Group items tagged

"Communication Assessment for Parents & Professionals An easy to use assessment instrument designed for individuals of all ages who function at the earliest stages of communication and who use any form of communication."

"Nursery Rhymes to Sing See and Sign are free downloadable, web-based communication resources for all young children. It includes 14 favorite Nursery Rhymes. Nursery Rhymes to Sing See and Sign provide a particular focus on communication strategies known to help communication and language development in children with communication difficulties. "

Janice Light "What is the purpose of this website? This website provides guidelines for early intervention to maximize the language and communication development of young children with special needs including: * Infants * Toddlers * Preschoolers The website provides guidelines for early intervention specifically designed for children with complex communication needs, including children with: * Autism spectrum disorders * Cerebral palsy * Down syndrome * Multiple disabilities The website provides: * Step-by-step guidelines for early intervention to build language and communication skills * Photographs and videotaped examples of intervention with young children with special needs"

A partnership between The University of Akron College of Education, (UA) and Akron Summit Community Action, Inc (ASCA), Akron Ready Steps (ARS) is a program that serves over 300 at risk children in five Head Start sites in high poverty communities in Akron, OH. Program goals address high priority knowledge and skills preschoolers need to learn; high priority knowledge and skills teachers/teacher assistants need to teach; the design of high quality 21st century language and literacy-rich environments; active parent engagement; and mobilizing the community around strong preschool literacy education.

"Each month of the National Year of Communication has a theme which focuses on a particuar aspect of communication. We have been working with the support service CENMAC to create inclusive Widgit Symbol resources to support each of these monthly themes. These resources are all available to download for free! For each month's Widgit Symbol resources, there is also a free supporting resource available to download featuring the Let's Sign & Write British Sign Language Graphics."

"My First AAC is an affordable augmentative and alternative communication application for the iPad that is specifically designed for toddlers and preschoolers with delayed speech or severe speech disorders. Intuitive and child-friendly, My First AAC helps young children to communicate with family, caregivers, teachers and other people they meet in everyday life."

" Adaptation Station - Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC) Strategies No AAC device or picture board stands alone. Just as children need interaction and reinforcement from adults to learn to speak, they will need the same attention to learn to use AAC. It is helpful to think of learning to use AAC as learning a new language. YOUR ROLE as an adult in the child's life is VITAL to success! The following strategies describe YOUR ROLE in detail. Often, a good teacher uses a combination of the following strategies throughout a single interaction. It must be said one more time - if you think that having pictures and voice output available in your class is all there is to providing AAC to your students, you have missed the boat! "

Creative  Communicating -Pati King-DeBaun iPad app

"Yet, despite rapid growth in society's use of digital technology, many children in low-income families in the United States are not able to access and use technology in the same ways as their more-advantaged peers. This means they have fewer opportunities to learn, explore, and communicate digitally, and fewer chances to develop the workforce skills they will need to succeed in later life. Early childhood education can play a valuable role in ensuring that low-income children can access technology and learn how to use it. However, there are a number of important issues that need to be addressed."

"The purpose of the Use of Technology to Support Head Start Practice project was to review the knowledge base related to the use of technology to support the practice of early childhood professionals who work directly with children and families. The results were intended to fill a knowledge gap regarding what technologies are currently available to early childhood programs; how practitioners are using these technologies; and the barriers to and facilitators for practitioner use. The review examined three topic areas of interest: 1) instruction and assessment; 2) parent, family and community engagement (PFCE); and 3) professional development and informal learning. It also outlined both the facilitators and barriers to effective technology use in early childhood settings."

"The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) recently released a report reviewing the knowledge base related to the use of technology to support the practice of early childhood practitioners who work directly with children and families. The report, Uses of Technology to Support Early Childhood Practice, is accompanied by three related research-to-practice briefs: Instruction and Assessment Brief Parent, Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) Brief Professional Development and Informal Learning Brief"

"When we think of apps for kids, we often think of games for either entertainment or learning. But apps aren't limited to just games or books-apps can provide important social, emotional, and physical experiences too. Family Time with Apps is designed to help parents better understand the variety of ways that apps can support children's healthy development and family learning, communication, and connection. The guide aims to show parents how to find the best apps that fit your child's needs, provide tips on how (and why!) to use apps together, and highlight even more resources that will make the process of selecting apps less overwhelming, and more fun."

"If you have a concern about how your child is communicating, interacting or behaving, you are probably wondering what to do next. The First Concern to Action Tool Kit can help you sort that out. The purpose of this tool kit is to provide you with specific resources and tools to help guide you on the journey from your first concern to action."

"Too Small to Fail worked with the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education (ED) on a suite of resources that can help enrich children's early language experiences beginning from birth. There are tip sheets for families, preschool teachers, and infant/toddler teachers and caregivers, as well as a fact sheet that highlights the evidence behind the benefits of being bilingual and embracing children's home languages."

Babies with iPads This blog is designed to document infants/toddlers with disabilities using an iPad to promote their development. I hope to show how this new technology can help children with disabilities develop their communication, play, pre-literacy, cognitive, visual/auditory and motor skills.

"Last night we led a round table on Twitter about a topic of interest to us: Apps and Autism. It was a thoughtful discussion about how iOS devices, particularly the iPad, have transformed the lives of many autistic children. Parents and special educators gathered together and talked intimately about the magical effect technology has on the autistic children in their lives. The group stressed improvements in independence, communication and life skills, as a result of their using apps, all leading to improved quality of life for a child and family."

"This blog is designed to document infants/toddlers with disabilities using an iPad to promote their development. I hope to show how this new technology can help children with disabilities develop their communication, play, pre-literacy, cognitive, visual/auditory and motor skills."

The topic of the IPad has emerged in every workshop that I do. People are so excited about the possibilities with the equipment. And what is more important, they share some great stories about the social and communication benefits for their students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. "

"Totlol is a video website designed specifically for children. It is community moderated. It is constantly growing. It is powered by YouTube. The videos were submitted, screened and rated by parents. The selection is huge and if you like, you can participate too."