Tag: autism
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Speech Segmentation and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
We are often asked about the reason that words are spoken individually in the Speak for Yourself augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app instead of allowing the user to compose their message and then speak the full sentence. The reason it is set up that way is so that the AAC user gets immediate auditory…
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The Ever-Evolving AAC Voice Options
When I was an undergraduate, pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, one of the required courses was Speech Science. It was the mid-late 90s and we sat in a small “speech science lab” and shared large desktop computers with “high tech” software. We studied formants and looked at sounds and words…
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ReAACtion Therapy and the Proof of Competence
If you read the title, and thought, “I’m pretty knowledgeable about Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), but I’ve never heard of ReAACtion Therapy,” you’re probably right, but you probably know what it is. I *may* have made up the name, but the-AAC-technique-where-you-respond-to-what-a-person-says-as-if-it-was-intentional is kind of long to write. If this technique has a different name,…
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Using Aided Language Input to Elicit Verbal Speech
This post is combining two important concepts in the world of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Aided Language Input (which may also be referred to as Aided Language Stimulation or Modeling) and the relationship between verbal speech and AAC. Sometimes I hear people say that they’re afraid to use AAC because they are worried that…
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The AAC Language of Love
The other day, I was on the bus with a student for an outing. We were going to a local convenience store, and on the way, I asked him what he wanted to get from the store. This was his first time riding the bus in a wheelchair. He adjusted the iPad on his lap and selected his favorite…
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How is Vocabulary Organized in Speak for Yourself?
We are frequently asked about the language organization in Speak for Yourself, and for many people, when they look at the app for the first time, they feel overwhelmed. If you’re someone who is feeling that way, I’m glad you’re reading this. It certainly wasn’t our intention to cause anxiety, but I think that overwhelmed…
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ATIA 2015: Products and Professionals We Enjoyed
Speak for Yourself ATIA15 booth – busy like this for most of the conference! As you may know, if you follow our Facebook page, we just got back from the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference. I started to share this as a post in our Speak for Yourself Users group, but it got too long and difficult to…
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Core Vocabulary: Phrases You Can Model Today
Yesterday, I wrote about Modeling for the Moment When It All Comes Together. Today, my hope is that after reading this, you feel like a modeling plan is manageable. If you’re just starting out, here are three posts you may want to read first. This one explains core vocabulary. This one is an introduction post…
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Modeling for the Moment When It All Comes Together
This is to you. This is to the parents, therapists, teachers, support personnel, classroom volunteers, grandparents, and anyone else that directly interacts with someone who has complex communication needs (CCN). This is especially to you if you are frustrated, scared, worried, or maybe even angry that skills are not coming together as quickly for your child as you had hoped. …