How to use Guided Access to prevent exiting an app – Best. Feature. Ever!

Posted on December 30, 2015 by OMazing Kids

Sharing this again since many SLPs, teachers & parents may have received a new iPad for Christmas. If you will be using the iPad with kids, then Guided Access is your new BFE (Best. Feature. Ever!). It can be used to disable the home button and lock the child into an app. Especially critical if you will be using the iPad as an AAC device or using it in therapy with kids with poor impulse control. Here is the PDF guide that I share with families. It shows how to set it up step by step: http://schools.nyc.gov/documents/d75/technology/assistive/Quick/iPad%20Update%20-%20GUIDED%20ACCESS%20(PDF).pdf

Updated for 2020: That handout from 2015 is no longer available. See this info from Apple for the most current info and step by step directions: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202612

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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
Home E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com
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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 25 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is a kids book reviewer with a focus on great picture books, a kids toy / product reviewer with a focus on those that are helpful for kids with special needs & an app beta tester for educational and therapeutic app developers. She loves sharing info about great things to use with kids of all abilities.

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Speech & language ideas for the book “Happy” by Pharrell Williams

Posted on December 19, 2015 by OMazing Kids

Speech & language ideas for the book “Happy” by Pharrell Williams:

* say (saying words with articulation targeted sounds)
* sunshine (name 3 things that are hot, 3 things at a beach, 3 things you see on vacation)
* break (multiple meaning: give another meaning for the word break)
* hot air balloon (name 3 things that can fly)
* space (multiple meaning: give another meaning for the word space)
* air, care (rhyming, working on vocalic /r/)
* happy (name 3 things that make you feel happy)
* truth (tie into an activity on listening for facts vs. opinions or true vs. false)
* I’ll be just fine (learn 3 strategies to deal with stress or teasing)
* can’t nothing bring me down (discussion on things they can do to be in control of their own emotions)
* synonyms for: say, break, baby, happy, true, bring
* contractions: I’m, she’s, I’ll, don’t, here’s, level’s
* idioms: walking on sunshine, full of hot air, went through the roof
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Most good kids picture books are full of opportunities for tie-ins to speech & language goals. The key is to look at the text & illustrations for inspiration and to think outside the box. 🙂
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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
Home E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/17426452595789
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
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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 25 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is a kids book reviewer with a focus on great picture books, a kids toy / product reviewer with a focus on those that are helpful for kids with special needs & an app beta tester for educational and therapeutic app developers. She loves sharing info about great things to use with kids of all abilities.

{* Please ignore any ads that may appear below this sentence. This is a free blog and I don’t have any control over ads *}

Top 100 Speech Pathology Websites and Blogs for 2016

Posted on December 12, 2015 by OMazing Kids

Check out the 2nd annual list of the Top 100 Speech Pathology Websites and Blogs for 2016.

They reviewed over 200 sites and I’m thrilled and honored that OMazing Kids made the list again!

This year they put the websites and blogs in categories and listed them alphabetically.

http://kidmunicate.com/best-speech-pathology-websites-and-blogs-2016/

Badge:

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Home E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com
Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/17426452595789
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
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 25 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is a kids book reviewer with a focus on great picture books, a kids toy / product reviewer with a focus on those that are helpful for kids with special needs & an app beta tester for educational and therapeutic app developers. She loves sharing info about great things to use with kids of all abilities.

*** Please ignore any ads that may appear below. This is a free blog so I have no control over any ads ***

What’s in your AAC toolbox?

Posted on October 22, 2014 by OMazing Kids

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.

Find the AT Lending Library in your state: http://www.ataporg.org/states.html

Happy AAC Awareness Month!

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

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Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

App Reviews on The Appy Ladies: http://theappyladies.com/?s=Moorad

Posting Apps & Special Needs Resources on The Appy Ladies on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAppyLadies

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.

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Cute & Trendy AAC ~ think like MacGyver + involving users in customizing their AAC

Posted on October 6, 2014 by OMazing Kids

Thanks to Ability Connection Oklahoma one of my sweet 12 year old patients received an iPad Mini with the Speak for Yourself AAC app in a ChatWrap case by Saltillo Corporation!

https://www.facebook.com/112865048767286/photos/a.537071919679928.1073741827.112865048767286/724085767645208/?type=1&theater

Several of my coworkers commented “How cute!” as they saw me assembling it on Friday…. first time I’ve ever heard AAC described as “cute”. Love it! There is no reason why AAC can’t be cute & trendy. The white case with the light purple edge definitely adds a cute feminine look to a white iPad Mini. But the strap that comes with it is black and not dainty enough for this girlie girl.

So I put on my MacGyver thinking cap. Ever since attending a Linda Burkhart workshop back in 1993 I have built quite a stash of items with the intent of someday using them for another purpose. {If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Linda Burkhart workshop sign up as quickly as you can. She’s been doing Assistive Technology & AAC before the internet, cell phones or iPads were invented. She’s a guru of low-tech solutions & the original MacGyver in the special needs world}

After rummaging through my closets & drawers I found everything I needed to make a stylish lightweight shoulder strap worthy of this sweet 12 year old patient’s new AAC device.

I decided to repurpose an old Vera Bradley Pedal Pink belt (circa 2006) into a carrying strap. My mom had used it as a belt then passed it on to me. I used it as a belt but hadn’t worn it in several years. It almost made it into the donation pile a couple of times…. but my MacGyver/Linda Burkhart mindset said “No that would make the perfect strap for a PECS book or AAC device some day”.

I forgot to take a pic of the belt before I started deconstructing it so here’s one I found on e-Bay:

Here’s my kitchen table with all my MacGyver supplies:

It took less than an hour to transform the old belt & parts from an old duffel bag strap into a new carrying strap and cost $0.00 since these were all things I’ve had laying around my house for years. I don’t own a sewing machine so it’s assembled with heavy duty iron-on stitch witchery fusible tape and then hand sewn. I’m pretty sure this sweet patient will be the only owner of this combo of a white iPad Mini + Speak For Yourself + ChatWrap Case w/ purple “boot” edging + a custom-made Vera Bradley carrying strap 🙂

If you were a 12 year old girl, which carrying strap would you like? Which one would help your AAC device look cute & fashionable? Which one would promote attachment to the device and confidence in carrying it? The Vera Bradley one of course! Since many AAC devices are abandoned these are important things to consider. Hmmm…. I wonder if developing AAC fashion accessories could be a retirement career?

https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/photos/a.191017694282577/821747994542874/?type=3

AirDrop totally rocks…. and so does my sweet 12 year old patient. I’ve spent the past week seeing her an hour every day to work on programming & training in use of her speech generating device (an iPad Mini with the Speak for Yourself AAC app in a ChatWrap case by Saltillo Corporation). As a SLP I tend to explain everything I’m doing & include patients in decisions regarding their AAC. After all it’s her voice not mine. Her school has been fabulous about texting me photos of staff & classmates. Totally LOVE how easy it is to AirDrop them from my iPad or iPhone to this patient’s iPad Mini. This is by far the most personalized AAC I’ve done so far in my 24+ year career as a SLP. All because it’s so easy to save pics to the iPad camera roll, import them from another iPad or iPhone using AirDrop & then upload them into SFY. Guess what this sweetie did today after being included in the process of adding customized buttons to SFY over the past week?! As I was working on saving a button we had just customized, her iPad Mini went “ping”. Up pops the message to accept a picture via AirDrop. OMG…. as she was looking through pictures from the movie Charlie St. Cloud on my iPad she had independently found one she liked, saved it to my iPad’s camera roll, opened the camera roll, tapped on the send arrow, waited for AirDrop to appear & then tap on it to send it to her iPad Mini. Let’s see…. I’m counting about 6 steps in that process. The cool thing us that I didn’t spend time specifically teaching her how to do that but I guess after spending a week with me narrating aloud and including her in the process it “stuck”.

See this blog post for a cute carrying bag for the iPad: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2021/07/27/pretty-carrying-bag-for-an-ipad/

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Updated contact info 6/28/21:

Have questions? The best way to reach me with any questions is via messaging on the OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/. That way 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

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/

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Review w/ video: ChatWrap Case for iPad Mini

Posted on August 8, 2014 by OMazing Kids

Watch this video for a quick overview of the features, size & weight of the ChatWrap for iPad Mini by Saltillo. If you have any difficulty watching the embedded video, go directly to YouTube by clicking the pic below or using this link: http://youtu.be/Diq8NuFnN6c

This case is incredibly lightweight, slim & has awesome amplification quality through the attached Bluetooth speaker!

I’ve been a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist for 24 years and have seen LOTS of AAC devices and cases and this one is quite unique. Definitely worth considering if you are looking for voice amplification to turn your iPad Mini into a speech-generating device while not adding excess bulk or weight.

case weight = .7 lb
total weight with iPad Mini in it = 1.4 lbs
thickness at the tallest portion is only about 1.5 inch (about 2/3 the height of a dollar bill)
an extra kickstand is available (3.5 inches tall, holds device at 45 degree angle)
extra colored “boots” are available to personalize the case
the volume can get very loud. At full volume, the ChatWrap attached Bluetooth speaker gets as loud as 95dB. This is based on a trial with the phrase “AAC should be cute” with the following three options set at the maximum volume in the same office environment and measured with the Decibel 10th app at 2 feet away: iPad Mini speaker (72dB), ion Clipster (85dB), ChatWrap for iPad Mini (95db). [This test was inspired by this post on the Uncommon Sense blog: http://niederfamily.blogspot.com/2014/09/comparison-of-volume-intensity-in-ipad.html%5D

See more details & ordering info online at www.chatwrap.com.

Disclaimer: I did not receive any compensation for this review and do not have any affiliation with any AAC company or app developer. Please consult with your child’s SLP or AAC team when deciding on the best case for their needs. I am providing this overview solely as a means to get more details out there for folks to make informed purchasing decisions.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

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

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

App Reviews on The Appy Ladies: http://theappyladies.com/?s=Moorad

Posting Apps & Special Needs Resources on The Appy Ladies on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAppyLadies

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Book Review & Free Printable Story Props: There Was a Speech Teacher Who Swallowed Some Dice

Posted on August 6, 2014 by OMazing Kids

I am a huge fan of all the books loosely based on the story “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”…. I actually prefer them over the original. So imagine my delight to see there is now one with a SLP theme!

For folks who might get cranky over the term “speech teacher”….. get over it. That’s what kids usually call you if you work in a school and the full term “speech-language pathologist” doesn’t really flow well in the context of this type of book title or repeated readings in the story.

Any speechie who has ever done school-based therapy will get a kick out of this book. I laughed out loud several times! I love that the author included info about the items mentioned in the book. This book would be a fun way to introduce new students to some things they might see in speech therapy. She also includes a scavenger hunt check list.

I bought my copy of the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/There-Speech-Teacher-Swallowed-Some/dp/1500214949. See more about the author on her websites: http://www.patmervine.com/home.html & http://www.speakingofspeech.com/.

I always make story props to go with these types of books and had fun finding pics online for the 17 items she swallows in the book. Here is the link to the free printable:

There Was a Speech Teacher Who Swallowed Some Dice – free 3-page PDF printable made by OMazing Kids

See the OMazing Kids printables “terms of use” here: https://omazingkidsllc.com/printables-terms-of-use/

This printable is being provided free in gratitude for the countless free items that I have used from the Speaking of Speech website and just because that’s how this speechie rolls 🙂

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

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

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741