Category Archives: autism

Lilly’s Voice – Amazing AAC Video & AAC Fundraising

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Check out this AMAZING video from Lilly’s Voice / A Friend for Lillybug…

On Instagram (if you are logged into Instagram you’ll also be able to read the comments):

Also on YouTube:

I love this community of parents who have connected on Instagram to support each other and advocate for access to robust AAC regardless of age or abilities 💕

Please consider making a donation to help fund an iPad with an AAC app for kids on their waiting list. See details on their website: https://lillysvoice.wixsite.com/lillysvoice

Follow them on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LillysVoice/ & https://instagram.com/afriendforlillybug

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LillysVoice

7/25/21 - Hot off the presses…. I made and donated a visual guide for getting started on Proloquo2Go for Lilly’s Voice to give to parents to help them get their child’s AAC app set up. Many of them don’t have an SLP to help them. Made my heart happy to be able to create this for them 💕

I’m going to do my part by creating some content on my TPT store that will be a fundraiser. Proceeds from that will be split between Lilly’s Voice and Ability Connection Oklahoma – New Voices (a local grant in my state).

Update 7/26/21: The fundraising TPT product is now available: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2021/07/26/proloquo2go-a-visual-guide-to-getting-started-tpt-product-fundraiser-for-lillys-voice-ability-connection-oklahoma-new-voices/

Ability Connection Oklahoma – New Voices grant

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abilityconnectionoklahoma

Instagram: https://instagram.com/abilityok

Website: https://www.acok.org/what-we-do

Did you know that you can also support charities that provide AAC grants by designating them as your charity of choice while shopping on Amazon’s Amazon Smile program?

Updated 10/10/22: I designated Lilly’s Voice as my charity in AmazonSmile to help support their fabulous work in getting an iPad with an AAC app and case into the hands of kids who need it. If you shop on Amazon it’s an easy way to help a charity that you believe in, it doesn’t cost you anything extra, and it’s super easy now that you can do it directly within the Amazon app. See more info: https://smile.amazon.com/charity/smile/about.

You can look through the charity options to see what may be applicable to your area or support Lilly’s Voice too.

I’m not affiliated with Lilly’s Voice or Ability Connection Oklahoma…. but I’m a huge fan of both and am doing my part to help spread the word to help their fundraising efforts 😊

Have a question? The best way to reach me is via Facebook messaging over on my OMazing Kids page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

• Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Omazing-Kids-Aac-Consulting

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/amoorad1

• Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/omazingkidsaac

• OMazing Kids AAC Consulting Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

• AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/

• GoTalk Now AAC & GoVisual Visual Scene Apps – Ideas and Sharing Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/GoTalkNowAACappGroup

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkidsaac

• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad

• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/amoorad1

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamooradomazingkidsaac

• Blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com

A success story using the QuestionIt app

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Boom! Take that you darn Wh-questions! One of my 8 year old patients had a HUGE breakthrough in OMazing Kids speech therapy today. After what seems like an eternity of working on Wh-questions, it finally totally clicked today. The QuestionIt? app by Language Learning Apps, LLC has been an integral part of this breakthrough with the scaffolding, symbol enhanced text, multiple repetitions and feedback about the correct answer to a __ (who, what doing, when, where) question. This is a patient who previously could not answer a Wh-question at all. Instead he would either not respond or would respond with some random fact about numbers, maps or Luigi (all high interest areas of his). Guess what he was able to do today?! Sorting (Level 3 – no scaffolding: 95%), Answering Sentence (Level 3 – no scaffolding: 95%), Answering Advanced Sentences (Level 2 – no scaffolding & variations on the word order: 90%). So then I turned my iPad around where he just had to listen to the sentence & question in the Advanced Sentence level. His responses were a little slower but he still rocked it at 85% accuracy. At that point I was on the verge of SLP tears of joy. But it gets even better!

Our conversation as we walked back to the waiting room:

Me: “What are you doing for Spring Break?”
Him: “No homework”.
Me: “Yeah… No school & no homework! What fun things are you doing this week?”
Him: “We are going to a birthday party”
Me: “When?”
Him: “Today”
Me: “Whose birthday is it?”
Him: “_ (child’s name)… my brother’s friend”
Me: “What did you buy for a present?”
Him: ……. (to be honest my brain cut out at this point from the shock of him taking this many conversational turns, maintaining a topic & answering non-structured Wh-questions)

When we arrived to the waiting room, his mom confirmed that all his answers were accurate & we basked in the glory of how far he has come. When I first started seeing him a few years ago, he was minimally verbal & had huge meltdowns at even the mention of the words “birthday” or “party” (tons of sensory issues).

We still have lots more to work on but for today I am enjoying this moment of how far he has come. I share this for all the parents out there & all the therapists who work with their children…. the tunnel may be long but there is definitely hope & light at the end of that tunnel.

Info about this app: https://languagelearningapps.com/app-questionit.html & the review I did on The Appy Ladies: http://theappyladies.com/questionit. (Unfortunately my in-depth review about this app disappeared when The Appy Ladies website disappeared)

Full paid version: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/questionit-ed/id1071917440

Free lite version: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/questionit/id458737797

(This was originally posted on my OMazing Kids Facebook page on 3/16/15: https://bit.ly/3zNwnrM. I’m in the process of saving some of those posts here on my blog to make them easier to link / share during presentations)

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Omazing-Kids-Aac-Consulting

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/omazingkidsaac

Personal Professional Facebook Page (linked to OMazing Kids): https://www.facebook.com/angela.moorad (adding “friends” who have a direct role in AAC or Assistive Technology – AAC / AT app or product developers, AAC / AT consultants, SLPs who specialize in AAC, other professionals who specialize in AAC or AT, etc.)

OMazing Kids AAC Consulting Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkidsaac/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/amoorad1

Anxiety and Autism: Helpful Tools

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Unfortunately anxiety is common with Autism. It’s the main reason that I went through training for kids yoga and mindfulness. I needed tools as an SLP to be able to help my patients learn self regulation and self affirmation skills.

Here are several helpful tools:

Two Amazing “Must Have” Books for Teaching Kids Self-Regulation Skills: https://bit.ly/2T36tiR.

Calming Kit Visual Support and Calming Corner:

A self-regulation visual support from the archives on my blog. See the whole thing and instructions in this PDF: https://omazingkidsyoga.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/behavior-thermometer-i-am-feeling-i-will-with-feelings-and-self-calming-choices-with-kids-yoga-bumpidoodle-cushion.pdf

An editable version is out on Boardmaker Share: https://www.myboardmaker.com/Activity/1817562

Visual Supports with Voice Output for the “Win”! – Incredible 5 Point Scale and the GoTalk Now app: https://bit.ly/3v3eq5M

Fingertip Sphere Breathing for Self Regulation & Calming: https://bit.ly/3bHXLNC

https://www.facebook.com/174264525957894/posts/pfbid02aDf9ymGeTPKNi3kBsCchQfa4DuhggcSfpBmG7RWhfSzAZGp2wuVxmBg521FABLj4l/?d=n

Breathing Zone app (like a virtual Hoberman Sphere). https://apps.apple.com/us/app/breathing-zone/id369838631. I post every time I see this app is free for a short time but it’s definitely worth the regular price:

Visual Timers can be very helpful to reduce anxiety.

I just checked and the app versions of the Time Timer are all still currently FREE (7:45am CDT 7/5/22):

iOS – iPhone and Apple Watch: Time Timer by Time Timer LLC, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/time-timer/id332520417

iOS – iPad: Time Timer: iPad Edition by Time Timer LLC, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/time-timer-ipad-edition/id434081367

Android & Google Chromebooks: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.timetimer.android

Another great free option is the MultiTimer app that can be adjusted directly on an Apple Watch as well as an iPhone. See details on this post: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2017/05/30/free-visual-timer-app-adjustable-directly-on-apple-watch/.

Owl & Star plush characters from Super Simple Learning + free printable affirmation coloring pages: https://bit.ly/3fykyfZ. Any stuffed animal or doll can be used with belly breathing. See this video: https://youtu.be/cx9vMHnjpbA

Five Count Breathing Stars visual support: https://bit.ly/2RCD8eT

Smell the Icing – Blow out the Candle visual support: https://bit.ly/2SfCjbD.

Several great apps in this resource guide: https://bit.ly/UltimateAppDigitalResourceGuideSLP

And handouts from a training “Therapeutic Yoga For Kids and Teens with Autism” that I did at the Oklahoma Autism Conference in 2011: https://bit.ly/3402Hci

I’ll update this post to add additional resources as I create or find them.

Disclaimer: Anxiety is very real and can be severe. Please seek the care of an appropriate mental health professional as needed. Any tools shared here may not work for everyone. They are shared as examples and may need to be customized to meet individual needs.

The best way to reach me with any questions is via private messaging on the OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. That way important messages don’t get lost among the spam in my e-mail

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

• Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Omazing-Kids-Aac-Consulting

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/amoorad1

• Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/omazingkidsaac

• OMazing Kids AAC Consulting Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

• AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/

• GoTalk Now AAC & GoVisual Visual Scene Apps – Ideas and Sharing Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/GoTalkNowAACappGroup

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkidsaac

• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad

• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/amoorad1

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamooradomazingkidsaac

• Blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com

Autism Iceberg – free visual to document unseen supports needed for the child to be successful (print or fill in with SnapType app) – created by Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP at OMazing Kids

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A free visual support for parents to use to help document the often unseen supports that they are providing that help their child succeed at school.

Unfortunately it’s common for evaluators who are not familiar with a child to state things like “But I don’t see any signs of Autism” or “But he doesn’t “look” Autistic” when they haven’t gathered all the info, looked deeper below the surface or even done any tests that would be part of the process to confirm that diagnosis.

This is especially unhelpful for a child who was accurately diagnosed with Autism at a very young age, has had years of intense intervention and they, their family, their teachers, their SLPs, etc… have worked very hard to make gains to achieve this level of success. You may mean well but pushing to change the eligibility category based on such limited info is harmful.

I worked with lots of kids, teens and young adults with Autism over my 28 year career. Most of the patients on my caseload either had that diagnosis or very similar needs.

So I know firsthand that Autism doesn’t just disappear. A particular individual’s needs may ebb and flow over time and can vary greatly even day to day depending on how they feel, sleep patterns, dietary changes, hormones, environmental sensory triggers, etc… And I’ve read numerous posts from adults with Autism who describe their part time use of AAC and varying need for supports depending on the needs, setting or communication partners. At it’s core Autism is a life-long neurological difference that we need to acknowledge, honor and support over the lifespan.

 

If you are in the process of completing an evaluation on a child you just met or don’t know very well, I invite you to:

  • Look deeper
  • Understand that Autism is a life-long neurological difference
  • Listen to that individual, their family and those who know them well regarding their journey and the types of supports that are needed in order for them to be successful
  • Remember what you are seeing in an eval, even one done over a couple of sessions, is just a tiny tip of a much larger unseen iceberg

I created this visual for the mother of one of the most amazing kids I ever had the pleasure of working with. I saw him for several years and his transformation was quite extraordinary.  But he still has Autism and still needs support. He has an incredible family who have always been willing to move heaven and earth to get him the services and supports that he needs. I have no doubt he will either discover or invent something that will be world changing. So when she reached out to me of course I had to do something. I will never “retire” from caring 💕

So I’m posting a FREE PDF and pictures of this in case anyone else might find it helpful.

If you want to print and fill out by writing in the boxes, there are three versions in this PDF (full color, faded color and black/white) so you can choose the one that best fits your printing needs: Autism Iceberg – Supports Needed for My Child to Appear Successful (free printable from Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP at OMazing Kids)

Or tap to open each full sized picture and then save the full sized picture of the one you want to the Camera Roll on your iPad or iPhone and then use the fabulous SnapType app to easily add text to the boxes. You can also take a picture of any worksheet to import it into that app to fill it in.

Full Color:

Faded Color:

Black and White:


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App: SnapType by SnapType, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/snaptype/id1124115982, iOS Universal, iOS 9.0 or later, FREE.

If you want more features, check out their very affordable full version: SnapType Pro by SnapType, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/snaptype-pro/id1124123246, $4.99. There are other PDF filler apps but this is by far the easiest one that I’ve used.

Example of me filling it out on SnapType (not specific to any particular child… just examples based on commonly occurring supports). After you are finished you can save it and export as a picture, as a PDF or as a SnapType file to share via e-mail or text message. The yellow highlighting only shows up while you are completing it… not in what you share.


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I made this visual using the iESLp app by Irmgard Raubenheimer, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ieslp/id912953895, iPad only, iOS 8.3 or later. The SymbolStix symbols are included in that app. The iceberg photo is an open source, non-attribution photo that I found online.

Please feel free the share this blog post but do NOT upload the PDF, any of the pictures or any of the links to those items to any online files, servers, Boom Cards, Teacher Pay Teachers, or any other sharing platforms. Just refer folks here to this post to get the items for themselves. I feel that it’s important for them to read this blog post to understand why they were created.

Thanks 😊

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Si6k7Y
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amoorad1/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

Visual Supports with Voice Output for the “Win”! – Incredible 5 Point Scale and the GoTalk Now app

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Visual supports with voice output for the “win”! I attended a presentation by Kari Dunn Buron, coauthor of The Incredible 5 Point Scale, at the Oklahoma Autism Conference offered by the Oklahoma Autism Network in 2017 and was inspired to make this for a patient who had been having a particularly difficult time and exhibiting a significant increase in aggressive behaviors. I watched for very subtle signs of increased agitation and modeled use of this to both talk about emotional states and offered choices to help calm before he got beyond a “Level 3”. He showed understanding of it the very first day and smiled when I acknowledged that he was struggling. He chose “go for a walk outside” and “go back to the house and rest”. The next day he spontaneously tapped “go for a walk outside” before he got beyond a “Level 2” and a huge smile washed over his face as we exited the sensory overload inside the building into the brisk air and total peace outside. I was often totally overstimulated by all the “Christmassy” stuff at our facility too so we ended up taking lots of walks outside 😉.

A video showing several boards including this one:

Thanks again Attainment Company, Inc. for making such a versatile app and giving me access to the most full featured version as well as several extras within it to help the patients at the nonprofit facility where I worked for the last half of my career. I was able to show this to his mother and she was very impressed with how easy this app is to program and to use for AAC and visual supports.

This app is definitely in the top 5 most used apps on my iPad. I saved this to the Online Gallery. Those who have either the GoTalk Now or GoTalk Now Plus versions of the app should be able to find everything that I have uploaded to the public Online Gallery by searching by my last name (Moorad) or a word in the title. See page 23 in the in-app Users Guide for info on how to find it.

There are several versions of the app with varying levels of features:

GoTalk NOW PLUS by Attainment Company, https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gotalk-now-plus/id742150885?mt=8 (most full featured, includes SymbolStix, offers PCS symbols (High Contrast, original and thinline) as in-app purchases, etc…)

GoTalk Now by Attainment Company, https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gotalk-now/id454176457?mt=8

Updated 4/3/22 to add: Encouraging Emotional Conversations in Children With Complex Communication Needs: An Observational Case Study (free access to the full research article & supplementary materials): https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.674755/full. The AAC app in the article is TD Snap but the concepts could be used when adding this type of vocabulary to any AAC system. If you have access to Grid for iPad / Grid 3, take a look at some nice preprogrammed content in the Voco Chat grid set.

GoTalk NOW LITE by Attainment Company, https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gotalk-now-lite/id953164338?mt=8 (FREE lite version, limited to 1 book with up to 5 pages, cannot backup, share or access the Online Gallery)

See this post about the current sale on their apps from 10/16 – 10/31/20: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2020/10/17/rare-sale-on-gotalk-now-gotalk-now-plus-aac-apps/

(Note: Most of the content in this post originally appeared on my Facebook page on 12/12/17.

I updated some info from that to create this blog post.

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Si6k7Y
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amoorad1/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

(Please ignore any ads that may pop up. This is a free blog and I don’t have any control over ads nor do I profit from them)

FREE Names of Animal Sounds app – great for 2-word phrases, vocabulary and kids who have a high interest in animals

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Found another FREE hidden gem in the App Store! Names of Animal Sounds by Pioneer Logics, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/names-of-animal-sounds/id1351844864 (2 word phrase (animal name + verb of the sound they make, ex: Lion roars) while showing short video of it, 61 animals organized alphabetically and can swipe to choose specific one).

List of what’s included… a few of the names of the sounds seem a little off but when I researched names of animal sounds some had several listed or varied between sources:

  1. Antelope snotes (snorts?)
  2. Bear growls
  3. Bison grunts
  4. Cat meows
  5. Cheetah chirrups
  6. Cockatoo squawks
  7. Cow moos
  8. Crocodile bleats (bellows?)
  9. Crow caws
  10. Cuckoo clocks (coos or cuckoos?)
  11. Deer bleats
  12. Dog barks
  13. Dolphin clicks
  14. Donkey brays
  15. Duck quacks
  16. Eagle screeches
  17. Elephant trumpets
  18. Flamingo squawks
  19. Frog croaks
  20. Giraffe bleats
  21. Goat bleats
  22. Gorilla growls
  23. Hen clucks
  24. Hippo growls
  25. Horse neighs
  26. Hyena laughs
  27. Ibis chirrups
  28. Kangaroo grunts (chortles?)
  29. Koala wails
  30. Koel clocks (?)
  31. Lemur gibbers (?)
  32. Leopard snarls
  33. Lion roars
  34. Mockingbird chirrups
  35. Monkey gibbers
  36. Moose bellows
  37. Mouse squeaks
  38. Owl hoots
  39. Panda bleats
  40. Parrot squawks
  41. Peacock screams
  42. Pelican chirrups
  43. Penguin honks
  44. Pig grunts
  45. Pigeon coos
  46. Polar bear growls
  47. Raven croaks
  48. Robin chirrups
  49. Rooster crows
  50. Seagull squawks
  51. Seal barks
  52. Snake hisses
  53. Sparrow twitters
  54. Swan cries
  55. Tiger growls
  56. Toucan squawks
  57. Turtle grunts
  58. Wolf howls
  59. Woodpecker chirps
  60. Yak grunts
  61. Zebra clicks (neigh or whinny?)

I had a couple of patients with Autism who had a high interest in animals that would have LOVED this app!

In particular I remember one who had a very driven passion for animals so we got to see a peek into his amazing skills when we tapped into that high interest. I used the I Read – Animals (Reading Comprehension for Kids) app by Nerea Sanchez Dominguez (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/i-read-animals-reading-comprehension-for-kids/id940688959) & the First Nouns app by KIS Publishing LLC (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/first-nouns/id930990828, before it switched to only being accessible to their online school) and was blown away by his ability to type and spell animal names. Ended up taking video to prove it to the rest of the team and immediately went through the process to get him an iPad with a robust AAC app. Speak For Yourself ended up being a great match for him since it has only 1-2 hits to get to any word and uses the native iOS keyboard. I think about him often and wonder how he’s doing 😊

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Si6k7Y
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amoorad1/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amoorad
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

Who Do I Want to Be During COVID-19? Helpful and encouraging….. so OMazing Kids is posting again frequently during the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic

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You may have noticed that I have been posting on social media frequently during the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic. I’m SO incredibly grateful to be retired and have the time to help others through the sharing of resources, prayers, helping elderly relatives get groceries/supplies, etc… I have all my fellow SLPs in my prayers for God’s safety and provision. I also have all the families of kids with special needs in my prayers that God would give you the wisdom and peace needed to help you help your child/children during this incredibly stressful time.

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Here’s my most recent post about apps that were currently free. I primarily post about iOS apps but am also sharing the Android version of apps if available and free. I typically cross post in my AppPeeps Facebook Group and sometimes on Instagram and Twitter to spread the word.

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The whole world is currently frustrated with last minute routine change … Not so fun is it? 
 

I have especially had all the individuals with Autism (and their families) in my thoughts and prayers. 🙏🏼

I know how incredibly stressful any change in routine can be and this is a bunch all at once.

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I’ve been sharing this with family and friends during the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic to provide encouragement and hope.

Scriptures for Healing, Protection and Joy; Songs of Deliverance; Posting the Word of God on Your Door Posts (4-6-20) – 3 page PDF: https://omazingkidsyoga.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/scriptures-for-healing-protection-and-joy-songs-of-deliverance-posting-the-word-of-god-on-your-door-posts-4-6-20-3-page-pdf.pdf

I just downloaded it from there into iBooks on my iPad and iPhone and was pleased to see that all the links work.

https://www.facebook.com/174264525957894/posts/3027568450627473/

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Who Do I Want To Be During COVID-19?

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC
Retired Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist with 28 years experience …. posting frequently again on social media about resources, apps & AAC stuff.
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Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
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AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
(I am only approving those who answer the two questions to help keep spammers out of the group. Please let folks know if you invite them to join)
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Instagram: http://instagram.com/amoorad1
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Twitter:
https://twitter.com/amoorad
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Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

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{please ignore any ads that may appear below. This is a free blog and I don’t have any control over ads nor do I profit from them}

10 Autism Faves: nine toys & a “must have” book

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{10 Autism Faves} Here are ten items that have been consistent faves with my patients with Autism:

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Oh and of course you have to have bubbles! See this post for my favorite bubble wands & symbols for them: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2017/07/05/free-printable-free-printable-symbols-for-colored-bubble-wands-great-deal-on-bubble-wands-on-clearance-1-00-per-pack-of-6/

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/174264525957894
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.

 

{App Review} Big Break: The Acting Game by Emote Play Apps Inc.

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{App Review} Big Break: The Acting Game by Emote Play Apps Inc.

This app is a fun twist on video modeling for learning and practicing expression of emotions. There are 14 movies to choose from. They are color coded into 4 levels (easy, medium, hard & hardest). The themes currently included are primarily geared towards older kids & teens (Broadway, Sci-Fi, Rock Opera, Comedy, Bollywood, Superhero, Fantasy-Comedy, 50’s Musical, Time Travel, Western Musical, Shakespeare, Fosse Musical, Punk Show & Circus). The app uses the iPad forward facing camera to show the user alongside the video model.

About the app: Big Break Bobby needs actors for his movie production studios. That’s where you come in. Act out lines along with game characters, guess emotions of the characters, and even see yourself in a movie. Earn points based on your acting and observation skills. This game provides a fun way for kids to practice their social communication skills through modules that require listening, watching, acting, and singing.

App video: 

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Wishes for a future app update:

* For the app to rotate when you flip the iPad. I always use my iPad in landscape orientation with the home button to the right. This app is currently upside down if I have my iPad in that orientation.

* Add some even easier movie options with themes suited for younger kids.

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App Store: https://appsto.re/us/cre26.i, iPad only, $5.99

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Website: http://bigbreakgame.com
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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/174264525957894
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
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Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.

Social Story for Learning Appropriate Use of Video Games: Minecraft

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Over my 27+ career as a SLP I’ve worked with several kids & teens with Autism, ADHD and other special needs who became obsessed with a particular video game. The typical culprits are Pokemon, Mario, Angry Birds & Minecraft. When played in moderation video games can provide a stress relief outlet for kids with special needs. But for some kids it can become an obsession or even an addiction. When a kid or teen only wants to play, think about or talk about a particular game, then you know you have a problem. Well Minecraft Steve and his pals have attempted to take over another one of my patients. Minecraft has messed with the wrong speechie. This particular child and his family hold a very special place in my heart so I was determined to help.  Since this is a fairly common issue, I was shocked that I could not find any social stories online regarding appropriate use of video games. So I wrote one today using the Social Stories Creator for Educators app by Touch Autism. This particular child has an amazing knowledge of anatomy and chemistry well beyond what would be typically expected for his age so I used a few anatomy and brain chemistry terms to tie into that high interest area and help him see for himself why unlimited game play would not be a healthy choice for his brain. I even recorded voice overs for each page. I then sent it to myself in an e-mail both as a printable PDF and as a story that can be used within the app. Super excited that the voice overs were included when I imported the story onto my other iPad and that they could be edited on that second device (so anyone importing the story that I created will be able to edit the pictures, text and voice overs to fit that child’s unique needs).

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Download the free printable 10-page PDF at: Social Story – Learning Appropriate Use of Video Games – Minecraft

Image credits:

• Minecraft: https://www.wikihow.com/Break-a-Minecraft-Addiction

• The Neurology of Gaming (infographic): https://www.thefyi.org/the-neurology-of-gaming-infographic/

• Brain: https://azkurs.org/addiction-is-a-brain-disease.html

• Screaming child: clip art in Microsoft Word

• Good job smiley: clip art in Adobe

• Smart choice: clip art in Microsoft Word

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Follow these steps to access the story and view it within the Social Story Creator app:

  1. If you don’t already have the full paid version of this app, then download the free version of the app on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id588180598
  2. While on that iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, tap on this link: http://socialstorylibrary.touchautism.com/b48879a1-b082-4982-866f-a5c37c65db02 (Update 6/26/21, updated again 1/17/23. I created a new download link since the old was was no longer working. The share links must be time-limited so feel free to send me a message on my OMazing Kids Facebook page if this link no longer works. I’ll be glad to create a new one as needed)

To download this story you must have the Social Story Creator app installed and then you must click on the link from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

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This social story app is very easy/intuitive to use and many of my patients are highly motivated by anything presented on the iPad (seriously I could show them the same story in printed format, read it to them and might not get much of a response but somehow recording my voice and presenting the same social story via the iPad got a very different response…. Shhhhh….. don’t tell the kids that it’s Mrs. Angela inside the iPad…. lol!).

See my full review for this fabulous social story making app at:  https://omazingkidsllc.com/2017/07/12/app-review-social-stories-creator-for-educators-by-touch-autism/

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/174264525957894
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkids
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
YappGuru: http://yappguru.com/user/omazing-kids/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
.
Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.