Tag Archives: visual supports

New Resource: App and Card Game Companion + AAC Communication Board: Guess Who?

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✅ New Resource: App and Card Game Companion + AAC Communication Board: Guess Who?, https://bit.ly/GuessWhoAppAndCardGameCompanion ✅

For use with the Guess Who? Meet the Crew app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/guess-who/id1624777523 (iOS Universal, iOS 11.0 or later. $2.99, prices vary outside of USA based on exchange rate). There isn’t an Android version of this app yet.

Update 2/25/23: An Android version is now available in the Google Play App Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playdatedigital.guesswho (freenium – the app is free with the first three levels included then an IAP (in app purchase) of $2.99 is required to unlock the rest of the app. I was able to use a $2.00 off coupon that was available when I went to purchase it so I got it for $0.99). Note: This app was not compatible for download on my Amazon Fire tablet that I have the Google Play App Store side loaded on. I did not find this app in the Amazon Appstore.

And the Guess Who? Card Game: https://a.co/d/90F0G6A

TPT Preview Video:

Video about the Guess Who? Meet the Crew app:

Here’s the review that I left on the App Store:

The 2.0 app update incorporated my suggestion of offering a way to toggle off the background music. Love it!

So excited that they incorporated my feedback! The 2.0 update added a way to toggle off the background music while still allowing the voiceovers and sound effects. I just a submitted an update for my review to say “thanks” ⬇️

Update: I decided to purchase the in-app purchase for the Transformers themed card deck. It is more challenging but would be fun for kids who have a high interest in Transformers. Update 2: I didn’t purchase this additional deck on Android since I already have it on iOS and prefer the original deck vs. this add on deck.

Have questions? 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

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

FREE Visual Timer App – adjustable directly on Apple Watch

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FREE Visual Timer App – adjustable directly on Apple Watch

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Most of the timer apps that can be used on an Apple Watch require you to first set a and activate the timer on the paired iPhone and only work when the phone is within range of the Bluetooth connection with that phone. Although I love the Time Timer app it is not that helpful to me since I work in a facility that prohibits taking your phone into patient areas. The timer app native to the Apple Watch can be adjusted directly on the watch but is not a visual timer.

So I was very excited to discover that one of my other visual timer apps can be used totally independently on the Apple Watch. The key is to customize it on your phone, sync it with your watch and then the timer time can be set, timer activated, paused & reset all directly from the watch WITHOUT it having to be paired with your phone.

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Video:


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App Store:

MultiTimer: Visual timer with multiple timers by Sergey Astakhov
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/multitimer-multiple-timers/id973421278, FREE, you don’t need to purchase the IAP and no ads were seen
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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: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga
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.

{Review} Smarty Symbols Image Club

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{Review} Smarty Symbols Image Club

I have several patients who use the Speak For Yourself AAC app. That app uses Smarty Symbols. So I was especially thrilled to have the opportunity to try out the online Smarty Symbols Image Club (https://smartysymbols.com).

I already had the Custom Boards – Premium app (https://appsto.re/us/1hHNB.i) with access to over 10,000 symbols.

I was excited to see the Smarty Symbol Image Club has over 19,000 symbols. They even add hundreds of new images to their portal on a monthly basis. Many of these images are created in response to the requests by subscribers. If you search for a word and you don’t find it, they will create it for you!

I was able to quickly create a CV web mat to use in conjunction with the fabulous free speech sound cue cards from Speechy Musings also featuring Smarty Symbols (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Speech-Sound-Cue-Cards-Freebie-2196455). The website was easy to use. I can’t wait to make more materials featuring Smarty Symbols!

Here are some of the key features in the Smarty Symbol Image Club:

  • Access over 19,000 symbols
  • Ability to request a specific symbol be created
  • New symbols added monthly
  • Symbols representing a variety of genders, ages & ethnicities
  • All symbols are offered in full color or gray scale
  • You can download images in two formats: .png (transparent background – great for layering) or .jpg (white background). You can easily insert them onto your materials.
  • Images are organized into over 140 educationally relevant categories
  • You can search images by speech sound & position in a word making it very easy for SLPs to create materials to target particular articulation goals.
  • Activity Library where users can share activities they have created with other subscribers.
  • Printing Center with 40 templates. You can also create your own custom grids with 1-8 columns and 1-8 rows, specify the border color and adjust the border thickness. This portion of the website can only be accessed via a computer (not iPad-compatible).
  • Several video tutorials to help you get up to speed quickly on using the website: https://smartysymbols.com/videos/
  • Subscribers Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/447191572097599
  • Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/smartysymbols/?ref=ts&fref=ts

Pricing Options: https://smartysymbols.com/our-plans-pricing/. For personal use, they currently offer rates of $45 per year or $9 per month. They also offer group licenses at a discounted rate to school districts and educational agencies (contact them for that pricing).

If you have an online store such as a store on websites like Teachers Pay Teachers, you will want a commercial license which gives you the rights to post your creations for sale while your subscription is active. The commercial license gives users the same access as a personal license. The key difference is that you will be sharing whatever you created with others online or by selling the material to others. They currently offer commercial rates of $200 per year or $29.99 per month.

If you are needing an option that is totally iPad compatible and templates for common AAC mid-tech devices, then their Custom Boards app will be a better fit for your needs (http://smartyearsapps.com/service/custom-boards/)

On the other hand, if you would rather create items on the computer, have access to more symbols (including .png format that can be layered and used in other projects) and those representing a wider variety of ages and ethnic backgrounds, have access to the activity library where other subscribers have shared materials and don’t anticipate needing AAC templates, then the online subscription to the Smarty Symbols Image Club would be a great option.

Or get the best of both worlds by getting both the app & the online subscription. Both the app and the online subscription offer the option to search for images by speech sound & position in a word making it very easy for SLPs to create materials to target particular articulation goals. Both also offer the option to search for symbols in the “Speak For Yourself (SFY) Core”.

The cool thing is all of these options are significantly more affordable than a Boardmaker CD or a subscription to Boardmaker Online.

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I was blessed to win a copy of a Boardmaker CD many years ago and it’s definitely gotten LOTS of use. You’ve also seen me post about the Tools 2 Talk app with PCS symbols, the iESLp app with SymbolStix, the GoTalk Now Plus app with PCS and SymbolStix, the Custom Boards app with Smarty Symbols and now the Smarty Symbols Image Club. Each of these tools is unique and I pick the one best suited to the need in that moment.

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In the era of working with patients using AAC devices with varying symbol sets I’m glad to have a way to make materials and visual supports with the symbols that each patient is accustomed to. If I’m making visual supports or therapy materials that will be used across lots of different patients, then I often pick symbols from a variety of symbol sets going with whatever best depicts the concept.

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Disclaimer: I received a free subscription to this website to facilitate my review. Opinions expressed are my own.

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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: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga
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 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.
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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}

50% off the amazing iESLp app (create your own interactive and printable activities & visual supports)

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{Big App Sale} The iESLp app allows you to make interactive activities for use on the iPad or printable activities and visual supports for use off the iPad. This app is a great bargain on sale for only $9.99 considering that you could easily spend that amount on one or two items on Teachers Pay Teachers. This app is packed full of amazing features:

  • 24,000 Symbolstix symbols and pictures built in
  • In-app purchase of 3,800+ Scrapin Doodle clip art images
  • Import photos from albums and use existing clip art from your favorite graphic designer
  • Build activities to meet your needs from an assortment of grids, boards, game board, visual tools and templates or design your own
  • Attach voice recording to text or symbols
  • Create activity sheets, handouts and more
  • Make two-dimensional assignment sheets come alive with the interactive and manipulative features
  • Depict action by moving the symbols around
  • Create movable activities like matching, sorting, counting, story-writing activities and more
  • Easily create goal content or curriculum-related material, articulation sets, minimal pairs sets, etc.
  • Students and clients can make their own boards, activity sheets, games, etc.
  • Create goal-targeted vocabulary or sound cards with voice-recording features
  • Visual strategy boards come alive using the built-in features
  • Share assignment and activity sheets through air drop, text messaging, email and social media
  • Print from within the program using an air printer

App Store link:

iESLp by Irmgard Raubenheimer
https://appsto.re/us/NiPA2.i, iPad only, usually $19.99 -> currently $9.99 (50% off) (price in USA App Store. Prices in other areas vary depending on the exchange rate)

According to the app developer’s Facebook page, the app will only be offered at the sale price for a couple of days so grab it quickly and double check prices before purchasing

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The in app purchases are for extra clip art. The SymbolStix symbols are all already included in the app. See this post for details about why they included both:

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See tutorials & tons of ideas for items you can create with this app on their website & Facebook page:

Website: https://ieslp.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ieslpapp

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Ideas:

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Tips:

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These are just a few of the endless possibilities. I’m in the process of trying out the app and will be posting pics of my creations in the future. Be watching my Facebook page 😃

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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: http://m.me/OMazingKidsYoga
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 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.
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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}

Symbol Supported Language Stimulation: visual supports to expand verbal utterances

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Symbol Supported Language Stimulation: visual supports to expand verbal utterances

You are a “vintage” SLP if you remember using the Fokes Sentence Builder as a visual means of teaching kids how words go together to form sentences. For the past 27 years, I’ve infused that concept into how I model language. The pictures in the old Fokes were very outdated plus the copy of it at the facility where I work was very musty. So I use Boardmaker, the Custom Boards app by Smarty Ears, the GoTalk Now Plus AAC app with SymbolStix and PCS library add-ons (can export as PDF) or the Tools2Talk+ app to make my own customized visual supports. I’m “old school” and am still using a Boardmaker CD on a computer. I’ve considered using one of the many online options but haven’t so far since I didn’t want to have to pay for an ongoing subscription.

Most of the kids on my caseload have Autism or similar diagnoses and respond well to use of visual supports. For kids who are verbal, I use a variety of visual supports to show them how to create sentences. The picture at the top of this post is an example of my latest creation to go with my vintage Illco Sesame Street House (circa 1988) and wooden Fisher Price Mini Bus and Little People (circa 1969). It’s always cool to see how well my patients respond with use of these visual supports. Instead of imitating a word or maybe two, they are much more likely to imitate a whole utterance and then often use that utterance again spontaneously within that session.

For kids who are AAC users, I use aided language stimulation in activities that are interesting and highly motivating for them to model creation of sentences either directly on their device or on a companion device with the same vocabulary.
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I also use several great sentence building apps (yeah… I’m a cool mix of vintage & modern 😉 ):

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I use and love the Storyteller Writing Box from Lakeshore. I use it both to create sentences and as a visual support for answering Wh-questions:

 

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If you have Boardmaker, check out these free printable symbols and frames for the vocabulary in the Fokes Sentence Builder:

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(Update: 6/1/20 – That website has disappeared. Thankfully I had these saved a modified version of the Boardmaker Fokes Sentence Builder on my computer and just uploaded them to my blog as three PDF files:
1) https://omazingkidsyoga.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/fokes-sentence-frames-prints-on-fewer-pages.pdf
2) https://omazingkidsyoga.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/fokes-sentence-builder-who-what-doing-modified.pdf
3) https://omazingkidsyoga.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/fokes-sentence-builder-which-where-modified.pdf

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Subscription-based symbol site where you can easily make your own visual supports:

* http://www.boardmakeronline.com (has free 30-day trial)
* https://www.n2y.com/store/n2y-Products/SSX
* https://smartysymbols.com/our-plans-pricing/
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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/17426452595789
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/
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.

{Power of Visuals}

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{Power of Visuals} Gotta LOVE the power of visual supports when working with kids with special needs! I have a patient who has had the hardest time understanding and using pronouns (he/she) and prepositions/spatial concepts. He doesn’t have Autism but most of the strategies that I use with that population are helpful for him. The use of visual support cue cards with a picture of a boy or girl, the rule for when to use the pronoun and a picture and description of the mouth shape for “he” vs. “she” in every session for several weeks finally paid off today! So cool to witness the moment it finally clicked for this child. I was able to fade the cue cards today and he had a solid ability to both understand and use these two pronouns correctly. I’m tackling the prepositions/spatial concepts using a similar concept but instead of printed cue cards I’m using the GoTalk Now AAC app as a visual support. Today was the first session where I finally saw the first signs of it clicking for him too. I’m sure for this child it’s the consistent visual + auditory feedback from the AAC app combined with placing a high interest object in/on/under a mini trashcan from the dollar store. I have other prepositions programmed but have them hidden until he masters these first three.

The he/she cue cards are available as part of a free printable in this post: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2016/05/25/free-printable-puppys-pronouns-sentence-building-cards/.

I used the GoTalk NOW PLUS AAC app by Attainment Company (https://appsto.re/us/LlfpS.i). They also have a free lite version of the app (https://appsto.re/us/Yic04.i).
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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/
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 26 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.
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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}

Using Visual Supports in Yoga Groups for Kids & Teens – being inclusive of learning styles

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Looking for ways to include kids & teens with different learning styles in your yoga groups? Want to use positive ways to support participation and reduce problematic behaviors? Then you might want to consider using “visual supports”.

Many of the kids I work with in OMazing Kids Yoga have difficulty understanding & following verbal instructions. This can be due to a difference in learning style (visual vs. auditory learner), difficulty maintaining attention (ex: ADD/ADHD), difficulty tuning out extra sensory input to be able to attend (ex: Sensory Processing Disorders), focusing in too much on an area of high interest to the point that the child has difficulty attending to other information (ex: Autism Spectrum Disorders), specific learning disabilities, etc…

Regardless of “why” the child is having difficulty understanding & following instructions, this will make it difficult for them to participate in a meaningful way in activities, including a kids yoga class.

Adding “visual supports” (ex: pictures of the poses, pictures to depict the sequence of activities that will occur in the group, pictures to show the “steps” within an activity, showing “first ____ / then _______”, etc…) can make a BIG difference for many kids.

Here are a few examples of visual supports I created to use in OMazing Kids Yoga:

Some kids do well with a “Social Story” describing the expected behavior and how that makes other feel:

Some kids do well with a left-to-right schedule showing what will happen in the group (other kids do better with a top-to-bottom type schedule):

(this file is saved out on Boardmaker Share at: http://www.boardmakerachieve.com/Activity/1865866)

Some kids need extra visual cues to help them understand concepts:

(Note: These are just a few examples of the many different visual supports I use. Every child is unique so I often modify things or make new visual supports to meet those unique needs. Some kids do better with photos, black & white symbols or just words.)

Looking for PDF printable versions of some visual supports?  Here are a few: yoga breathing visual support (flower and candle), Social Story “Good Behavior in Yoga Group” with picture symbols, Peace Tree – guided visualization.

 How Do I Make These Visual Supports?  I use a combination of Boardmaker, MS Word, MS Paint, Google Images and the “snipping tool” in Windows 7. Boardmaker is a software program commonly used by Special Education teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists and other therapists to make communication boards, educational materials & visual supports for kids with special needs. Mayer Johnson offers a 30-day free trial of the program (http://www.mayer-johnson.com/downloads/trials/) and free online trainings on how to use it (http://www.mayer-johnson.com/training/recorded/details/id/2189/).

More About Visual Supports

Visual supports help many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other special needs understand their world better.

Just as many adults need calendars, to-do lists, shopping lists and planners to remind them of their activities for the day, many children need visual schedules and other visual supports.

Visual supports enhance understanding of what is going to happen and clarify expectations during that specific time period or activity.

In addition, visual supports often help the child move from one activity to the next with less frustration and reduced behavioral outbursts because the symbols turn the unknown into something the child understands.

The consistency provided by a visual support is crucial in establishing an atmosphere of trust and
security. Visual supports can also provide motivation for the child to work through a less preferred activity knowing a preferred/reinforcing activity is coming soon.

The type of symbols used, number of activities and amount of time shown on a visual schedule depend on the individual child’s needs.

If you want even more info about “visual supports”, check out these websites:

http://www.autism4teachers.com/autism4teachers_028.htm

http://www.autism4teachers.com/autism4teachers_020.htm

http://cdd.unm.edu/swan/autism_course/modules/environ/visualschedule/index.htm

http://card.ufl.edu/content/visual.html

http://www.polyxo.com/visualsupport/

http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/visual-supports

http://www.usevisualstrategies.com/VisualStrategiesInformation.aspx

http://visualaidsforlearning.com/

http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/visual-supports.pdf 

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma
Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2
E-mail: amoorad1@juno.com
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Blog: https://omazingkidsyoga.wordpress.com