I.+Quick+Tips

Low Tech Ideas:
• Can make it yourself • Can use commercial products –Pixon www.prentrom.com –Boardmaker http://www.mayer-johnson.com –PODD http://www.mayer-johnson.com –Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) @http://www.pecs.com/ • Augmentative Resources http://www.augresources.com • Jo-Ann’s Fabric and Crafts- customer loyalty program • Lok-Lift http://www.ruggripper.com

Participation activities for use with low tech and mid-tech tools:
–Single words better than phrases and sentences –Can still target CORE words –Activities that control others –Activities that requires others to engage –Songs/rhymes –Book reading –Predictive scripts –Positive, negative and neutral comments –Classroom management/organization

High Tech Ideas:
–Working the gap between receptive and expressive vocabulary –Sound assessment –Clearly defined linguistic goals/objectives –Address language disorders as they become evident –LITERACY and writing opportunities –Access to CORE vocabulary via the device; access fringe, context/context specific, and academic via spelling and low tech –PrentkeRomich Language Lab http://www.aaclanguagelab.com –YAACK @http://aac.unl.edu/yaack –Dr. Janice Light’s intervention website @http://aackids.psu.edu/index.php/page/show/id/1 –Teach Core –Teaching the 1st ten core words: all done, different, help, mine, more, not/don’t, stop, that, want, what –Find the easiest environment- start there and add other environments one by one- see the Opportunity Chart –Then teach the next ten core words, etc. –Strategies –Direct instruction vs. naturalistic instruction –Sabotage techniques –Prompting –Use peers as partners –Teach parts of speech –Use a favorite “preposition lesson” –Target and model responses with the device and possibly low tech –MODEL what is expected –REINFORCE communication –Teach in conjunction with literacy –Reflect on Dr. Janice Light’s 4 areas of AAC Competency –Linguistic –Operational –Social –Strategic –Communication Partner Training –Be aware of the “load” on the student –Cognitive –Linguistic –Academic –Physical

Teach Literacy:
•Access and opportunity •Synchronous development of reading, writing and spelling •Dr. Janice Light AAC Literacy @http://aacliteracy.psu.edu/index.php/page/show/id/1 •Center for Literacy and Disabilities @http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds •[|Visual methods]of teaching literacy •Teach cognates, prefixes, suffixes, and root words (Nifty Fifty) •Teach students how to utilize context clues: embedded definitions, pictures, and charts •JUST START! •AAC systems with access to spelling and word prediction- MODEL! •Computer/tablet word processors- possibly with word prediction •Email, IM, web conferencing, social networking •Smart phones

Access to the Curriculum:
•Create low-tech “academic” boards and archive for later study •Word walls- archive for later study •Pre-teach essential academic vocabulary before it is to be introduced in class •Multiple formats- graphic, kinesthetic, multimedia, word walls, notebooks, low tech boards