Super Duper Speech!

I was contacted recently by the nice folks at Super Duper about reviewing one of their products on the blog.  I was given a list of items to choose from and, not surprisingly, I already owned more than half of them!  While I'm waiting for the product I will be reviewing (you'll have to wait to find out what it is!), I figured I'd share some of my favorites!

I started looking around my room and was surprised at how often I saw the Super Duper logo! (You know, the two kids in the black oval).  So here are some of my favorites (in no particular order)...

Word FLIPS:
I've talked about this product before, but in case you missed it...FLIPS stands for "For Learning Intelligible Production of Speech."  I use this with most of my expressive language/articulation kiddos for 3-5 minutes at the start of just about every session. It's a great warm-up for expressive language/articulation activities. Also, it a good preschool vocabulary building activity! What I didn't mention the first time around is that it's great for kids with apraxia or other motor planning difficulties.  The book is divided into three sections and each section is printed with CV words, divided by sound (e.g., bee, boo, bye...tie, tea, toe...shoe, show, she, etc.).  You can make any combination of words you'd like.  My first copy of this book was so well loved that I ended up getting a second!  Now I have the opportunity to have kids sequence up to 6 CV sequences!

Lids 'n Lizards:
I bought this game some time last year and it has instantly become a favorite (of mine and of the students!).  With my little kids, I typically keep the magnetic pictures on top of the lids and have kids either name the picture, tell me about the picture, find a member of a specified category, or choose a picture to answer a WH question (e.g., What can you use to heat up your food?).  They absolutely LOVE finding the lizards!  I love that you can target /l/ in the middle of a language lesson!  I also love that you can grab other little animals at the dollar store (frogs, dinosaurs, etc.) to coordinate the game with classroom themes!  In addition, there is a list of game variations printed on the inside cover, making this game VERY versatile!

Grammar Gumballs:
This is another new-to-me product that I got at the end of the year.  I love that I can address multiple targets in the same session and the kids love the reinforcement of collecting bubble gum.  I've even used the game board within articulation sessions as reinforcement.

Fun Decks:
I have a bunch of these.  I store them in a drawer-box that is designed to hold CDs.  I found the box at an odd-lot type store and the fun decks fit perfectly! Also, did you know that many of the fun decks are available as apps?

(I couldn't find Voice Choice! on the website so I'm not sure if it's still available)

Voice Materials:
Last year I got my first ever student (pediatric) with a voice disorder.  I needed help (and materials) FAST! I ended up getting Voice Choice, Voice Adventures, and Martha Mouse & Baby Bear.  They have been a HUGE help for this kiddo!

Chipper Chats (etc.):
Whenever anyone asks me what my "Must Have" therapy materials are, I always answer with Artic Chipper Chat and WH Chipper Chat!  They are so versatile and can be used in many different ways!  I like to use WH Chipper Chat to take baseline data for answering questions!  Auditory Adventures is another great product for kids with comprehension and processing difficulty and Basic Concepts is wonderful for my youngest preschoolers!

Jumbo Artic Drill Books:

These are another "Must Have!" If you're a new SLP, you need at least one of these (preferably one that comes with a CD!!).  I STILL use these books to make my own artic cards!!  In fact, I wrote a post about that, which you can read HERE.

Category Cut-Ups:
Last, I shared with you yesterday about how I introduced the EET to my preschoolers (you can find that HERE if you missed it).  After I wrote the post, I had an older student.  To introduce the concept of "groups" or "categories," I made some copies from this book, then we sorted the items (I didn't give him a whole lot of instruction other than to "make groups...as many as you need").  We used dry erase markers to draw circles on my table and give names to our groups!

And there you have some of my favorite things from Super Duper!  Now, while I'm waiting for the red box to show up at my door, Super Duper has given my fabulous readers (yes, that's YOU!) a special code that will earn you 30% off web orders!  When you check out enter the following code to receive the discount:

DHRMKSP8

Happy Shopping!  

PS, What's your favorite Super Duper product???

Dollar Tree Finds {Plus a Freebie}

I don't know about you, but the budget I'm given to buy therapy materials through my district is non-existent! (I'm somewhat OK with that though because anything I buy, I can take with me if I choose to switch schools.)  When you're buying your own materials, you really want to get the most for your money. Recently I made a visit to my local Dollar Tree (ok, three visits).  I found a few cool things that I'll be using in my therapy room this year and figured I'd share them with you!

Room Organization:

I have a shelving system in my room with containers for everything - scissors, crayons, markers, colored pencils, glue sticks are all in their own containers.  The only problem with this is when I'm trying to do an activity with a group and have to pull out five different containers for the supplies!  So, I got this cute little bin:

My plan is to keep it stocked with enough materials for a typical group to do a craftivity! I saw something on Pinterest where you add small (empty) vegetable cans to further subdivide the compartments and I may just do that as well!  I also got these cute stackable bins:

I don't have an actual desk (you can see pictures of my room here), so I don't have drawers.  I figured these would be a good place to store things like rubber bands, binder clips, pens, etc.

Student Reinforcers:

I love the party section of Dollar Tree for stocking up my prize box! I got toy frogs, lizards and dinosaurs, as well as those spinning-drum things, tops, pencils and erasers.

I found this cool thing as well!  It's a light-up wand with a spiky ball at the top!  I figured it would be a good sensory toy, but also double as a talking stick for my groups of blurters (I always end up with at least one of those!).

Therapy Activities/Materials:

Have you seen these Weird but True books from National Geographic Kids?  There is a free app in the series as well (facts are limited in the free version but you can do an in-app purchase for more). They're great for keeping older elementary students interested and you can use them for just about any language/articulation target!

Wind-up toys!  I had just passed up some cute wind-up toys as a local pharmacy that were $5.00 EACH!  I love wind-up toys for several reasons (they're good for getting kids to make requests and you can use them as a fun way to work on any "card" activity...see here for more on that)

Next, I found a trash can!  (Yes I meant to put it in therapy activities/materials, not in room organization!)  I saw this post on Schoolhouse Talk and decided I needed a trash can of my own!  You could also use a can like this for this activity from Crazy Speech World.

I was on the fence about grabbing these mini books, but after opening them, I'm glad I did!

Inside are fold-and-go books.  They are designed to target sight words, but I found that I can use them to target syntax, articulation, articles, auxiliary verbs, prepositions, etc.  Here are some examples:

I've been looking for sticky hands ever since I saw Jenna's post on Speech Room News.  I still haven't found them, but I did find these sticky lizards!  I figured the kids wouldn't mind lizards instead of hands!

I think this is my favorite find!  It's a dry erase poster called "Describing:  Bubble Map."  I just got the Expanding Expressions Tool and I thought I could modify this map for use with the EET!

Since many of us are getting ready for back to school, I created these circles with back-to-school themed vocabulary to put in the center of the map (there are 12 vocabulary words total) for describing purposes:

You can download these HERE.

I also grabbed some stickers and cute mechanical pencils for me, but didn't think those warranted a picture.  :)

What's been your best Dollar Store Find?

Don't Throw it Away! Zoo Maps

Summer is the perfect time for visiting the zoo!  When you pay for your admission, make sure you grab an extra map or two because they're great for use in therapy!

Here's a map I grabbed during a visit to Southwick's Zoo:

Front

Back

Ways to use maps in therapy:

Life Skills Groups:  

• Have students figure out hours of operation, cost of admission, parking, etc.
• Have students brainstorm what they might need to bring with them if they were spending a day at the zoo (e.g., money for lunch, sunscreen on a hot day, etc.)
• Have students figure out how much money they should bring for the activities they want to do.
• Have students call and find out if there are shows that day/what time the shows will be.
• Ask questions regarding hypothetical events (e.g., What would you do if you were by the lions and you had to go to the bathroom?  What would you do if you fell down and started bleeding?)

Receptive Language:

• Following Directions.  Have students put their finger on a location on the map.  Give directions (e.g., "If you go south until you see the monkeys then turn to the left, what animal will you see?")
• Answering yes/no questions:  (e.g., Can you buy pizza at the zoo? Are the leopards at the zoo?)
• Answering wh- questions:  (e.g., Which animal is closest to the rhinos?, Where would you go if you wanted a drink?)
• Comprehension questions:  Read the information/rules section (if your map has one) to students or have students read the section.  Ask comprehension questions.

Expressive Language:

• Pick five animals from the map.  Have students describe the animals using as many features as they can.  (or grab your EET kit!)
• Give a student two animals.  Have them give directions from one animal to the other.
• Have students pick an animal they've never heard of (my map has animals like "Capybara," "Kookaburra," "Aldabra tortoise," "Muntjac deer," and "Patagonian cavy").  Get to your computer or iPad and look up the animal.  Have students report back to the group (or to their teacher) what they learned about the new animal.

Executive Functioning:

• Have each student tell you their favorite animal from the map.  Ask them to make a plan as to how they will see each of the animals by using the shortest route on the map.
• Provide a scenario where each student gets a certain amount of money and give students a list of costs associated with the zoo.  Have them make a plan regarding what they will spend their money on (rides, lunch, gift shop).

Articulation:

• Find animals and locations on the map that contain your target sound (e.g., lion, lemur, llama, leopard, reptiles, buffalo, turtle, eagle, etc.).

Voice/Fluency:

• Use any of the above activities for students to practice their strategies.

What do you think?  Do you use maps in therapy?

Love it and List it! Linky

Disclaimer:  Amazon affiliate links are included in this post for your convenience.

Hey everyone!  I'm going to be linking up with Jenna's Love it & List it over at Speech Room News.

This is going to be a regular monthly feature.  This month, Jenna is asking us to share our favorite games with you.  Here are some of my favorites that I haven't already blogged about:


Pesky Pirates:

We used "Pesky Pirates" as an open ended game in my therapy room.  Basically, you try to collect coins as you play and the player with the most coins at the end is the winner!  This game is a fun addition to your pirate theme!

Hullabaloo:

 

We all love Cranium's Cariboo, right?  Well Hullabaloo is pretty fun too!  You do need to have some space to play this game.  It comes with mats that go on the floor.  The mats all have specific attributes (color, shape, picture).  Each player starts on a purple mat (with a Cranium character) and once you press the button, they need to follow directions to move to another mat (e.g., "Spin to something you can eat," "Hop to a circle").  This game is great for following directions, learning attributes/categories, and listening comprehension.  The only downside to this game is that the speaker goes too fast.  I wish there was an option to slow it down or pause it.  Sometimes I just skip the speaker and give my own directions!

 

Zingo:

Zingo is a great game for preschool. As you may have guessed from the name, it's a twist on a bingo game.  There are two sides to each card.  The green has less complex vocabulary and the red, slightly more complex.  All of the cards consist of basic nouns (from what I remember, my game is at school!). The game is sturdy with plastic tiles that get placed in the red machine to start.  To "draw" tiles, kids must swipe the handle of the red machine back and forth (like an old fashioned credit card swiper).  They love it!

Snail's Pace Race:

Snail's Pace Race by Ravensburger has been one of my favorite therapy games since undergrad!  This game is probably a staple in many therapy rooms, but I figured I'd share if you're not familiar with it.  The coolest thing about this game is that the kids don't win/lose, the snails do!  We all have those groups that are competitive and want to win above all else, right?  Well this game eliminates the "sore loser syndrome"!

That's about all I can think of without actually being in my therapy room!  What are your favorite games to use in therapy?

PS, Thank you Jenna for hosting this linky!  

Guest Post: Five Things I Wish I'd Known as a New SLP {by Katie of Let's Grow Speech}

Our final guest post of the week was written by Katie Pedersen.  Katie is a full-time mommy, part-time school speech-language pathologist. She has spent most of her time at the secondary school level, and currently works as her district’s assistive technology specialist. She loves living in a beautiful little valley amid the mountains of Utah with her husband and three children, and going on outings with her family. Her newest adventure is sharing her passion for speech-language development with parents and other SLPs on her website, Let’s Grow Speech.  You can also follow her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

I’m so excited to be joining Carrie for her Blog Birthday! She is a party animal with all of her giveaways this week. It’s so much fun being an SLP. We all remember what it was like to be a newbie, though, trying to figure out the ropes of our profession. There is definitely a learning curve, and I think every SLP would agree that he/she is still learning. For all of you recent graduates, clinical fellows, and maybe even some experienced SLPs, here are the top 5 things I wish I had known as a new SLP: 

1.  Use visuals and other multi-sensory approaches

One of the best things I learned as a new SLP was the importance of using visual supports and other multi-sensory approaches in therapy. Visuals are an excellent way to support learning. Concepts stick with students better when they are paired with a visual, tactile, or auditory cue. I recently shared one of my favorite visual supports for scaffolding narrative interventions. I also use visuals to encourage articulation skills with my sound association cards.

For my students with autism, I encourage the use of visual schedules and reinforcers to provide structure and foster independence. I have even implemented some of these strategies with my preschool daughter to help with her morning routine and managing iPad time. My poor kiddos always have their mom using therapy techniques on them at home :)

2. Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate

You are surrounded by experienced professionals. Use them as a resource. One of my best mentors was a special education language arts teacher. I used a push-in model during her resource English class. We had a room full of unmotivated high schoolers who were supposed to be reading novels and writing essays, but who would’ve rather been playing video games or sleeping on their desks. I learned so much as I watched this teacher carefully select literature that would appeal to this group and scaffold writing assignments so they didn’t even realize they were writing  5-paragraph essays until they were done. After I had done a vocabulary or narrative activity with the class, I would return for my next session to find her reinforcing the concepts I had taught earlier in the week. It was brilliant! Some teachers are more willing to work with you than others, but don’t be afraid to suggest a more collaborative approach to therapy. I know it is not always feasible or best to use this type of push-in model, but there is always something to learn and to be learned between professionals. Many teachers just don’t understand what we do in our closet space and this is our chance to show them.

3.  Take meaningful data

Ah, data. I still don’t think I am a pro at this, but I have definitely learned a few things along the way. For my first few years, I frequently switched my approach to keeping data. Some worked better than others, but none of them were super efficient. I would spend hours transferring plus and minus signs from piles of sticky notes to therapy logs, and then when it was time for progress reports, I spent hours transferring information from therapy logs into progress reports. Luckily I had all the time in the world to stay at work until 6pm every night! I most recently discovered an organized, visual way to monitor progress using Excel spreadsheets, but then my coworker shared an awesome datatracker app she downloaded from Super Duper that essentially does the same thing with even less paperwork! It is $1.99 and well worth every cent. She is even able to email progress to parents as needed.

So when should you take data? I also struggled with this one. I like to approach therapy sessions with the “I do, we do, you do” model. First, I teach and model the target concept. Then, we practice the concept together. Finally, I have the student demonstrate his proficiency with the concept. This is when I take data.  

4.  Make sure the student knows the goal for each therapy session.

Give the what and the why at the beginning of each session. Identify your goal for the session and give the student a reason to accomplish it. Will it help him to communicate better with his friends? Will it help him to write an A+ book report that he can be proud of?  When the student is struggling with motivation, you can remind him why you are doing what you doing. Too often I would go through therapy without giving my students a reason to care.

5.  Have fun and be creative

One reason I love being a speech-language pathologist is because I can get away with doing silly, unexpected things. I can guarantee that you will have your student’s full attention if you show up dressed as a Dumbledore for your Harry Potter unit (yes, I actually did this) or be sitting under the table when they show up for their social skills group. Use technology if you have it. Teachers Pay Teachers is a goldmine for motivating activities to use in therapy. Let your students know that you are enjoying therapy and they will enjoy it too!

So… what do you wish you’d known as a new SLP? 

Thank you, thank you, Katie!  This is great information for new (and even experienced) SLPs! I know I'm continually striving for a better/more efficient means of data collection!  Katie also donated one of her Let's Grow Articulation books for my BIG giveaway!  You will definitely want to check out these amazing resources!

Guest Post: Fluency Tips and Tricks {by Maureen of The Speech Bubble}

Thanks so much to Carrie for including me in her 'Bloggy Birthday' celebration! Congrats!   My name is Maureen Wilson M.S., CCC-SLP and  I am a school-based SLP.  I write the blog, The Speech Bubble :)

Today I want to share some tips and resources that I have found to be helpful when working with students who stutter.  Fluency can be a tricky and complicated area. In the schools, opportunities to work with fluency students can be scattered, making it difficult to gain knowledge and experience. Here are some points  I have picked up that have been helpful to me when working with this group.

Does the student already have diagnosis?
Does the student being brought up for fluency concerns already have a diagnosis of stuttering?  If not, that means that you will need to do some screenings or testing. Remember, RTI can be used with fluency students too!  If the student can read, I like to use the 'Rainbow Passage' as a screening tool.  If they cannot read, picture description is a great way to obtain a speech sample.  Make sure you note any disfluencies, the type of disfluency and length of occurrence, as well as % of stuttering.  A good sample should be at least 100 syllables in length and you should aim to get at least 3 samples.

Does the student receive outside speech therapy for stuttering?
If you receive a request to see a student for fluency, check to see if they are currently seeing an outside speech therapist.  If the parent grants consent, touch base with the outside SLP and collaborate on goals and strategies. Find out what has and hasn't worked for the student.

Observe and Ask
Make time to observe the student in different settings.  I know this can be difficult with our schedules but it really can provide lots of useful information. Watch the child's body language and amount of class participation. Do they play with other students? Answer questions?  Ask the student how they feel about their stuttering. I have had student who truly did not care one bit that they stuttered and others who would be on the verge of tears if you asked them a question.  The student's feelings and perceptions are powerful factors in designing their treatment plan.

Secret Signals
Once your student has begun to master their fluency strategies inside the walls of your speech room helping them transition these skills into the classroom is key.  A strategy that my students have had a lot of success with is using a 'secret signal'.  One of my students compared it to having a personal 'Bat Signal', ha.  You, the teacher, and student create a secret signal that the teacher will use when the student needs a reminder to use their fluency strategies in class. A quick tug on the earlobe has been the best one so far.  It is discrete and gets the message conveyed.

So what materials are out there to help you address your student's fluency goals? Lots!  Here are some of my favorites:

•  Turtle Talk by Super Duper
•  Focus on Fluency Kit by Super Duper: For me, this is a must have!
•  Fluency Activity Pack by Miss Speech
•  Fluency Frogs by Karen Parden
•  Fluency Tools Treatment Packet by Lauren LaCour
•  Mega Fluency Packet by Speechy Musings
•  CandyLand Fluency by Jenna Rayburn

For more information and resources about stuttering check out:

• The Stuttering Foundation:  They have great information and printable handouts for parents and teachers
• The National Stuttering Association

I had done a post awhile ago about a friend of mine who has stuttered his entire life. He shared his experiences and advice on the subject, as well as, some video before and after he attended an intensive fluency program. You can check out that post here.

~ Maureen

First of all, Thank you so much Maureen for sharing this wonderful information!   You can find Maureen's blog, The Speech Bubble, on Facebook.  Make sure you check out her Teachers Pay Teachers Store as well for some fantastic materials!

Second, if you have not seen it, you NEED to check out the video that Maureen posted on her blog.  It's simply amazing and truly inspirational!  

AAC Week: Speech and Language Therapy for Preschool Students with Severe Special Needs

This post originally appeared as a guest post for Smart Speech Therapy, LLC.  I am reposting because I am bringing you a week dedicated to Augmentative Alternative Communication and Assistive Technology.  I hope you enjoy!

Across the country, school department budgets are shrinking.  Because of this, many schools are choosing to create classrooms and accommodate the IEPs of students with severe special needs rather than contracting out to “Day School” programs.  As a result, SLPs are finding more and more children with challenging disabilities on their caseloads.

My district is no different.  In 2007, I found myself working in a preschool classroom for children with severe special needs.  The terminology for this type of classroom varies across the nation, but the dynamics are pretty similar:  small class size, smaller student to teacher ratio, children with multiple impairments, and a great deal of related services.  In the five years I spent working in this classroom, I saw children with many different disabilities:  Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Myotonic Dystrophy, Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, Chromosome Deletion Syndromes, William Syndrome, etc.  Most of the students’ IEPs specified speech and language services several times per week. 

What does that therapy look like?

Clearly therapeutic objectives and methods will vary based on the child’s presentation and speech and language needs.  However, I have found a total communication approach to be most beneficial overall.  Some students responded better to ASL, others responded better to PECS, and some became verbal communicators.  You never know which approach a child will gravitate toward until you try them all! 

Facilitating a total communication approach can be time consuming…learning ASL signs (if you don’t already know a lot), creating picture symbols, creating overlays for communication devices, setting up assistive technology on the classroom computer, dealing with switches and switch access.  This type of approach really does not work unless the staff works together!  I was very fortunate to be able to work with PTs, OTs, and a classroom teacher who were more than willing to collaborate. 

What are some total communication approaches that can be used in the classroom?

1.  American Sign Language: 

One of the simplest augmentative/alternative means of communication is ASL.  This is partly because it does not require anything extra…no extra resources, materials, or cost.  Using this form of communication to supplement language development is common practice for SLPs working in early childhood settings.  However, it does presuppose adequate motor abilities, so it will not be sufficient for all students in this type of classroom. 

Some ASL/Hearing Loss resources:

·         ASL Browser (Michigan State University):  Video ASL dictionary

·         Hear My Hands ASL Blog:  Load of information and resources!

·         Handspeak:  ASL dictionary, resources, and research.

2.  Pictures/Picture Symbols:

Pictures and picture symbols can be used for a variety of reasons/activities.  You can use them as part of a communication system (see #3), for scheduling purposes, for social stories, and to support literature (to name just a few).  I like to use a combination of real photos and picture symbols.  Some kids will need the concrete nature of the photographs, and others will pick up the abstract drawings without difficulty.  In all honesty, many times I use photographs because I can’t find a picture symbol that adequately illustrates the item I want to represent. 

Pictures of toys I commonly use in therapy.

If I’m creating a whole page of picture symbols, I’ll use the feature of my photo printing software that creates small wallet-sized prints.  If I have one or two, I’ll add them in with picture symbols.  Where do you get picture symbols?  Here are the most common resources:

• Boardmaker Software Family (http://www.mayer-johnson.com/boardmaker-software/)  The possibilities are endless with this traditional program by Mayer Johnson featuring PCS.
• LessonPix Custom Learning Materials (http://lessonpix.com/) This is a web-based program that allows users to create picture symbols and a large variety of other materials for learning.  I often get asked about the difference between LessonPix and Boardmaker.  My short answer is this:  Boardmaker requires a top-down design (create your board, add your images), while LessonPix is bottom-up (select your images, choose your design template).  With LessonPix, you cannot create your own board designs, but they offer a ton of pre-made activities.
• Pics for PECS (http://www.pecsproducts.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=148&osCsid=d20b446270cbfe8e1cfb03e1a724cbe7)  This is a CD that contains nearly 3000 images that you can add to MS Powerpoint, MS Word, or just about any other program.
• Picto4me Communication Board Editor - Free communication board creator/editor that works with Google Drive.  

3.  Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

Ok, so this is probably should be numbered 2.5 since it utilizes pictures and picture symbols!  I have used this program with much success with many of the students in the severe special needs classroom!   PECS by Pyramid Educational Consultants is a six-step process of learning how to use an “exchange” method to communicate.  Here are some of the picture symbols I use for favored PECS reinforcers (to find out why they’re in a box lid, you can read my blog post HERE).

  

 Some PECS resources:

·         The Autism Society has an article that's a great overview of the PECS process.

·         This run-down from DePaul University outlines the six phases in a simple and clear manner.  Perfect for printing and keeping in your room!

·         There's even a Wikipedia article on PECS!

4.  Low(er) Tech Assistive Technology:

In this type of classroom, you may run across children who do not have sufficient motor skills to pick up picture symbols and pass them to an adult.  For these students, I have utilized both pointing/tapping the desired picture symbol and eye gaze methods.  Here are some display options I’ve used for eye gaze:

Acrylic frames:  These stand up on their own (horizontally or vertically) and are great for providing a limited number of choices.  I used this with a child who needed to be fed.  He could let me know if he wanted a bite of food or a sip of his juice. 

 Large eye-gaze board:  This was a fixture in the classroom in which I worked.  It’s made out of acrylic and is very easy to see through.  Because of this, you can monitor the student’s eye gaze quite easily.  The problem is that it’s cumbersome and not portable.

Activity specific eye gaze boards:  Smaller and more portable than the version above, I created these in Boardmaker by creating a 9-square grid and deleting four of the cells.  Once printed, I cut out the center square, laminated, and re-cut the center.  For this option, you can peek through the center at the child, ask them to look at the option they want, then look back at you to confirm their response.  The boards I have here are for selecting a song during circle time, blowing bubbles, and indicating emotion.  You can see, I kept a blank board as well.  Because these are small, I can store them in a folder and bring them with me to different classrooms, I can also store them in areas where they are most likely to be utilized (e.g., song board in the circle area of the classroom).

Recordable Voice Output Switches:  There are so many different types of switches that you can use.  I love the ones that you can record easily and use in any activity so that all children can participate…Record the chorus of favorite songs so that the child can fill in (e.g., “E-I-E-I-O” during “Old MacDonald”).  These are the ones I use.  You can add icons to the clear plastic sleeves.

5.  High(er) Tech Assistive Technology:  These resources are technically the most expensive and more difficult to come by in a school setting.  However, these can be extremely beneficial to students in a severe special needs classroom.  Here are some of the activities I have used:

Switch Activated Toys:  These may seem simple, but they are great for teaching cause/effect, a necessary precursor for using switches for communicative means!  I couldn’t find the digital files for these photos, but these are the picture symbols I created for some of the switch toys we used in the classroom:

Intellikeys:  Intellikeys is an alternative keyboard.  You can create your own overlays and program them to use on your classroom computer.  The Intellitools site also has an activity exchange section where you can access pre-made materials.

Powerpoint:  You can easily set up slide shows on Powerpoint to be switch activated.  Set up your slide show to have forward advancing buttons.  Place the cursor over the advance button and allow the child to advance pages using a switch.  You scan story book pages, add them to slides, and record yourself reading.  Create your own versions of popular stories!  I did a “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Who Do You See?” featuring all the children and staff in the classroom.

The iPad and Communication Devices:  I’m not going to go into detail on these since it could take a whole book!

Some AT resources:

• Click HERE to see a step by step tutorial for creating Powerpoint talking books.
• Try these free downloads from Children's Hospital Boston.  Scroll down a bit and check out the Dynamic Display Examples!  I had a student who absolutely LOVED the "Chase Me" activity!
• Tar Heel Reader:  Create and read switch-compatible stories (written by other students/teachers)
• Tumblebooks Library:  This is a subscription service, but my local library has access through its website.  It’s worth a shot to see if yours does as well!

I hope this post provided you with some new information regarding servicing students with severe special needs in the school setting!  Stay tunes for some more information on AAC and AT later this week!