Group items tagged

"Instantly speak another language, voice to voice, with SayHi Translate for iPhone and iPad. With over 100 languages available, can you imagine talking in one language and immediately hearing yourself speaking another language? SayHi Translate is an award winning app that helps you break down language barriers. Talk face to face in over 100 languages with our magical technology. Put an interpreter in your pocket. "

"LAMP Words For Life™ is a full vocabulary augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) language app that combines the power of the PRC Unity® language system with Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP™) principles and strategies. LAMP™ is a therapeutic approach based on neurological and motor learning principles as well as clinical experiences that address the language development and communication needs of children with autism. It provides a consistent motor pattern for words and a systematic way to develop communication skills allowing for unlimited language growth opportunities. "

Welcome to the AAC Language Lab The AAC Language Lab is designed to help you teach language for a lifetime, thus empowering the AAC communicator to develop expressive language to his or her optimum potential.

SpeechTechie is an effort to combine my two passions: fostering language development through contextualized intervention, and interactive educational technologies. My goal is to post several resources a week, and present each resource "through the language lens," meaning with an eye toward how the website or program would be helpful in speech and language interventions.  I hope that this blog will be helpful not only to SLPs but also to ESL/ELL teachers, language arts teachers, special education teachers, or anyone who loves words

"Ohio's Accessibility Manual is a comprehensive policy document providing information about the accessibility features of Ohio's State Tests for grades 3-8 and high school in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The manual helps to define the specific accessibility features available for all students, students with disabilities, students who are English language learners and students who are English language learners with disabilities. Ohio's Accessibility System features are made up of accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners as well as other features including administrative considerations, universal tools and designated supports."

"Where the customization comes in, is the fact, that you not only can enter you own text, then record your own voice (in any language of course) AND have individual words highlighted as it is being read! (Imagine the possibilities in the foreign language classroom…using subtitle text in one language to trick your brain into understanding the spoken word- a trick that helped me tremendously as I was learning Spanish as a teenager in Argentina.)"

Pictures are commonly used to represent language. A variety of picture sets and systems are used within the field of AAC. Many AAC systems use Single Meaning Pictures (SMPs) to represent words, phrases, and sentences, tapping into language metaphors represented by that picture. When using a Minspeak device, these picture metaphors are used systematically to represent language. This systematic use of picture metaphors requires significantly fewer pictures to learn in order to communicate a large body of vocabulary. However, it requires teachers, parents, and therapists to rethink how they assess for and use pictures.

"A blog documenting the journey of a mom and speech-language pathologist on a mission. I am committed to helping children find voices of their own. I want to ensure they are able to build relationships and gain independence through language, literacy and life-long learning."

"Interest in using applications (apps) for smart phones and tablets in speech-language treatment has exploded. State and national convention programs, as well as continuing education offerings, reveal wide interest in apps for professional use. But how do speech-language pathologists find good apps that are free or relatively inexpensive?"

"Signing Savvy is a sign language dictionary containing several thousand high resolution videos of American Sign Language (ASL) signs, fingerspelled words, and other common signs used within the United States and Canada. "

This rubric is designed to help speech-language pathologists compare AAC apps on the dimension of language and communication.

"SpeakIt reads selected text using Text-to-Speech technology with language auto-detection. It can read text in more than 50 languages. Usage: - First select the text you want it to read. - Then click the icon to start listening. - When it is ready to read, the number of sentences is shown on the icon. - To stop listening at any time click pause"

"To date, there are few guidelines to support clinicians and manufacturers in the design of effective AAC systems for beginning communicators. When AAC systems are well designed, they may enhance communication and language outcomes for beginning communicators with complex communication needs. However, poorly-designed AAC systems may potentially interfere with language learning and communication effectiveness. In this session, we will discuss guidelines for the design of effective AAC technologies for beginning communicators with complex communication needs, including infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with developmental disabilities (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome) as well as older individuals with significant cognitive impairments. The session will present research results from recent studies and will suggest clinical guidelines to improve the design of AAC systems based on these research results. "

Most students with autism hate to write. Even simple writing assignments require skills in language, organization, sensory, and visual motor areas. I Hate to Write is a new book from autism consultants Kathy Oehler and Cheryl Boucher that helps teachers look at the writing process through the eyes of a student with autism. By focusing on the four aspects of writing that are most problematic for students with ASD - language, organization, sensory, and visual motor skills - teachers will learn new ways to help students with ASD become happy, successful writers.

"The AutoVerbal Talking Soundboard (US$0.99 for the next few weeks) is the latest in the growing field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices available for the iPhone, iPod touch and (best of all) the iPad. An AAC device allows the autistic or vocally challenged to communicate without the use of sign language, which requires both parties to know sign language. As a universal app, running AutoVerbal on an iPad looks great and adds 9 backgrounds to choose from."

"Some groups of children are potentially more vulnerable and more at risk than others when using ICT. These can include children with emotional or behavioural difficulties, learning difficulties, and other complex needs, as well as those whose English is an additional language, and looked after children. Of course children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) can use the internet in educational, creative, empowering and fun ways, just like their peers. However, they may be particularly vulnerable to e-safety risks. For example: * Children and young people with Autistim Spectrum Disorder may make literal interpretations of content, which will affect how they respond. * Some children may not understand much of the terminology due to language delays or disorders. * Some children with complex needs do not understand the concept of friendship, and therefore trust everyone implicitly. They do not know how to make judgments about what is safe information to share. This leads to confusion about why you should not trust others on the internet. * There is also growing concern around cyberbullying. We need to remember that some children with SEN or disabilities may be vulnerable to being bullied through the internet, or not recognise that they are being bullied. * In addition, some children may not appreciate how their own online behaviour may be seen by someone else as bullying. We have also included number of resources that those working with children with Special Education Needs might find useful."

"Have fun with reading , matching and sign language! In My Dreams uses animation and repetition to promote literacy. Each page has the same sentence structure and reinforces understanding of nouns, verbs and prepositions. In My Dreams is an instructional app designed with illustrations that provide language cues. Personalize the app for your child, student or client by adding their photo!"

Quick Artic is a free IPhone application for Speech Language Pathologists which contains 566 images tagged with titles and categorized by "phonemes". This easy to use application features a scoring utility which keeps track of the correct and incorrect answers. Quick Artic automatically calculates the score.The application includes ten most common phonemes in all positions of words. It can be used in therapy or for quick articulation screening. To activate the application Speech Language Pathologists must register at Virtual Speech Center Inc. website at: https://www.virtualspeechcenter.com/register.aspx

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"

"As professionals with a keen interest in AAC, we often find ourselves trying to explain to people why we do modelling or Aided Language Stimulation - and why THEY should do it too!"