Favorite AAC Online Resources

It is hard to believe that my daughter has now had her AAC device for two years!  The learning curve as an AAC family was steep and we are always eager to help point others to great AAC resources.  I thought I would compile my favorites here for easy sharing 🙂

A first introduction to AAC…

While I am thankful that our former SLP mentioned AAC more than once before we warmed up to the idea — it wasn’t until a couple of months after getting the device that we were pointed to a couple of resources that truly helped point us in the right direction:

http://praacticalaac.org/praactical/praactical-resources-video-explainers-for-aided-language-input/

On this page I particularly recommend both the cartoon & webinar on aided language input – these were mind-blowing for both my husband and myself in regards to understanding what WE needed to do to help our daughter learn to use her device:

• Aided Language Stimulation Cartoon
• Aided Language Input Webinar – Dr. Caroline Musselwhite (you will need to give them your name and email to be able to watch this webinar which has been made available on the web by the Angelman Syndrome Foundation)

It is funny it has been probably a year and a half since I first watched this – but I just watched it again I got even more out of it now that my understanding of AAC has grown.  I guess I need to revisit it every couple of years 🙂

 

PrAActical AAC

For the first couple of months after my daughter received her device we were floundering on figuring out how best to use it with her, and what was the best way to have her buttons set up, etc.  Fortunately I was finally put in contact with an amazing AAC Specialist Rachael Langley (thank you also the Rachael for the customized meme attached to this post 🙂 ).  She pointed me to PrAACtical AAC’s website and facebook page.  It can be a bit overwhelming at times since there so much information and it is primarily geared to SLPs – but there is so much good information there and it is easily searchable.

 

Facebook Groups and Pages

After finding PrAACtical AAC, I was able to find other great facebook sites as well.  They have been a WONDERFUL resource since there are so many helpful parents and SLPs in these group that are so helpful at answering questions.

• PrAACtical AAC
  • PrAACtical AAC is good for both SLPs and parents – a lot of information including “A Year with Core Words” and monthly calendars with core word activities
• AAC – Alternative Awesome Communicators
  • This is a large group of over 5,000 members including both SLPs and parents  – if parents were only going to join one AAC group – I would recommend this one.
• AAC Through Motivate, Model, Move out of the Way
  • This group is great for encouraging modeling.  They often have contests encouraging group members to take pictures of the AAC user out and about with their device and sharing them on social media using the hashtag #seemeseemyaac, with special challenges for holidays and vacations etc. A great motivation for kicking things up a notch!
• TalkingAAC Professional Learning Community
  • This group is related to the fantastic #TalkingAAC Conferences that are held in Michigan.
• Homeschooling Minimally Verbal Children
  • This group has been such a lifeline for me!  I was so excited to hear about it’s existence last year.  This is my tribe.  It is such a wonderful group of parents that are a fantastic source of support, encouragement, and ideas regardless of what our current struggle is.  If you know an AAC parent that is currently homeschooling or thinking about it – they should definitely join this group!

 

Low tech and NOVAChat Resources

When my daughter’s AAC device was finally on the way, I did everything I could to learn as much about it as possible so that we would be able to hit the ground running when it came to programming buttons etc.  I found that Saltillo has some wonderful pre-recorded webinars and video tutorials that teach and show you how to do everything you need to do:

• Recorded Webinars
• Video Tutorials

Saltillo also has an awesome low tech resources page with a variety of different posters, core boards, and even low tech binder versions of the WordPower vocabularies that can be downloaded and printed out.  I have printed out these core boards and put them everywhere and on everything (aprons, yard signs, kick boards, mugs, etc. 🙂 )

• Low – tech Communication 
• Special Crafts for Special Kids
  • This is my other blog that shares a variety of DIY AAC crafts and projects

 

AAC Core Word Resources

There are several fantastic sources of Core Word activities and resources.  You can find more information about these in a previous post on this blog here.

• PrAACtical AAC
• AssistiveWare Core Word Classroom
• AAC Language Lab
• Dynavox Core Lesson Plans
• Teacher Pay Teachers
  • There are a ton of AAC resources on this website.  I currently am using the Reading with AAC Lessons by Beth Waite Lafever MA CCC SLP ATP.