This week, the TWT team is pleased to share the first half of the AAC Apps Update 2018! This conference session was originally presented by Lucas, Chris, and Rachel as part of the Special Apps Update Conference 2018. 

Key ideas this week include:

🔑 AAC users may benefit from working with a reading specialist or including a reading specialist on their interdisciplinary team. 

🔑 You have to truly assess whether a child with autism knows language and isn’t using compensatory measures, such as visuals or gestures.

🔑 School districts should consider teaching the basics of AAC to all students and staff.

Listen this week and part 2 of the AAC Apps Update next week, then head to bit.ly/techceu to earn CEU credit for listening to these episodes!

Before the Session:

• Chris was approached by a Specialized Instructional Facilitator for Reading
  • Whole focus is to coach others with reading strategies
  • Wanted to help teach AAC users to read as well
  • Talked about core vocabulary vs fringe
  • Role of modeling in literacy, what the SIFR would push on the device as far as modeling
• Another SIFR said to Chris “You need to come out and see an eye gaze preschool student”
  • Student playing a letter finding balloon game on an eye gaze device
  • They were excited she identified letters, but did she know them without a visual prompt?
  • Covered the letters and she still found the letters from just the audio
• Autism and compensatory measures
  • You should make sure a child with autism understands language and isn’t just using visuals and matching to understand the meaning of language
  • Compensatory measures can mask difficulty with listening and muddy the waters.
  • Gestures can also give a clue, so again make sure the child comprehending the language.
• Chris presented at a conference put on by a consortium of colleges
  • Conference focused on AAC and pulled together teachers who had already been teaching for a few years.
  • When Chris began his presentation, he found out the group already knew about introductory AAC concepts like core vocabulary, aided language input, motor planning.
  • Had a great interaction with the attendees 
  • Chris is excited to see that AAC is becoming more mainstream
• You can teach general education students the symbols and device the AAC user is using in schools, which can make everyone aware and more open to communication with everyone.

Following this week’s banter – Lucas, Rachel, and Chris present AAC Apps Update Part 1! 

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