This week, we share Part 1 of Chris’s conversation with Kristina Edie (SLP), Erica Sauer (Director of Special Programs), Joy Mockbee (OT), and Bernadette Wiley (PT/AAC) with Hancock County Schools in West Virginia. They talk about the AAC journey their district has gone on that led them to asking Chris to help them understand the Specific Language System First approach and how it might work for them.
Before the interview, Chris and Rachel talk about an email that Rachel sent to her email list about using slang with AAC that was offensive to a reader for cultural reasons. Rachel shares about that learning moment, and how it has informed her approach to slang, including being more mindful about taking with families and peers about the slang she wants to add onto a device.
Key ideas this week:
🔑 There is a rationale and reasoning behind the pictures on LAMP Words for Life, and often the picture relates to teaching the concept, like a picture of a dog for “come” or a bridge with a cloud over it for prepositions. It may not always make sense at first, but there is always a thought out reason for the picture, and at the end of the day the student will learn the motor plan regardless of the picture.
🔑 Chris has seen a trend of students wanting to move from LAMP Words for Life to TouchChat in secondary school because they want something that is more text based. Chris shares some have said more text based AAC looks "more mature." Chris points out that adults use images like emojis and gifs all the time, and there should be nothing inherently more “adult” about using text vs using images.
🔑 Slang isn’t as simple as the popular words or phrases that we hear being used on TikTok. These are words that have history and uses that are cultural, regional, and generational in nature. As therapists, we need to be seeking information by initiating conversations with families and peers about the kinds of slang we’re programming into devices.
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Otto Lana: Autistic Advocate, Writer, Actor, and AAC User
Rémi Morin - Creating the Canadian-French Version of LAMP:WFL as a Parent
Emily Macklin, Neha Sharma, & Amber Skerry: Supporting Communication for Deafblind Students
McKinzee Steve, Danielle Welge, & Kendra Everette (Part 2): Providing High-Tech AAC as a Tier 2 Early Childhood Intervention
McKinzee Steve, Danielle Welge, & Kendra Everette (Part 1): Providing District-Led 1:1 AAC Training to Parents
Emily Taylor: Using Social Media to Promote Your AAC Resources
April Wallace & Christina Stader - Specific Language System First Approach Q&A
Dr. Barry Prizant (Part 2): Is ”Spelling to Communicate” Authentic Communication?
Dr. Barry Prizant (Part 1): Echolalia and Gestalt Language Processing
Kimberly Neely: The Trauma-Informed SLP
Barbara Gruber & Ashley Grady: Supporting Accessibility and Inclusion at the Smithsonian Institution
Tiffanie Zaugg: Creating an AAC Facilitator’s Guide for a School District
Ashley Waterman: Supporting Language as a Parent of an AAC User
Judith Schoonover (Part 2): The Role of OTs in AAC Assessment
Judith Schoonover (Part 1): Quickly Create AT Solutions From Common Objects
Recast: AAC Modeling Roundtable
Recast: Chris Klein: The Importance of Motor Planning
Recast: Shaun Pearson & Chris Chicoskikelly: The AAC Agreements
Recast: Core Words Roundtable
Jordyn Zimmerman: Overcoming Limiting Beliefs in the Education System
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