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Ysgol Y Gogarth is celebrating AAC awareness month.

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Ysgol Y Gogarth is celebrating AAC awareness month.

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We have created this Padlet to share information, give ideas and inspire you to use AAC with your children. Have a look!

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Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a range of strategies and tools to help people who struggle with speech. These may be simple letter or picture boards or sophisticated computer-based systems. AAC helps someone to communicate as effectively as possible, in as many situations as possible.

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This page collates a collection of games and resources which enhance the communication opportunities for all students but especially designed for AAC (Augmentative and alternative communication) users.

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Special Education and Inclusive Learning

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This page collates all the games and resources I have made/found to enhance the communication opportunities for all students but especially designed for AAC (Augmentative and alternative communication) users. This may be PECS (Picture exchange communication system) or Context specific boards for those students who have more speech. All are free but some will require software to edit.

Communication and Interaction AAC Games.

This page collates all the games and resources I have made/found to enhance the communication opportunities for all students but specially designed for AAC (Augmentative and alternative communication) users. This may be PECS (Picture exchange communication system) or Context specific boards for those students who have more speech. All are free but some will require software to edit. If you click any of the links and buy a product we will earn a little bit of money that helps towards hosting costs. If you like this post please share it! I hope these resources help you support non-verbal communication in all forms.

All children deserve to have their communication needs met and a chance to use these with their peers. Click To Tweet

Speech and Language therapy.

I am not a speech and language therapist but work in a specialist school where communication is our primary focus. Most of these activities have been given the nod by our SALT and have passed the (essential) student test. I can heartily recommend Sarah Alderman's blog for speech and language expertise and ideas. I have some thoughts on age appropriateness. A lot of these games and toys were designed for younger children than I work with. You can have this debate in your centre/school but I personally think engagement trumps the perception that these are too childish. Children need tough toys that they can explore. They need motivating sounds, colours and textures.

I work hard to create a classroom that is clearly a secondary classroom, but I want the drawers to be full of motivating, fun tasks that I do not have to be too precious over. If my students like a spinner or noisy shape tub then that's what I am going to use to grab their attention and make sure they want to engage with the planned learning and interactions (So there). In a special school it is essential to engage a child's interests. Working with Autistic children these interests can be highly motivating.

The AAC Games and Communication Resources.

I have used a Mr Potato Head numerous times to structure an activity to aid expressive language. So many opportunities for PECS use, sharing, commenting and interaction.

Buy Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Stormtrooper Mr Potato Head Set of three.

You can use this communication board to structure requests. If there is too much vocabulary blank the squares out.

Squawk: The Egg-Spolsive Chicken GAme

Update December 2019 - I have added a full review of this game click the button below!

Gassy the Cow

Toilet trouble AAC Game

We had a great time on a hot day playing this simple game. Basically you roll the paper to indicate how many times you flush. You may well get sprayed! Download the CSCB - Communication board by clicking the button below. Buy the Game Here.

Yeti in my Spaghetti Game

This is a tried and tested family favourite (see images). Pile the spaghetti in the bowl and balance the yeti figure on top. Take turns to remove a piece of spaghetti kerplunk style until the yeti drops into the bowl. You could make it more motivating for some learners by replacing the yeti with a favoured toy or figure. Buy Yeti here!

Download the communication aac game communication board free printable here for Yeti in my Spaghetti.

Pop Up Pirate

This classic game comes with multiple coloured swords. So great for extending vocabulary or practicing attributes with PECS. You can definitely find this in a charity shop or buy it here. Download the free CSCB - For Pop up Pirate here.

Pop The Pig

This is a bit more of a complex game, it comes with coloured burgers that have a number printed on them, you can roll the dice to see wich burger or just request a chosen colour using the CSCB. You press the Pigs head the number of times that is printed on the burger. Buy Pig goes pop here. Download the CSCB - Pop the Pig or copy and paste the image below.

Penguin Race/slide/Rollercoaster

This is one of the most horrendously noisy toys ever but the kids love it. Buy the penguin race here. hopefully it comes with multi-coloured penguins that the child can request with PECS or the Penguin Slide CSCB board.

Update I found a duck version as well! Will upload the board or make your own with Widgit Online.

Gator Goal AAC Game

I like this as it's fully age appropriate probably up to the sixth form and beyond and encourages gross motor skills and movement as well as communication and commenting opportunities. You can buy it here. Download a Zip of all Gator Goal Game Free Printable resources here.

Monster/Alien Poppers AAC Game

These incredibly cheap little Alien poppers (Under £3 for 12) are really good fun. Just request the colour of the one you want. The communication AAC board is made using widgit online and does not have coloured boxes to make it visually easier to process for Autistic learners.
Download the Monster Alien Poppers CSCB AAC board
Pop-Up Toy AAC Game

First up is the Pop Up Game ( I stole this idea from a portage session then saw it for £5 in Sainsbury's the link above is Amazon.)

Using this board (download here - Pop Up Game attributes CSCB) your guys can request the number and colour of the figures they want. These then go into the matching hole, you can use the "oh no" comment if it gets put in the wrong one or if it falls on the floor when they bounce it out etc. Great for enhancing expressive communication.

There are also variations on this - I found an animal and Pirate one as well that would fit in with specific topics or interests.

This seems to be discontinued I found mine for £2 in a charity shop so you may be lucky.

The Wobbly Chef

This unsteady chap has proven a hit with my class and is great for both communication and fine motor skills. I have to admit I have adapted with some blu-tac on the base as he is a little too wobbly on a hard school desk. Anyway, the idea is you roll the dice and try to balance the item on one of the plates. Download the PDF Wobbly chef AAC board. If you want to edit it you can use this file and open with In Print 3.- Wobbly Chef AAC resources. This includes medium and small PECS symbol grids for the game.

This strip I didn't save for some reason so if you want to extend the discussion you can save and print the image.
The Yes/No Game
No additional physical resources needed for this AAC game. This was just a quick way to get extend the vocabulary of some of my guys. A game they could play with minimal staff support. A bit of a classic. All they have to do is ask questions - the other player then has to answer without saying yes or no.

So I printed the boards double-sided and laminated (of course). 1 Side is possible question prompts if needed. The other is possible answers. You can of course then fade this support out. We play this AAC game with a buzzer to make it a bit more fun but a bell or even an app would do. Pretty much a totally free teaching resource.
Download the Yes no game. Or the Yes no game.ipdoc file to edit
The Penguin Game.

Probably the most popular due to the water play element to it. This simple pile the penguins on the ice game ( Buy Here) allows for PECS attributes (4) and stage 1/2/3. ( Download the Small/Medium PECS penguin float game Grids Here)

Download the Penguin AAC board for free. It is well worth it!

Essential Software for Making AAC Games.

90% of these resources have been made using Widgit Software - either In-Print 3 or Widgit online ( Free Trial Here). To edit any of these files you will need to invest in this.

To quickly and simply capture images for your resources you will need screen capture software - if you have a Mac the buttons Command+Shift+4 will allow you to draw a box around the image or more usually the part of an image you want this then saves to your desktop for use.

Alternatively, Faststone screen capture is a free little program I use at work. The benefits of this is the smaller file size and ability to capture multiple images quickly i.e from google image search (filtered by license of course).
That is all for Now please follow our Facebook page for updates. Shares and comments are always hugely appreciated.

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AAC Games and Communication Resources (Autism and Interaction Games)

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This page collates all the games and resources I have made/found to enhance the communication opportunities for all students but especially designed for AAC (Augmentative and alternative communication) users. This may be PECS (Picture exchange communication system) or Context specific boards for those students who have more speech.

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One of our students using his  eye gaze to make his own rhyme from room on the broom

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One of our students using his  eye gaze to make his own rhyme from room on the broom

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‘’I am a tiger as great as can be. Is there room on the broom for a tiger like me?’’

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Everyone has the right to be taught to communicate, to be spoken with and not about, to know and ask about what’s happening to them and to make their preferences known. Everyone has the right to a communication system all the time and deserves to have a voice. For people with conditions that impact communication, AAC is the means of achieving this basic human right.

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Singing Hands: Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate - Nursery Rhyme - Makaton Sign Language

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Makaton Topic - HALLOWEEN - Singing Hands

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Lets' look and sign special things that we might see in the autumn

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Learn to sign Autumn 🍁🍂 | Mr Tumble and Friends

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12- 16th October

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Access to AAC is more important than ever

In terms of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) this has been a very challenging year. In March, the world went into lockdown, and many schools closed. From one day to the next, children were at home without their AAC system. Therapists had to provide teletherapy, often without access to the school iPad with AAC apps. We responded by providing a temporary license for students and therapists. We also created Crescendo quick communication boards for those without access to an iPad or other AAC device.

Access to AAC is more important than ever, also given the turmoil in the world. AAC users need to be able to speak about the coronavirus pandemic and the protests about discrimination and violence.

If there is one thing we have learned from the pandemic, it is that everyone needs their own AAC system. Shared devices don't work with lockdowns.

AAC Awareness Month Discount

To make it easier for families, individuals, and schools on a budget, we will be offering our traditional 50% discount for 5 days instead of 3 and include more apps than ever.

In addition to Proloquo2Go, the Gateway vocabulary, Proloquo4Text, Keeble, and Pictello on iOS, we are also discounting Mac apps. The Mac versions of Proloquo2Go and Proloquo4Text are ideal for teletherapy. Wrise is a great accessible word processor.

Last but not least, we will be offering our on-demand AAC training videos at 50% off during the discount period. Learn from some of our world-renowned AAC specialists!

Save the date!

The 50% discount will be in effect worldwide from Monday, October 12th through Friday, October 16th. No need to fill in a discount code - you'll see the discounted amount in the App Store.

Share the news

Already have some of our apps? Do you know somebody who could benefit? Spread the word!

Tweet this Share on Facebook

Discount also available for volume purchase discount

The discount also applies to Apple's Educational Volume Purchase Program (VPP). When your school or educational organization purchases 20 copies or more, you get an additional 50% off. That's 75% off!

Questions?

Do you have a question about the upcoming discount? Not sure which devices are supported? Our Support team is here to help. You can get reach them 24/7 at support@assistiveware.com.

Good to know

The discount percentage is based on the US App Store. Exact prices vary from country to country. Bundles will not be discounted during this promotion.

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AAC Awareness Month Discount - AssistiveWare

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In terms of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) this has been a very challenging year. In March, the world went into lockdown, and many schools closed. From one day to the next, children were at home without their AAC system. Therapists had to provide teletherapy, often without access to the school iPad with AAC apps.

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Have a go at aided language modelling by printing this ALD and making some spooky banana ghosts !

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Have a go at aided language modelling by printing this ALD and making some spooky banana ghosts !

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See next door for the recipe!

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make these spooky ghosts using our aided language display! Tweet your creations to @Gog_SALT

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Bananas taste spookily like creamy ice cream when frozen in ghostly robes of white chocolate - quick and easy, with just 4 ingredients

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Autumn handprint tree Aided language display 

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Autumn handprint tree Aided language display 

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Pointing to symbols as you talk gives children another level of understanding and more vocabulary!

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Try using our aided language board next door to model!

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Beautiful Autumn Handprint Tree art idea for kids. Perfect for preschoolers exploring Autumn themes and colours, doubling up as a cute keepsake!

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What is Aided language stimulation or modelling?

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What is Aided language stimulation or modelling?

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Here's a video to explain.

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Vocabulary: Talk about the parts of a face while you make pumpkin faces.
Target vocabulary: eyes, nose, mouth, ears, feet, hat, hair, boy, girl, face

Spatial Concepts: Talk about where the pieces should go on the pumpkin.  Ex: “Do the eyes go at the top or bottom of the pumpkin?” “Do the feet go above or below the pumpkin?”

Pronouns/Possessive (Pro)nouns: Designate one face as the girl and the other as the boy (use the hat and ponytail). Pronouns: Ask your child, Who needs a nose? …”He does” or “She does” or “They do” “I want a nose” “What do you want?”

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15 % off Snap and Core First communication app

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15 % off Snap and Core First communication app

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12-16th October

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Discover the most intuitive and engaging symbol-based software solution on the market

Learning language, achieving literacy, and becoming an independent communicator is a journey with many stages. Tobii Dynavox Snap Core First meets each communicator wherever they are on that journey and evolves with users as they grow. It's designed to be the most intuitive and engaging symbol-based software solution on the market. Snap Core First lets users start communicating quickly and stay engaged as they grow and evolve on their communication journey. Centered on Tobii Dynavox's Core First approach to delivering a systematic, proven, research-based Core Word framework, Snap Core First provides the fastest and most efficient platform for communication for all users, including students, parents and teachers.

*Please note, Windows 10 Anniversary Edition or higher is required
Not supported: iPad 1, iPad 2, iOS 9
Only available in: Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

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Learning language, achieving literacy, and becoming an independent communicator is a journey with many stages. Tobii Dynavox Snap Core First meets each communicator wherever they are on that journey and evolves with users as they grow. It's designed to be the most intuitive and engaging symbol-based software solution on the market.

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AAC Everyday: Reflecting on the Day with AAC

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AAC Everyday: Reflecting on the Day with AAC

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We are all still adjusting to the new realities although it's been a few weeks now since most of us have been staying at home. Discussing the day's plans with your child at the beginning of the day prepares them for the various activities. But in times like these, our well-crafted plans may go for a toss and that's okay. Taking some time to discuss how the day went gives a great opportunity to get your child's inputs on how they'd like to structure their day. Isn't this a wonderful way to encourage AAC use and choice-making as you get insights on how to plan the next day?

Peaks and Pits of the Day

This ritual highly recommended by involves families discussing the highs and lows of each day. This helps in reassessing goals and priorities.

Praise your child for all their completed tasks. This reinforcement motivates them to do better. Talk to them about things they need to work on. Giving specific instructions gives them clarity on what they are expected to do.

Allow your child to decide how they want to schedule their favourite activities during the day. This gives them a sense of control and power and helps them with decision-making skills. Be ready to be flexible and try to accommodate their requests. You can use the ' method to tell them if they finished a certain activity first, then they can have their way with their favourite activity.

Conversation Ideas

Children may find it difficult to recall how the day went or may struggle to communicate it to you. You can start by talking about the peaks and pits of your day.

I'm going to start with the best part of my day.

Once you've discussed your day, you can encourage your child to talk about theirs. Give them prompts if needed and remind them of the activities they did during the day. If you have a planner or a visual schedule that your child follows, seeing it may help children recall what they did during the day.

If your child has not completed an activity, give them a chance to explain why. Hear them out before telling them why you expect them to complete the activity and how you can help them with it.

Core words

Here are a few core words you can model during your daily reflections with the family:

Communicative Functions

For emergent communicators, AAC is often used only for questions or requesting. Here's a range of communicative functions you can use AAC for while discussing the good and the not-so-good parts of the day:

The foremost benefit of daily reflections with AAC is that your child develops the habit of expressing their emotions and feelings to you. Since they feel heard, this encourages them to form opinions and identify their likes and dislikes.The prospect of using the AAC system as a tool to dictate their environment also serves as a great motivator in developing their communication skills.
Find more AAC ideas and activities here.

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AAC Everyday: Reflecting on the Day with AAC - Avaz Inc.

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Download this resource as a PDF here: Recap Your Day with AAC We are all still adjusting to the new realities although it's been a few weeks now since most of us have been staying at home. Discussing the day's plans with your child at the beginning of the day prepares them for the various...

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PrAACtical Teaching in the Classroom: Little Tips for Big Core

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PrAACtical Teaching in the Classroom: Little Tips for Big Core

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1. Make it fun and easy!

2. If you know it, show it!

3. When to model and when to move…

4. The world is your fringe…

5. Motor planning is challenging for Big Core.

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Special educators Lauren Pawlowski and Amy Devin are back with tips for making AAC work in the classroom. In their first post, they talked about using a large communication board that is rich in core vocabulary for aided language input and AAC instruction. Today, they share some of the things they've learned to make this more manageable in a busy classroom. Enjoy!

We hope that many of you were able to make your Big Core boards for group instruction. Now what?? Using Big Core can take a while to get used to. Even after using it for several years, sometimes we still struggle with finding the words quickly. Don't worry about this because our students can't always find words quickly and it is good for them to see that everyone struggles with language at times. It can also be empowering to them if you ask for their help! The main way that you and your students will get better at using the Big Core is practice, practice, practice!

We made a short video to share with you some other valuable tricks and techniques for navigating a Big Core board for instruction. It will cover the 5 following tips.

1. Make it fun and easy!

2. If you know it, show it!

3. When to model and when to move...

4. The world is your fringe...

5. Motor planning is challenging for Big Core.

Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGw3_Msx8S4&feature=youtu.be

We hope that these tips will help you start teaching with your Big Core. Please share with us any tips or challenges that you may have with Big Core. We would love to hear your thoughts below!!

Inspired to make your own wall-sized communication board? You can get some suggestions on that here.

Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking

This post was written by Carole Zangari

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PrAACtical Teaching in the ASD Classroom: Little Tips for Big Core

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Special educators Lauren Pawlowski and Amy Devin are back with tips for making AAC work in the classroom. In their first post, they talked about using a large communication board that is rich in core vocabulary for aided language input and AAC instruction.

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Here are some examples of AAC we use in our classes in school.

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Here are some examples of AAC we use in our classes in school.

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PECS, PODD, MAKATON, Proloquo2go, Snap and Core first, Grid for I Gaze, switches and more....