Communication
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Description: AT Team Development Resources: AT Tools in Schools, 2nd Edition - This guide is designed to support professionals and families in understanding assistive technology (AT) and identifying possible AT tools for students from preschool through high school. Education Tech Points, Profile of AT Services in Schools - A free, downloadable self assessment for IEP teams to use to evaluate their AT services. Ocali Assistive Technology Internet Modules - Assistive Technology Internet Modules...
Description: The Assistive Technology & Accessible Educational Materials (AT&AEM) Center is committed to ensuring access for all people with disabilities. The center promotes accessibility and personalization, creates and disseminates accessible materials and offers specialized training and technical assistance.
Description: This resource includes Free VESOL Literacy Instruction Materials: Reading Comprehension Files Core, Fringe and Robust AAC Vocabulary Alternatives Pencils/Manual Boards with Alphabet Math Social Emotional Learning, Social Stories & Visual Supports Cooking Files Art and Music Files Talker Power Files
Description: The primary goals of Project Core are two-fold: Empower teachers and classroom professionals to deliver access to a Universal Core vocabulary and communication instruction during the naturally occurring academic and daily routines of the school day. Improve the academic achievement of students with significant cognitive disabilities as evidenced by gains in their communication and literacy skills, and ultimately in their end-of-year assessments. This site includes: Universal Core Vocabulary...
Description: The SETT Framework, developed by Joy Zabala, guides teams in gathering and organizing information about the Student, Environments, Tasks, and Tools that are needed to support student participation and achievement. The following SETT resources will assist you in utilizing a person-centered framework that promotes collaboration when making decisions about assistive technology tools and services. The SETT is one of the most important components of the Virginia Assistive Technology, Tools, and...
Description: The Consideration and Assessement section of the AT Network website has the following sections: Consideration of AT (2022 Virginia Assistive Technology, Tools, and Stragegies (VATTS) Consideration Guide and Resources) Referral Process Information Gathering Decision-Making Process Trial Implementation
Description: Updates to Title II of the ADA: State and Local Governments: First Steps Toward Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Web and Mobile Application Accessibility Rule (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Jan. 8, 2025) Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Government Entities: A Small Entity Compliance Guide (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civil Rights Division) Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile...
Description: It is never too early to consider assistive technology supports and services. Providing children with supports to access play, communication, and books is essential to their early development. The following resources will assist you in exploring AT and AAC for young children. Check out these Professional Learning Possibilities on TTAC Online: Considering Assistive Technology Course: Asynchronous Virtual Virginia Course - Virginia Assistive Technology, Tools, and Strategies (VATTS): Consideration...
Description: When making decisions about assistive technology for a student, there is a lot to consider. You need to apply a framework that will help describe the student's needs and abilities and know how to select appropriate tools and strategies. These resources will help you as you navigate through helping a student with their assistive technology needs. Check out these Professional Learning Possibilities on TTAC Online: Getting Started with AT Podcast: AT in 3 - Assistive Technology in Education...
Description: The CROWD Strategy Planning Sheet, from the Division of Early Childhood, can be used to plan prompting questions to create a back and forth conversation during storybook readings. Taken from FPG Child Development Institute, Human Development Institute at University of Kentucky, The Early ChildhoodPersonnel Center, & The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. (2018). CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge (revised). Developed under...
Description: The ultimate goal of teaching a student to use their AAC device is to achieve communication competence. This resource, The 5 Areas of AAC Competence is a reminder to target all of these areas to promote independent use of a system.
Description: This poster is an example of how to teach using the Descriptive Teaching Model.
Description: ‘Model as a MASTER PAL’ was developed to help shape behaviors and belief systems of communication partners supporting individuals who use AAC. It was developed from the premise that 1) AAC implementation is not intuitive, and 2) communication is not compliance. This training series assumes topics related to core vocabulary instruction and explicit creation of communication opportunities have already been covered, and communication partners require additional information to...
Description: All people with a disability of any extent or severity have a basic right to affect, through communication, the conditions of their existence. Beyond this general right, a number of specific communication rights should be ensured in all daily interactions and interventions involving persons who have severe disabilities.
Description: This project began with a desire to identify the vocabulary words that were most important to support the success of beginning communicators participating in the Dynamic Learning Maps® alternate assessments in English language arts and mathematics. Through the years, the list first led to the development of the DLM First 40 and eventually to the Universal Core vocabulary for Project Core. The resulting Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) and Universal Core Vocabulary Sort is a list of words that...
Description: We all know that communication is a fundamental human right. However, individuals who have difficulty with spoken language will need augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) supports to communicate effectively. The resources below provide foundational knowledge about AAC, selection of AAC supports and vocabulary, and how to be a great communication partner for AAC users. Check out these Professional Learning Possibilities: Mindset Article: Five Signs Your Child Needs Augmentative...
Description: The attached chart helps you to identify vocabulary for your student's AAC System.
Description: This document provides guidelines for linking reliable, consistent and repeatable movements to potential switch site locations and positions. It also provides some benefits and challenges for each specific movement and location. This chart is meant to be a guide. Remember, switch type selection is highly dependent on the unique profile of the person using a switch.
Description: Small Talk Speech Therapy debunks seven common myths about AAC, including why speech-language pathologists should not be the only ones providing AAC instruction.
Description: This article describes 10 tips for teachers to support and teach the use of AAC throughout the school day.
Description: This article discusses the essential components of a robust communication system.
Description: These resources help to create a plan for how AAC can be implemented throughout the day.
Description: This form should be completed with the assistance from the team of people working with the person using AAC. It can be used as an overview or used for a single position the person using AAC utilizes for communication (i.e.: lying in bed, sitting in wheelchair, etc.)
Description: This form can be used to collect information and describe how the AAC user will access their speech generating device using direction selection. Use this form during initial assessment to collect and document access needs. Revisit this form to document progress or a change in skills, environment, or level of independence. This form should be completed and shared with the support team and all communication partners to support appropriate set up and provide consistent access to communication in...
Description: This tool will help you determine how your student will physically interact with their communication device.
Description: This form is a tool to assist the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) evaluation process and to identify the potential needs of implementing eye gaze technology for communication. The form should be completed in collaboration with the entire team supporting the person using AAC.
Description: Regardless of the AAC system used (no tech, low tech, high tech) or skill level use this list with what to do and what not to do.
Description: This is a listing of multimodal activities to enhance learning for students using all forms of communication.
Description: Language is about connecting with other people. If you can focus on providing robust AAC and teaching language skills that allow AAC learners to connect with people in their lives, you will make a real difference!
Description: The VATTS: Resource Guide provides instructional strategies, AT solutions, modifications, accommodations, and examples used to address areas of need identified through the AT consideration process to support student success. There are two Resource Guide PDFs: an ADA Compliant version and a printable table version.
Description: The Virginia Assistive Technology, Tools, and Strategies (VATTS) Resources will guide the IEP team through the consideration and documentation process. These resources replace the previous versions of the AT Consideration and Resource Guide. VATTS: Consideration and Assessment Guidance Document (PDF) - Guidance for school divisions in the consideration and assessment of AT, including planning and implementing those services for students with disabilities. VATTS: Consideration...
Description: This form includes the task, the description and the team member responsible for the AAC trial implementation.
Description: Prompt Hierarchy - This is a visual with descriptions of different levels of prompting that focus on increasing motivation and allowing wait time. Revisiting the Adapted AAC Prompt Hierarchy: Seven Years Later - A prompt hierarchy that focuses on creating motivation for AAC users and scaffolding the level of prompting they need to be successful.
Description: First responders and other emergency personnel are starting to use this helpful tool to communicate with individuals who are not responding to verbal instructions or questions. These may be individuals who are non-verbal, on the autism spectrum, or simply feeling overwhelmed or confused. By pointing to pictures on the ECB, emergency personnel can focus their need for information with the individuals level of understanding, ideally securing even a yes or no response allowing them to provide...
Description: Emergency Communication Boards (Chileda Institute) Paramedic & Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Symbol Board (Widget Health) Emergency Chat Google App Developing Positive Interactions for People with Developmental Disabilities and First Responders, Police, and the Justice System: A Guide for People with Developmental Disabilities and Their Loved Ones (Updated November 2020) (The Arc of Northern Virginia)
Description: This data collection tool is a written summary of a particular lesson or activity.
Description: This data collection tool is in the form of a checklist and helps a team determine if a device is being used for a variety of communicative functions.
Description: This data collection tool helps teams collect information on whether a response is independent or if the user needed a prompt or a model to elicit the response.
Description: This Wheel of Apps for Complex Communication Support Needs (AAC) has been given a refresh and update. This 'wheel' of Apps provides a categorised guide to iPad Apps for individuals with complex communication support needs, who may need to use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). We appreciate that identifying AAC Apps from the many available can be a difficult and challenging task, so we hope that in creating and sharing this resource, it will help you with that process. (10/2023)
Description: AAC Evaluation Genie assists teams in identifying skill areas that relate specifically to the language representation methods commonly found on augmentative communication systems. It helps to build a framework for selecting an appropriate augmentative communication device for ongoing evaluation and/or device trial.
Description: Check with your local T/TAC to determine if these resources are available for check out - Regional TTAC Contact Information
Description: There are no prerequisites to introducing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to children and young people with disabilities. This article from Avaz Inc. shares many of the common myths and misconceptions around prerequisites for AAC and explains the facts that busts this myth. This article is a must read for all practitioners who work with children and students who use AAC! Posted December 4, 2020
Description: The following charts can be used to assist a team in gathering information, based on the SETT Framework by Joy Zabala.
Description: Tools that help people communicate are called Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and can range from simply utilizing pictures to a high-tech device such as a tablet, iPad, or computer. Here are some guidelines that can help parents recognize when to consider AAC: Child isn’t talking at all Children start saying words by the time they are between 12 to 18 months old, and begin combining 3 to 5 words together into sentences by the time they reach preschool. If a child is over...
Description: Read more about Low-Tech & High-Tech AAC - AAC can be described in different ways. Understanding these different descriptions will help you know about the types of systems available, as well as help guide your decision-making as to which AAC system might be the best fit. Types of AAC Aided systems: Use external products and materials to help a user get across a message. These may include AAC systems such as core word boards, communication books or speech generating devices. Unaided systems:...
Description: The AAC Assessment Compass can be used to guide your AAC assessment framework.
Description: Make Stuff and Love People has over 1,500 images and 500 QR codes to "how-to" videos and resources for immediate access using any smartphone camera. The book is packed with devices that can be made in minutes for physical, visual, hearing, communication, or other challenges. "How-to" instructions for devices include those for reading and writing; life skills; employment; alternative communication; mounting devices to mobility aids; tablet and phone holders; self-care, eating, drinking, art, and...
Description: The Color Coded Eye Gaze frame (adapted by Erickson, 2000) is intended for students with multiple significant physical and hearing impairments, including those with unknown cognitive skills. The eye gaze frame is often used by students that are unable to hold a pencil or unable to physically manipulate a standard or an enlarged keyboard. For students who have such challenges, using their eyes can be the easiest. Students need to have some degree of vision, but it does not need to be completely...
Description: In this video, Arlington Public Schools AAC Implementation Coaches Brittany Thomas and Erin Tokajer, and Arlington parents Janna Dressel, Brandi Horton and Cecilia Kline, share strategies on supporting AAC use in the home setting.
Description: The Virtual Assistive Technology Lab (Virtual AT Lab) includes information on the following topics: Reading, Communication, Writing, Organization, Math, Access, Sensory, and Resources & FAQs.