Keys to Communication

Anytime a client is “refusing” to use their device we need to examine how we as communication partners are interacting with the client and device (especially if they completed full SGD trials and proper feature matching before receiving their personal device). What do we need to modify? How can we meet the AAC user where they are at to help grow language and independent communication?

Thanks to Meaningful Speech for such a great, informative post!

we can build personalized gestalts into any robust communication device/system!

Autism Acceptance Month sales are posted!!

A HUGE Thank you to Lauren S. Enders for compiling this list.

4/6/22 Update - PRC-Saltillo announced that TouchChat will be 50% off from May 6-12, 2022!

Check out the deep discounts being offered on select and apps and products in honor of 2022! BIG thanks to the companies/developers who participated.
https://bit.ly/AutismAcceptanceSalesApril22
*Once you open the graphic using the link above, click icons and websites for live links.
Screenreader-friendly sale document here: https://bit.ly/AutismAcceptanceSale22Screenreader

*PRC-Saltillo's TouchChat and Dialogue apps are not on sale in April. Stay tuned for upcoming discounts in May!

Both Smartbox and TobiiDynaVox shared that they do not plan to run (April 2022) sales this year. So, neither the Grid nor TD Snap are included in the April sale.

image: Single page graphic in shades of blue showing aac and educational apps and products on sale in April 2022 for Autism Acceptance Month.

AAC Awareness Month is right around the corner!

A HUGE thank you to Lauren S. Enders for her annual gathering of information and sharing this list!

In celebration of AAC Awareness Month October 2021, a number of app developers are once again offering deep discounts! Date ranges and sale details vary, so check the graphic carefully!
I have included information from all developers who provided me with sale details.

https://bit.ly/AACAppSalesOct21 (live links to app store)

W = sale is worldwide
VPP = additional discounts apply when 20 or more copies are purchased via Apple's Volume Purchase Program

This year only, in honor of its 10 year anniversary, GoTalk Now will be on sale for only $10 (normally $99.99) for ONE DAY ONLY on October 10, 2021. While GoTalk Now is not a robust core-based AAC app, you may not be aware that GoTalk Now is an excellent app for making songs, videos (including YouTube videos), and digital books accessible. Grab it while you can on October 10th! Administrators, if you buy 20 or more copies using the VPP, it's only $5.00 a copy! It's a great option for teaching switch access!

UPDATE: Tobii DynaVox’s TD Snap (formerly Snap Core First) for iOS will be 15% off for one day only on October 13th, 2021. (Worldwide/ VPP can be applied)

UPDATE: Talk Suite Pro at 75% off.
Only $49.99. Only this Sunday 10/3.

PDF: https://bit.ly/AACAppSalesOct21PDF (live links to app store)

Image file: https://bit.ly/AACAppSalesOct21PNG

Screen reader-friendly PDF:
https://bit.ly/AACAppSales21screenreaderpdf

Image: a screenshot of my AAC Awareness Month October 2021 AAC and Education App Sale graphic. Color-blocked document in shades of tan, orange and gray with app icons.

Thanks to Rachael Langley, AAC Specialist for sharing this well written piece by the amazing Jane Ferrall.

Jane shares some interesting, well researched thoughts regarding PECS and evidence based practice.

Great reminders that communication is SO much more than requesting. It is vital to give communicators a way to protest, comment, joke, find ways to express their own unique personality. 🤩

Why Are You Using Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)? 30 years ago, in 1991, I became a speech pathologist.  Very quickly, I became heavily interested in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and started to work more and more with indi…

Another great share from Hold My Words ❤️

I was asked last week about our PECS cards and how I use them. Feels important to first tell how we don’t used use them.

We don’t use them as a picture exchange communication system. We started Nathaniel on a high tech voice generating device at twenty months old. We didn’t do PECS first. We didn’t require him to master a low tech tool before giving him a high tech one. It just made sense to us. I figured if he was finding You Tube on my phone to watch cartoons, he could find the word GO on an iPad to communicate.

We use the visual aid cards two ways:
✅ We practice the motor plan for our word of the day in the morning working with seven words at a time. It takes less than 5 minutes. After we do all seven words (the next seven days), we use the word of the day in a couple of sentences.

✅ We add the visual aid to a calendar that is in our dining room. This is for the parents, not Nathaniel. We have a goal of each parent modeling the word of the day in casual conversation five times. But we are a real family and that doesn’t always happen. It would never happen if we didn’t have this system in place to remind us.

And one last thing we don’t do -
We don’t expect Nathaniel to mimic our modeling or even use the word of the day himself. When we model on his AAC device, it is one half of the conversation. He has complete freedom to say what he wants for his side of the conversation.

The word of the day and these cards help us as parents to stay motivated to model and have some structure to what we are modeling.

Another great post from the AAC Coach!

I really appreciate the point of communicators becoming “responders not initiators”. This is something that is VERY difficult to “unteach”.

Prompts and cues get a lot of attention in the AAC world. I think we need to take a step back and consider how we use them. We have a lot we want to teach, but there is more for us to think about. Are we helping our learners come to see AAC as their voice? Are we teaching them to initiate? Are we fostering strong relationships that will be the foundation for ongoing learning?⁣
⁣
What do you think?⁣
⁣
Image description: Bitmoji looking skeptically at the text.⁣
Text reads: AAC The Problem with Prompting
⁣There are so many things we want to teach when it comes to AAC. We might think that prompting will help our AAC learners. We have good intentions, but we need to be very careful.
Here’s why:
IT'S THEIR VOICE! Their AAC has to say what THEY want to say. We can guess what our learner wants to say based on context. We might get it right, close, or be totally off base. When we prompt language that does not match their internal thought, we teach them that the device/book isn’t really their voice. We teach them that it's another task others impose on them.
When we use lots of prompts for communication, we teach our learners to be responders, not initiators. Everything we want for them in the long term requires that they initiate their own thoughts! Our teaching needs to reflect that!
How do our learners perceive our prompts and cues? Are they helpful? Annoying? Do we increase their stress or add to overwhelm? Do they make us fun to be with? Do they put our connection at risk? Communication is about relationships. Without strong relationships, we can't be effective teachers!

Yes, Avaz!

What AAC Users Really Need is to know that we are 100% behind them. 💯

0 doubts cast on their abilities due to their complex communication needs. ⛔

At least 5 seconds waiting time for them to construct a response. This shows them that what they have to say matters. ⏱

They need a mode of communication 24/7 because communication happens anywhere, anytime. 📅

Yes, they need a robust communication device, lots of modeling, and prompting when required too
But for AAC users to benefit from all the above-mentioned strategies and tools, they need a positive communication environment where they feel supported at all times 💪🏽

I field a lot of questions about AAC Babbling. Exploring the device, just like exploring your vocalizations is an important(and fun) part of learning! Thanks for the visual Avaz!

In the early stages of AAC learning, communicators may push random buttons on their AAC systems. This is called AAC Babble.

AAC Babble may look like the communicator is just playing with the AAC system. But it is an important step in their language development. It allows the communicator to explore their AAC system and get familiar with the vocabulary.

Attribute meaning to babble and respond as if it was a meaningful communication attempt. This way, babble presents an excellent opportunity for us to build communication.

April is Autism Acceptance Month!
Many people with Autism benefit from using AAC. They can use a single low-tech or high tech system as their primary means of communication, a combination of no-tech, low-tech and high tech systems, or one or more systems as a back up to verbal speech. AAC systems are unique, just like the people who use them! 🌠

The AAC Town Podcast is excellent! This episode offers some great insight directly from an AAC user with Autism. Thank you, Saoirse for sharing some of your AAC journey. I so appreciate learning from endever*, Sam, and their guests!

‎AAC Town: Episode 5- Interviewing Saoirse on Apple Podcasts ‎Show AAC Town, Ep Episode 5- Interviewing Saoirse - Feb 17, 2021

April is Autism ACCEPTANCE Month!
♾🗣💙

Autism Awareness month AAC app sales!

(Don't fret Saltillo TouchChat HD with WordPower users, keep an eye out for a sale in May!)

As always, thanks do Lauren Enders for putting this list together!

2021 Autism Acceptance Month App Sales March-April 2021 An awesome design designed in Canva by Lauren Enders.

Another great visual from the AAC Coach!

AAC Therapy IS language therapy! The AAC systems are the tools to teach and use language. (And the bells and whistles available on some speech generating devices are pretty Rad! 😊)

I get quite a few questions asking about how to keep up with technology. I get it! Technology is exciting and it changes frequently. That said, if you are new to AAC your time would be better spent learning about language organizations (e.g., PODD, Proloquo2go's Crescendo, Word Power, Unity). When we teach AAC, we're really teaching a language. Language systems don't change anywhere near as frequently as hardware. As long as the learner can access their language efficiently, I don't really care what technology it lives on! Learn the language and use it to connect with your learners. That's what it's all about.

Image description:
Bitmoji of white woman with brown hair, smiling and holding a communication device and communication book.
Text reads: AAC Newsflash: We're not teaching technology. We are teaching a language and a means for connection.
Language and connections are capitalized to emphasize their importance.

Another great reminder from the AAC Coach! Our main goal in AAC therapy is to give people the power of communication to communicate to anyone, at anytime, anywhere!

Access to AAC and learning how to use it is very important, but AAC is not the real goal!

Image description:
Bitmoji of white woman with brown hair at bottom right, giving 2 thumbs up in approval.
Text reads:
AAC NEWSFLASH: AAC isn't actually the goal.
The real goals are successful communication, autonomy, and self determination.
When we value one mode of communication over all others, we actually make the real goals harder to attain. Keep modeling and teaching AAC, but respect and respond to ALL communication. Empower your AAC learner and listen to them however they communicate!

Yes!