Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP. Over 33 years experience in AAC. OMazing Kids AAC and app consulting. Creator of several AAC Feature Matching resources (https://omazingkidsllc.com/omazing-kids-aac-resource-links/). Includes info about unique features to support Gestalt Language Processors
Thinking about getting an AAC app? Many AAC apps typically go on sale for a few days in April (or May) and October. You can see the pricing history for any app on the AppSliced website (https://appsliced.co/apps) and watch Lauren Enders’ page for her round up posts of AAC app sale dates/details (https://www.facebook.com/LaurenSEndersMaCccSlp/).
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Looking for a way to try out AAC apps before making a purchasing decision? If you are in the USA, all states are supposed to have an Assistive Technology Lending Library program where you can borrow AAC devices, iPads with AAC apps & other AT for short-term trial. It’s a great way to try various options out before making purchasing decisions. How to find the AT Lending Library in your state: https://www.at3center.net/stateprogram
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.)
Spanish AAC Apps, Devices & Resources (Hablo con CAA)
It can be challenging to find information about and resources for AAC in languages other than English. Since Spanish is the most common language after English in my state I have compiled a list to make it easier to share with parents:
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Hablo con CAA is a great website in Spanish: https://habloconcaa.wordpress.com. They also have a Facebook page & Facebook group. Most posts are in Spanish.
* PRC’s Accent series of devices with UNIDAD bilingual English – Spanish language system.
* Saltillo’s NovaChat series of devices. Several Spanish pageset options.
* Tobii Dynavox offers Snap + Core First in several dedicated devices. This vocabulary has a bilingual Spanish/English option.
. Robust AAC apps:
(For this app: https://www.attainmentcompany.com/gotalk-now. The same guide should be applicable to the other versions of the app. I use this version: https://www.attainmentcompany.com/gotalk-now-plus). The Users Guide is also available within the help section in the apps. The Spanish version will only appear if the iPad’s language is set to Spanish (Settings > General > iPad Language & Regions). Then, when in the app, if you go to the Help section it will display the Spanish guide.
More info: As you adjust the language on that iPad (Settings > General > iPad Language & Regions) the buttons in the app are translated and the user guide has been translated for Chinese, Czech, English, Finnish, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and Ukrainian. Then, for Danish and Greek, the app is translated into the language, but the user guide remains English.
It is also worth noting that the app can be programmed to speak any language supported by the iPad. For instance, someone who speaks French and has a French keyboard downloaded on their iPad, when they use the text-to-speech within the app, it will speak in French.
A quick video of some of the ways that I use the GoTalk Now Plus AAC app from Attainment Company, Inc. It has several unique features that make it a “must have” on any speechie’s iPad 😃.
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In case you are wondering how the sound is that loud… This is my 9.7″ iPad Pro. It is in an original Gripcase USA case with handles on all four sides. I made a “bumper” out of a piece of pool noodle to prevent the bottom handle from getting bent out of shape when using my iPad on my lap.
Pursuing funding for augmentative communication devices is not for the timid or the faint of heart.
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Unless you are working with a family who is very wealthy and can afford to purchase it themselves you need to be prepared for the paperwork & “fiery hoops”.
The funding department at the company selling the device will provide valuable support but a lot will rest on the shoulders of the SLP submitting the funding request.
It is wise to get as much information as you can before you start the process. Read through the definition of “medical necessity” and all the required elements for purchase of a speech generating device (SGD) as durable medical equipment (DME) for that insurance company and/or Medicaid in your state. This will give you both verbiage to include in your report and a checklist of all the bases you need to cover.
In my most recent funding request I had to deal with both the requirements of private insurance and Medicaid. Each had their own requirements. This patient’s insurance company required at least a 30 day trial with the SGD being requested. Medicaid in my state requires a video demonstrating clear communicative intent, independent use and for eye gaze devices “proof of accuracy”. Trying to submit a funding request before we had all of those elements would have been fruitless.
“Proving accuracy” may not sound like a big deal but I can testify that it was a huge fiery hoop when the patient was a 2.5 year old who had huge meltdowns every time I tried “show me the _____” activities. As in several sessions went down the toilet because we tried that.
So I laid in bed at night mulling over the quandary of how to “prove accuracy” in order to get her the AAC device that I knew she needed and that she had already shown me she could use. Add the extra self induced pressure of desperately wanting to get this accomplished before my retirement. Thank the Lord for stumbling upon a toy that this child was intrigued by. Not really the most highly preferred item. In fact early in the trial of the eye gaze device her Mom and I thought she may have been accidentally activating the button to request it since her reaction upon getting the toy was pretty “meh” 😐. So her Mom asked if I could move the button for it to a different location. Guess who immediately activated the button for that toy again and gave us her famous impish grin. Every time I moved that button she found it and grinned. So that was our golden ticket to making it through the fiery hoop of “proving accuracy”. I added a tiny button to her home page in Communicator 5 on the Tobii Dynavox i15+ eye gaze SGD and linked it to a page set that I built with the “noisy ball” and three other items with the placement randomized on each page. The first session I showed it to her she was a little fussy so we didn’t stay there long. The next week she was well rested and especially perky. Guess who found the “noisy ball” with 100% accuracy when presented in a playful way as a game of “hide and seek”? Yup. She did. And I got it all on video including her huge smile at the end as if to say “I rocked that didn’t I?”.
Tip: When you are required to provide a video with your funding request it’s important to always have a means of videoing on you in all sessions so you can capture the moments.
That was a huge fiery hoop to make it through and I worked late that evening to start the AAC eval report to get the funding request process started. Here’s the deal…. once you start that ball rolling you have to be willing to do what it takes under very short timeframes when they request additional video or ask for an addendum for additional information. If you don’t meet their very short timeframes then the request will automatically be denied and you have to start all over. For this child I had to provide documentation as to why she could not use handwriting as a means of communicating (ummmm…… not a developmentally appropriate expectation for any 3 year old let alone one with Rett Sydrome and no functional hand use) & additional videos proving she was making independent and intentional requests with the SGD. All of which had already been documented both in video and in writing. Of course I was frustrated every time but I had to vent to my fellow SLPeeps and then did what it took to make it through that next fiery hoop. I cried tears of relief and joy when I finally got the e-mail that her SGD had been approved and the day it arrived.
In the end it is all worth it to see the look on a child’s face when they get to take home their “voice” for the first time.
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I’m not sharing this to brag on myself but rather to leave pearls of wisdom learned from my 28 year career as a SLP. I’ll be retiring in 11 weeks so I’m trying to pass along things that I’ve learned before I move on to the next chapter in my life. I spent several hours researching the internet and posting in AAC and SLP Facebook groups begging for ideas for how to “prove accuracy” for a 2.5 years old using an eye gaze device. But there was nothing. So I hope that this info helps some other speechie in the future. For your patient it will likely be some other random toy or activity but the concept of turning it into a playful “hide and seek” activity may be your ticket to making it through the “proving accuracy” fiery hoop.
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.)
Have you ever had a patient who you knew had something to say but you struggled to find a means of communication?
I spent almost a year trying literally EVERY possible AAC device and app and every type of access option in a quest to find a “voice” for a child who I knew had so much to say. She made it very clear that she wanted to use her hands for direct access despite having minimal use of them. She hated head pointing and eye gaze devices and any type of scanning. I would seriously lay in bed at night and ponder what else we could try. I spent hours scouring the internet looking for PODD resources and watched just about every video I could find. Thank goodness a PODD training finally came close enough and was priced affordably enough that our facility sent two SLPs to get trained. Ideally I would have gone to that PODD training but it didn’t make sense for me to take a spot being so close to retirement. But having two of our SLPs trained gave me access to a PODD book to trial with her and then was able to order a premade one for her. Ideally you would custom make and print a book but the facility where I work had not figured out the logistics of printing on special water and rip resistant paper and spiral binding. So I have customized the premade PODD book for her by using clear packing tape to add symbols. Her older sister has even hand drawn a few symbols and the family has written lists on the back of pages. It may not be perfect but it’s working for her. She is my PODD rock star. Every week I end my session by telling her to “PODD on” (rock on with PODD).
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Here’s a screenshot of my desperate plea for help in the AAC for the SLP group on 10/20/16:
I periodically update this blog post. It is a “pay it forward” labor of love. I had an incredibly hard time finding info about PODD to get started with that patient back in 2016. So I was determined to make it easier for anyone trying to do that. 😊
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The latest update for this post was on 9/26/22 when I went through and checked all of the links and info and updated as needed.
On 1/8/23 I updated pricing info for the digital PODD apps.
On 2/24/23 I updated to reflect that the PODD direct access template is sold out again on the Boardmaker website.
On 3/12/23 I updated this post to add info about Feature Matching Chart for Pragmatic Vocabulary Organization AAC Apps.
New resource: Feature Matching Chart for Pragmatic Vocabulary Organization AAC Apps. This is a VERY deep dive beyond just vocabulary organization… it’s also an in depth look at the flexibility or limitations of the app platforms, customization and alternative access options plus includes detailed info about three different Bluetooth switch interfaces (Blue2, iSwitch & Cosmo).
Available on TPT: https://bit.ly/PragmaticOrgVocabAAC-FeatureMatching-TPT. This resource includes free access to over 3 hours of unlisted YouTube videos where I highlight some of the most unique features in each option and discuss the flexibility in customization, options for alternative access, etc…
I’m sharing links to things that were helpful during this PODD adventure and a few lessons learned….
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What does PODD stand for? Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display
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Update 9/25/22: This website has great info about the history of PODD: https://www.cpec.org.au/podd
. How to get started? Ideally go to a PODD training….. but the reality is they may not be offered anywhere near you and they tend to be very expensive. This was my reality so I learned as much as I could online through blog posts, workshop handouts, videos, Facebook groups, etc….
One of the biggest mind shifts for me was to let go of the need to plan contrived communication opportunities in therapy sessions and instead model initiating saying “I have something to say” through facial expression, raising my hand and vocalizing and then using PODD to share my own thoughts or ideas. I had to get comfortable with doing lots of modeling without any pressure on the child to do anything. And comfortable with writing measurable goals in a whole different way.
Examples of some of the goals that I have written for her during this process:
“__________ will show increasing interest and attention to someone using pages from the PODD aided communication system to talk to her in natural contexts throughout the day. This will be measured by an increase in: looking towards the communication symbols or the communication partner, calming during this process, looking away to the side but with a stillness as if listening, or responding the partner’s message. Will increase from ______ to at least _______ times documented during the auth period.”
“Within natural contexts throughout the day, _________ will initiate use of PODD AAC by raising her hand and/or vocalizing to indicate “I have something to say”. Will increase from _______ to at least ________ times documented during the auth period.”
“After signaling “I have something to say”, __________will express an increasing range of communicative functions such as requests, comments, and directing actions using direct selection and/or partner assisted scanning with pages from the PODD communication book and yes/no responses. Will increase from_______ to at least ________ times documented during the auth period.”
Update 7/24/20: Those handouts are all no longer available. The website indicates they are being updated. Fortunately I had copies saved in the iBooks app on my iPad. I merged them into one PDF and uploaded that to my blog.
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This weekend I found these handouts and videos on Linda Burkhart’s website about PODD:
“Aided Language Stimulation and a Robust Language System: Autism a Case Example” – Presented by Linda J. Burkhart and Aura Baker at Closing the Gap Conference, October, 2016
Partner-Assisted Communication Strategies for Children Who Face Multiple Challenges Handout by Linda J. Burkhart and Gayle Porter ((Pre-conference Instructional course – ISAAC 2006): https://bit.ly/3f4DlNu
Partner-Assisted Communication Strategies for Children Who Face Multiple Challenges: PODD Communication Books – Gayle Porter Handout by Linda J. Burkhart and Gayle Porter (Pre-conference Instructional course – ISAAC 2006): https://bit.ly/2BvPI7y
Update 1/8/23: The PODD CD was available again on the Tobii Dynavox website
Update 2/24/23: And it’s sold out again.
Options for purchasing premade PODD books (you have to sign a confirmation that you own both the Boardmaker and PODD software). A big shout out to Rachael Langley & Kelly Fonner for helping me find the first two options! The third one was seen in a Facebook group:
So I’ve been frustrated that I’m always fumbling through this patient’s PODD book in sessions. I wish there was a “word finder” for PODD (one of the downsides of a no tech system). I’m pretty “at home” with most AAC devices and apps since I have had lots of time to look through them and use them. I wanted to have this same level of ease in using PODD so I decided that I needed a copy of the same style of PODD book that she is using.
Unfortunately I can’t use the Tobii Dynavox PODD pageset in the Compass app to model since it doesn’t look anything like my patient’s PODD book. Since I am only 14 weeks away from retirement it did not make sense to spend about $80 to order a premade PODD book for me. I had seen comments online of folks saving a PODD book as a PDF so that’s what I decided to do. I saved the PDF in iBooks on my iPad. Now I have a way to look through it to get a feel for what vocabulary is in it and the pragmatic branching.
Be forewarned ….. it’s a VERY tedious & time consuming process to save a PODD book into one PDF if you are using Boardmaker 6 on a CD. It took me about 3 hours for a 123 pages of PODD. It’s not hard but time consuming.
Open the first page of your PODD book in Boardmaker.
Go to File – Print Set Up – Print Set Up – selected “Microsoft Print to PDF” – OK – Remember Board Settings for New Boards – OK
Go to File – Print (make sure it says “Microsoft Print to PDF” as the printer) – OK
You have to repeat the process for every single page that you want to include in the PDF of your PODD book. (I don’t have access to Boardmaker Online so I don’t know what the steps are there).
After you have all your pages saved as PDFs, then go to the Small PDF website (https://smallpdf.com/merge-pdf). This website lets you upload an unlimited number of PDFs. I uploaded all 123 of the PDF documents that I wanted included in this PODD book. After they are all uploaded then you hit “merge”. I was surprised how quickly this website handled merging 123 separate PDFs into one 123 page PDF document. I then uploaded the merged PDF from my computer into the media storage on my blog (a secured area that only I have access to). From there I was able to e-mail the link to the iPad that I use for AAC and opened the PDF in iBooks to save it on the device.
But I’m hearing that the solutions offered in the Quick Guides may not resolve the issues especiallyifyou are trying to do 2-sided printing. Contact yourlocal Boardmaker support team.
. More PODD tips: http://praacticalaac.org/?s=PODD
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Mary-Louise Bertram demonstrates how to make a portable stand for a PODD book, that could also work well for other kinds of communication books.
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How We Speak PODD makes their carrying rods:
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Here are some examples of PODD book stands made out of PVC. The amazing PT tech at our facility made some of the first style ones for us: PODD PVC stand examples
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Update 1/19/23: Nice short video with carrying strap ideas for two different styles of PODD books: https://youtu.be/PhM4LfPjBIo
See Facebook groups for each digital PODD app below.
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Gayle Porter has reportedly been working on an “alternative access” version of PODD for quite awhile but as of the time of this post it is still not available here in the USA.
So I made these very simple eye gaze boards with pragmaticbranching to use with a couple of other older patients. (Update: As of 1/13/21 the Alternative Access version of PODD is still not available in the USA and no info could be found regarding when it will be available. Update: As of 1/8/23 the Alternative Access version is still not commercially available in the USA. You could order it from Australia and get A4 paper to print it on but any binders would also need to be that size: https://cpec-store.myshopify.com/collections/podd-books/products/pragmatic-organisation-dynamic-display-podd-communication-book-alternative-access-templates. Or see the ordering info above for Alt+Shift (USA) and AAC Book Builders (Australia) for purchasing premade Alternative Access PODD books.
Digital PODD books are available on the iPad in four ways: simPODD, Grid for iPad, Snap Core First and PODD with Compass. This post is based on my personal experiences in trying all four options.
Update 7/22/21: Snap Core First has been re-branded as TD Snap AAC. The process of setting up a new user in the app has been improved. The other features remain the same.
Updated 9/25/22:
As of September 1st, 2022, PODD with Compass is no longer available for sale (http://downloads.tobiidynavox.com/Other/Legacy%20EOS/Compass%20EOS.pdf). They will continue to make effort to provide technical support for Compass on devices that have not surpassed their useful lifetime.
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3/12/23 For comprehensive and up to date info about all of the digital PODD options on the iPad and Windows devices, see this new resource. Like all of my feature matching resources it will be updated if features change in apps:
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, I did not have the opportunity to attend a formal PODD training. I’m in Oklahoma and PODD trainings were always too far away and too expensive for the state agency to send us. There was finally one in Texas just a few months before I retired but I gave my spot to another SLP on the team since spending that much for me to attend did not make sense that close to retirement.
So in order to support the patients that I used PODD with I taught myself via all of the resources that I shared on this blog post: videos, webinars, handouts, reading everything included with the PODD CD, participating in several AAC Facebook groups, and being cross-trained by the two SLPs who did go to that PODD training in Texas, etc. Since then I have continued to remain active with AAC.
I’m glad to answer questions or point you in the direction of who may be able to answer them 😊
Want to suggest PODD resources or info to be added to this list? The best way to reach me is via Facebook messaging over on my OMazing Kids page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. If you are an app developer and would like to have me review a new digital PODD app for the iPad or PODD that was added to an existing app via IAP, please send the link from the USA App Store so I can look at the info before you send a promo code. I want to make sure that one of my iPads is compatible in order to try it out.
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I’m retired from providing clinical services but am doing AAC consulting, creating AAC resources, actively posting about AAC and apps and using AAC in volunteer work.
{50+ Fun Food Apps} Expanding AAC opportunities with kids cooking & food themed apps
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One of the first motivators for many beginning AAC users is to request food. But then sometimes kids get stuck there. One way to move on is to tap into that high interest area by using food and cooking themed apps on a second iPad. Many of these apps are filled with opportunities to target verbs, adjectives, emotions and core vocabulary on their AAC device all centered around a food theme. I went through my app collection and compiled this list with a wide range of ages in mind:
Cooking Fun For Kids: Healthy Playful Recipes, Food Games, and Videos for Kids in the Kitchen by Bean Sprouts by Playrific, Inc., https://appsto.re/us/s19PV.i
Cute Food – Creative Fun with Fruits and Vegetables, Healthy and Funny Meals for Kids by Software Smoothie, https://appsto.re/us/j73QM.i
Kuca Senses by Kuca Boom, https://appsto.re/us/lKmalb.i (new app that has a fun section to feed the character items, see him change color and facial expressions and talk about whether or not he liked it)
Lalaloopsy Diner – A Candy Coated Burgeria, Pizza Party Cooking Game by CUPCAKE DIGITAL INC, https://appsto.re/us/i7Qy2.i
Mini-U: The Kitchen. 6 funny educational mini-games. Color matching, Pattern puzzles, Hidden objects, Music and Sorter games by PopAppFactory, https://appsto.re/us/bIh5P.i
Veggie U A+: My Farm My Table by Veggie U, https://appsto.re/us/cQH35.i (this app has SymbolStix symbols in it so is particularly good for AAC users who have those symbols on their device)
{App Review} Communication Adventure – An app for communication training for caregivers of children with complex communication needs by Avaz, Inc.
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This app from Avaz provides several scenarios to practice opportunities for encouraging and expanding communication. The tips are pretty universal and could apply to any robust AAC system or even general language development. There were a couple of items that I might have coached a parent a little differently in but overall the app has good info and would be a fun and very affordable way to train parents, teachers, aides or other caregivers on ways to encourage & expand communication. After you complete all the modules you then have access to an area with additional tips / ideas.
[FYI… if you have the Avaz Pro – AAC App (https://appsto.re/us/19nrH.i) then you have similar scenarios in the “dashboard” area but they take longer to unlock there since that is contingent upon practicing sentences]
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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
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.
Welcome to anyone visiting this 2016 blog post. I’ve updated app availability below. Sadly several of these apps are no longer available. App prices have changed since I wrote this post over 6 years ago.
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A more current resource about apps is my Ultimate App and Digital Resource Guide for SLPs(I’ll be working on doing the 2023 update for that soon. Anyone who has previously purchased it will be able to download the updated version when it’s available: https://bit.ly/UltimateAppDigitalResourceGuideSLP.
Interactive PDF(256 pages with linked Table of Contents) full of lists of hundreds of apps and digital resources organized by SLP goal areas and themes
App demo videos(links to 29 unlisted YouTube videos)
I’m always looking for fun and motivating ways to target core vocabulary for my patients that are AAC users. I use a variety of toys, books, sensory activities & apps to provide lots of opportunities for practice in the short amount of time I have with them in OMazing Kids speech therapy each week. My iPad loaded with fabulous apps is one of the best tools in my SLP therapy toolbox!
. Here are some of my favorite iOS apps for targeting core vocabulary (listed in alphabetical order, prices were verified and all were available in the USA App Store at the time of this post. I have no way to know if these apps are available in other countries or what the prices would be if they are):
Tips: Apps come and go frequently in the App Store. New apps are released. Sometimes older apps disappear while they are being updated. Sometimes they never reappear. So it’s always wise to periodically back up your iPad by plugging it into a computer logged into your iTunes account. This insures you won’t lose any apps that may disappear from the App Store. I originally got most of these apps by grabbing them quickly when they were free for a day or two. Watch my OMazing Kids Facebook page and AppPeeps Facebook group where I share these as “free app alerts”. Others I got on sale or via doing app reviews.
The main thing I look for when searching for apps to use for targeting core vocabulary for AAC users in therapy sessions are open-ended play apps that are intuitive, have large engaging graphics, are ad-free, have the option to toggle off any background music or it is very subtle (not over stimulating) while still leaving on any sound effects or voiceovers and any outside links are well hidden behind a parental gate.
. Of course these apps should be on a separate iPad from their “talker” so you can “talk” while playing (Update 3/12/23: Some apps could also be used in Split View or Slide Over)
. I use these apps to target the same core vocabulary that I would with a “real” toy or activity. Think of it as the “virtual” version of that. I lock the “play” iPad into the app that I have selected by enabling Guided Access. If the child is using an iPad as their “talker”, then it is also locked into their AAC app via Guided Access.
(Update3/12/23: please read this blog post for the most current info about Tech Safety. There are more options now. It no longer has to be all or nothing: https://bit.ly/TechSafetyAndAAC-BlogPost)
. Need ideas for how to target core vocabulary? I’m LOVING the Core Word 5-Minute Fillers on the NEW AssistiveWare Core Word Classroom website. Here’s a screenshot of the one for Mr. Potato Head.
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You could use these ideas with a “real” Mr. Potato Head or the app version (Mr. Potato Head – Create & Play: School Edition by Originator Inc., $4.99, https://appsto.re/us/Y6JCI.i. Update 3/12/23: Sadly this app has disappeared from the App Store)
My favorite therapy activity today was using the Tiggly Safari app with the shape styluses on my iPad to create lots of opportunities for language, listening, matching, sustained attention, joint attention and tons of fun! This particular patient is a preschooler with Autism and newly emerging verbal skills. I use symbols with him in a combo of PECS communication, as a visual support for choices and as aided language input. His smiles & giggles were the highlight of my day. 🙂
What’s the best AAC app? What’s the best dedicated speech generating device? What’s the best case? What’s the best ______…..
Several times a week I am either asked this question or I see it posted in one of the many AAC Facebook groups I follow.
Occasionally it seems to end up in a rather heated debate of ______ vs. ________.
This is counterproductive. Although there are key best practices when considering AAC options, there is not any one best AAC option (or one best therapy approach, or one best anything) when it comes to best meeting individual needs.
I have added a lot of tools to my toolbox over my 24+ year career as a speech-language pathologist. There have been pivotal moments where new tools were added that forever changed my perspective. Although shiny new tools may be exciting they did not replace the old tried & true tools. The exciting thing about tools is that you can use them together to build & repair. Would it make sense to ask “What’s better…. a hammer or a drill? a saw or a tape measure? a wrench or a flashlight? Of course not. Each tool has it’s specific purpose. You select the tool based on what job you need to accomplish.
The show Handy Manny comes to mind. The tools don’t compete with each other. They work together.
Handy Manny: We Work Together
Okay Tools we’ve got a job to do
Let’s get going and fix it right
Twist and turn, make it tight
Trabajamos juntos
We work together now
Cut it
Measure it
Tap it flat
Bend and twist
Just like that
Each of us has a special job
We work together
Todos juntos
We can fix it right
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All states in the USA are supposed to have an Assistive Technology Lending Library program where parents & professionals can borrow AAC devices, iPads with AAC apps & other AT for short-term trial. It’s a great way to try various options out before making purchasing decisions. There are lots of great AAC devices & lots of great AAC apps…. but like anything there is no magical solution that meets every child’s specific needs. That’s why doing a good feature-match and trial of options is critical.
OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.
NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here. I have attempted to remove the CouponDropDown but no luck so far…. DO NOT click on any hyperlinks unless you hover above them first to insure they are valid.Ones I included should appear in blue font.
OMazing Kids AAC Consulting 