Category: Uncategorized
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Autism Acceptance Sale Dates: Speak for Yourself Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) App
The Speak for Yourself app will be on sale for 50% off ($149.99 USD) from March 31st through April 4th, 2017 (Friday through Tuesday) in honor of Autism Acceptance Month. There are a large number of individuals on the autism spectrum who use the Speak for Yourself app successfully to communicate throughout their day. We…
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Presuming Competence in Practice
“Presume Competence” has become a mantra of many excellent parents and professionals who are implementing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with complex communication needs (CCN). I’ve also experienced some misunderstandings in person and in online groups suggesting that presuming competence is not evidence-based in its idealism. So I’ve been paying attention to the…
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“Tiny” Speak for Yourself Coming Soon to iPhones!
We have a few announcements to make…Two pieces of good news and one necessary business decision. First, the business decision: Effective with the release of the 2.6 update, the price for the Speak for Yourself AAC app will be $299.99 USD. We reduced the price to $199.99 USD in October of 2012, and that’s where it…
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The Difference Between Speak for Yourself and…
There are literally hundreds of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) options on the market! Making a choice can be overwhelming for parents and professionals. However, if you’re looking for a robust, comprehensive AAC app, that narrows the options considerably. Often in AAC online groups and in person, parents and speech-language pathologists will ask for comparisons…
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A 47-Second Look at AAC Communication Repair
We take so much for granted. When you know and love people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), it makes you more acutely aware of how much we take communication for granted. And often, when you know and love AAC users (or if you are an AAC user), you don’t assume that everyone is…
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The iPad as an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Hardware Option
If the iPad had feelings, I’d be concerned about its self-esteem in the world of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Its inferiority complex would be reinforced at conferences when speech-language pathologists who do AAC evaluations, pick it up with interest, but then put it down as they say, “Oh. It’s an app for the iPad?…
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Advanced Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) User Challenge
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and recharging for the new school year! In response to the modeling challenge issued by Dana Nieder from the Uncommon Sense Blog, some adult Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users have expressed an interest in a 21 day challenge geared towards adult/teen users. If you are looking for…
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Deconstructing the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Glass Cubicle
Trigger warning: This post mentions self-injury and low expectations of autistic individuals and people with complex communication needs (CCN). Can you imagine the frustration? Words are all around you and pouring into you. They expand within you and your mind aches to speak them. They overflow, like a rushing waterfall, but with no escape. They stay…
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Let’s Talk About Appropriate Behavior
Trigger warning: This post will discuss applied behavior analysis (ABA) and low expectations of autistic individuals and people with complex communication needs (CCN). I stop at red lights. I avoid fast food. I wash my hands and use hand sanitizer…A LOT! I don’t do any of these things because I enjoy them. I would love…
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The “Beginner” Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) System Catch 22
It’s ridiculous if you think about it. In schools around the world, children with complex communication needs (CCN) are being asked to prove that they can communicate before they are given access to language. How can students show they have the ability without the words they need? NO ONE can prove he/she can communicate without being…