Photo booth fun with Seasonal Characters

As I have said in earlier posts, this month our team is focusing on the core word on.  During our brainstorming for our plan this week, we had the idea of using a photo booth to incorporate our core word and use of AAC.  We introduced the topic by using this short interactive book I made that targeted Seasonal Characters.

After reading the book, the kids were able to dress like their favorite characters.  They made their choices by using a grid from grid player on the iPad.

They were even able to make specific choices according to which character they chose.  If they chose Santa, they were able to choose a hat, flashing lights, beard, and sack.  Here are a couple of cute photos that we were able to get from the session.  

Such a fun activity! As I said earlier, this lesson targeted core vocabulary, choice making, increasing MLU for our verbal students, and answering simple questions related to the topic. 

"Baking" in the speech room!

It's going to be a fun day in the speech room! Mrs. Britt has a baking sheet, cinnamon, nutmeg, cookie cutters, and play doh! Wait, did you say play-doh?  I sure did! Today, we are using our imaginations and baking some gingerbread cookies.  First, we took white play-doh and sprinkled nutmeg and cinnamon "on" top.  (Did I mention that our core word for the month is on?) The kids were able to tell me if the smells were yummy or yucky.  I will tell you that the cinnamon was much more popular than the nutmeg!  After mixing, the play-doh, the kids made their cookies.  They made their choices using a static board for different shape cookie cutters.  

The cookies are ready. The students put their cookies on the pan. 

Now, we need to bake our cookies!

When the cookies were "done", they were actually given real teddy grahams to eat. This activity was great for building MLU, and choice making.  Most of the kids enjoyed it so much, they asked to do it over and over again.  

Pete the cat and his peppermint buttons

It's that gingerbread time of year!  I do get tired of doing the same old thing, so I decided to use one of the kid's favorite book characters and make "Ginger Cats".  I think Pete the Cat would think it was groovy!

Our first activity of the day was to read a short adaptive book about Pete's adventures helping a friend who is sick.  

The next task was to decorate our "Ginger Cats".  This activity includes a lot of opportunity for students who use AAC to request, negate, comment, and give attributes.   Examples are: I want dot whiskers. I want striped whiskers. I want two buttons. I like that. I don't like that. He is sick.  You would be amazed at the amount of language this groovy cat generates.   

Here are some examples of our finished product.

The kids enjoyed this activity. Hope your student's enjoy it as much as we did!

The First Thanksgiving with the help of Grid Player

A few years ago, I ran across this little poem from SavvysecondGraders.blogspot. com that incorporated colors and the story of The first Thanksgiving.

I thought this poem would be a great tool to teach our students with Autism because using the colors is such a visual tool.  To complete this project, I went to Wal-Mart and purchased this large container of beads.  

You will also need pipe cleaners to make the bracelets.  To incorporate AAC into the activity, you can use a variety of methods to make requests of beads.  My choice for today is The Grid Player.  It is a free app from Apple. You can get a basic board to use with your iPad.  Here is a look at the color page.

Our core word of the month is "turn" for November.  You can certainly incorporate the word turn into this activity as well.  I am using a big mac switch for students to request their turn.  

You can share this short poem with your students, and as you come to a color word have them request it for their bracelet.  I like to send the bracelet home with the student and a copy of the poem.  

Teaching the core word "turn"

Here is a simple idea to help teach the core word "turn" to your students.  Put together a box of  wind up toys.  The students will be able to request turn, combine words, and comment with this activity. 

 The kids are super fascinated with these "turn" toys.  Have fun and enjoy learning a new core word!

Sensory Turkeys and Run Turkey Run

Some of my favorite books to use with students are books geared towards this time of year.  One of those books is Run Turkey Run.  It always amazes me how the students like to get in on the action and tell the turkey to run as we read the story.  After reading the story we completed a craft by making sensory turkeys.

 I picked up several different items that I felt would be good for feathers and made a static board for choice making.  The items included:  pom poms, stickers, glitter, noodles, gems, feathers, and tissue paper. The students also used communication books and switches to request turns, colors of the feathers, and requesting help.   This was a great activity that increased both verbal and augmentative communication.  

Using AAC with Core Vocabulary

Here are a few quick ways to incorporate AAC into your lessons using core vocabulary.  Our core word for the month of November is "turn".  There are many ways we can use core words and incorporate them into our language lessons.  In our group today, we used the big mac and  go talk 4 to enhance choice making for the kids during their small group motor, craft, and play activities.  For the language activity, we had four choices of  items that used the core word turn.  We had an iPad that we could "turn" on, a ghost that had lights that "turned", a mouse whose tail "turned", and wind up chatter teeth that we had to "turn" to get them to work.  Can you guess what the favorite item was??

We also used the big mac to request my turn during turn taking activities at all of the stations. These are so simple to use during a session.

One final idea, is to use a swifty (USB switch interface) to attach a switch to your computer/smartboard.  The kids can use the switch to "turn" on the music and dance.  

These are just a few ways to use AAC with core vocabulary.  Let me know how you use AAC to enhance your lessons. 

Spooky Communication Reinforcers

No matter what type AAC device you decide to use, you will always need good ideas for communication reinforcers.  This time of year you can find great things all over.  The items in this October  box were  purchased from Kroger, Wal Mart, CVS, and Target.  

Here are some specific ideas for your Spooky Speech box!

SLP Spotlight #SandlapperStars

Today, I was able to spend some time with the therapy team at Sandlapper Elementary.  Every Tuesday, this group of ladies combine Speech and OT for SPOT therapy.  This team consists of Dr. Kathryn Herbert, Mia Sweeney, and Tess Ellis.  Today's activity focused on the story Apple Trouble.

Here is a look at some of their creative ideas, and how they incorporated directions, core vocabulary, expressive language, and fine motor skills into their treatment time. 

After a short sensory activity of feeling a pine cone made to look like a hedgehog,  the students listened to a modified version of the story Apple Trouble.   I love the way the therapists made the book interactive.  You can see examples in the pictures below.

During the story the hedgehog pushes and pulls.  Here is an example of how the therapists made this real for the students.  They used a weighted ball for pushing activity and stretchy cord with handle for pulling activity.

At the end of the story, students made choices of simple objects from a field of two and fed the goat.  

To incorporate handwriting and following directions, the therapists used a light up board with a picture of a hedgehog to practice fine motor skills. 

Another fun activity to incorporate handwriting and following directions is to use the cookie sheet with three strips of velcro.  The concepts top, bottom, and middle line help students with their awareness of these concepts when writing.  The therapists also incorporated following directions using concepts beside and under. 

Happy Fall Ya'll!

It is honestly the first day of my favorite season of the year.  I love Fall.  To honor the occasion I am providing ideas for activities to use with your AAC students.

Our first activity uses the popular would you rather game.  Here is a fall edition.  As you can see I have included some SC specific references when it comes to football.  You can make it specific to the area where you live with a few changes.  I used the smartboard to make it a simple choice activity for some of my students.  You can see here what it looks like.

Incorporating food is always fun.  I like to make a fall snack which includes fall colored m&ms, peanuts, and raisins.  If there is a peanut allergy you can substitute another snack food.  I am providing an example of a following directions activity to go with this recipe. 

You can also use this activity for the student to use a communication book or device.  This activity includes core words in and open.  It also allows for requesting, describing, and commenting. 

Enjoy your first Fall day! It still feels like summer in SC! Hopefully, we will start to cool off soon!

My visit with the teacher cadets of Blythewood High

Today I had the extreme pleasure to work with the teacher cadet program at Blythewood High.  The students were interested in learning about communication using AAC.  We specifically spent time on low tech devices and how they are used.  Here are a few pictures from today.