TVCC
some strategies for communication partners - we want individuals with communication difficulties to recognize when a breakdown occurs so they can learn to use strategies to repair the breakdown
Helping your child communicate with AAC: A Partner Strategies Booklet
a booklet of strategies for communication partners
AAC Prompting Hierarchy for Teachers & Parents
two clear hierarchies explaining the types of supports that can be implemented to presume competence AND provide needed core vocabulary instruction
Parent Communication Diary by Connectability
helpful for educators and parents when deciding which core words to model on the speech-generating device, and when these models would be helpful in a natural environment for the individual
Manual Core Boards - Download, Print, Model, & Communicate!
LAMP Words for Life English, Bilingual English-Spanish, and Bilingual English-Arabic
Saltillo WordPower Core Boards in English and Spanish
LAMP_WFL__full_0819191.pdfSpanish_LAMP__0827191.pdfArabic WFL.pdfCore Poster - WordPower60 Basic - SINGLE POSTER 96 Locations - SS.pdfCore Board - WordPower60 Español Basico - SS.pdfProloquo2Go Core Boards in English and Spanish
Proloquo2Go Quick Communication Boards.pdfpóster-de-palabras-esenciales.pdfProloquo2Go Core Boards in English and Spanish
TD_Snap_CommunicationBoard_Poster_US.pdfTD Snap Spanish 8 x 10.pdfSpeak AAC whenever you can. Challenge yourself to do more this week than what you did last week. The more you do, the better you’ll be!
Measure it! Track what you are doing to support AAC use & review it periodically. Set goals for your own use of AAC support strategies.
Build engagement. Students will become better communicators if they WANT to engage & interact. As yourself, “What can I do to make this student WANT to interact with me?” Once we figure that out, everything else becomes easier.
Use gentle accountability. Hold yourself & others accountable for their AAC use, but in a kind & supportive way.
Make it easy & acceptable for others use AAC, too. Display large AAC boards & have small ones strategically located around the room so that there is always a convenient AAC option.
Make it fun! Set up a challenge, post pictures, leave notes for each other, play games! Brag about a colleague to the boss. Praise a parent to his/her child.
Stick with it. Some students don’t hit their stride until adults have been consistently modeling AAC for a few months. Hang in there. Starting over is 1000% better than giving up.
Create opportunities for AAC use across the day. AAC learners need frequent opportunities for learning & practice.
Find or create a supportive network. Building new communication habits is hard! Hard things require support. Reach out for encouragement when you need it.
Celebrate the little victories along the way! Communication is a journey, not a destination.
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