June is Aphasia Awareness Month, so we’re reprising some past articles and videos on supporting people with aphasia through AAC. When Language Is Lost: AAC Supports for Individuals with Aphasia Making It Work: 6 AAC Strategies for People with Aphasia Low Tech AAC for Adults with Aphasia: What Does That Mean? Bridging the Gap: Helping People with Aphasia to Compensate for Their Language Difficulties Aphasia, Supported Communication, Written Choice Strategy, + Variations 5 Questions about Aphasia & Communication Books A Fresh Look at AAC & Aphasia with Dr. Kristy Weissling Communication ..read more

In the US, Juneteenth is one of our newest federal holidays and many are now getting ready to celebrate it. Whether you are relatively new to an understanding of Juneteenth or have been honoring it for decades, we hope today’s post has some ideas for integrating it into the AAC work you do. First published a few years back, we’ve updated it with some additional books, videos, and other resources. PrAACtically Juneteenth In the US, June 19th is a day that commemorates the ending of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation became effective on January 1, 1863, it took an additional two and ..read more

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you may have missed. Monday – On Memorial Day Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Mental Health & AAC Friday – PráctiCAAmente Conectados: CAA Con Links Junio 2023 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: For those of you who want to browse a little bit more, here are a few suggestions. Supporting AAC Learners in Working with Words Teaching AAC and Sight Words AT for Writing Supporting AAC Learners in Emergent Reading: 5 Helpful Resources Using Adapted Books with AAC Learners: 3 Important Questions t ..read more

Each month we feature a Spanish version of our AAC Link Up, CAA con Links. If you have AAC-related announcements, materials, or videos in Spanish that you would like others to know about, we’d love to have you add that information below. Also, please share this with anyone who might be interested in contributing to or using the materials that get added to these posts. You’ll find the place to add that information at the very bottom of this post. Organized by Claudia Marimón, these monthly posts also feature AAC work being done in Spanish-speaking countries and offer translations of material th ..read more

How does AAC intersect with issues related to mental health? In today’s featured video, hosted by SmartBox, a group of AAC stakeholders discuss this important topic. Many thanks to Chris Gibbons, Melanie Gylling, Alicia Alverson, and Ashley Mohesky for a helpful presentation on a topic of great significance. Direct Link to Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acq4D9LOPL0&ab_channel=SmartboxAssistiveTechnology ..read more

In the US, today is a day for honoring those who sacrificed so much for our nation and our ideals ..read more

Happy Sunday, AAC friends. Here are some posts you might enjoy. Monday – Supporting Communication Partners: 5 Helpful Resources Tuesday – AAC Link Up Wednesday – Video of the Week: Fostering Effective Self-advocacy Skills in AAC Users Thursday – June Year of Core Vocabulary & School Year of Core Vocabulary Words ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: And if you are thirsty for more, check out past posts on activities and materials for AAC therapy and instruction. AACtivity Ideas to Jumpstart Learning Magic Moments with Verb Circus PrAAC ..read more

Planning for comprehensive core vocabulary instruction? The Year of Core Vocabulary Words and The School Year of Core Vocabulary Words, two series of monthly resources for core vocabulary teaching, both have resources that can be helpful to therapists, educators, and families. We’re reprising those posts for anyone interested in following along and utilizing the resources developed by quite a few people in the AAC community. The initial series was based on a small set of core words for each month (see that post here). We followed that with a second set of Year of Core Vocabulary Word resources ..read more

Communication plays a vital role in self-advocacy for all individuals, including those who use AAC. In today’s featured video, Melonie Melton and Heather Patton share thoughts on ways professionals and families can facilitate self-determination and build skills in self-advocacy. Their practical suggestions include activities and intervention tools for students with AAC needs. This is an archived presentation hosted by ECHO Voices of the Oregon Technology Access Program (OTAP). We are grateful to OTAP and the speakers, Melonie and Heather, for this presentation. You can obtain the handouts for ..read more

Happy Tuesday, AAC friends! Once a week, we invite you to share your own AAC-related content, product news, or anything else that you’d like others in the AAC community to know about.  It may be a recent post you’ve written, a slide deck from your AAC presentation, a handout, video, or meme that you’ve posted online, an AAC product you’ve created, an announcement for an AAC course or conference, or any other prAACtical content you developed and want to share with the AAC community. To post your own link, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post and complete the form. Enter the U ..read more