AAC Starter Kit:
Everything You Need to Trial AAC with a Child
(No Prep Kit)
All children deserve the right to communicate with those around them. But our children who aren’t speaking yet sometimes struggle with basic communication. Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC) devices and systems can be a great way to help a child who isn’t speaking be able to communicate better with those around him. This packet will guide you through the process of introducing AAC to a child who isn’t speaking much yet so you can determine what type of AAC will be a good fit for this particular child.
What's Included:
- Sample Goals
- Data Collection Sheets
- Pre-Intervention Observation Form
- 12-Picture AAC Board with Individual Boards for Each Word
- Interactive Story Book for Introducing the AAC Board
- Lesson Plans for Teaching Each Word
- Homework Sheets for Parents/Educators to Carry-Over Use of AAC with Each Word/Lesson
- Lesson Plan for Using AAC in Natural Environment
- Post-Intervention Observation Form
- Information on How to Use Your Data to Find More Long-Term AAC Solutions
This 63-page packet includes everything you need to trial AAC with a child. This kit is intended to allow you to try AAC with a child to determine what type of AAC is best for this child. This kit introduces a simple 12-picture board with vocabulary chosen using the core word approach. This means the child is using one set of common words that can be used in a variety of contexts and environments. During the trial period, you will model for the child how to point to those pictures to communicate various wants and needs. Then, you’ll provide communication temptations to encourage the child to use the board to communicate. If needed, you’ll add additional prompts to help the child learn how to use the board.
You’ll start off by introducing the full 12-picture board to the child. After introducing the board using a fun, interactive story, you’ll help the child begin to use it in the natural environment. Then, we show you how to conduct specific activities to teach each of the 12 vocabulary words on the board. At the end, you’ll go back into the natural environment to see how the child is doing with using the board. At the end of all of it, you’ll have some great data to help guide your decision on what type of AAC you will try next.
AAC
Age Range: This packet is great for any child who is not yet speaking or is not yet speaking many words and may require some augmentative-alternative communication.
Check Out What’s Included:
- Introduction
- When Should AAC Be Considered?
- Pre-Requisites for Using AAC
- Handouts for Parents/Educators about AAC (And How it Won’t Inhibit Speech)
- Sample Goals
- Data Collection
- Phase 1: Introducing the Whole Board
- Phase 2: Core Word Teaching Activities
- Hi
- My Turn
- Help
- Eat
- Drink
- Up
- Down
- Go
- Stop
- No
- More
- All Done
- Phase 3: Generalizing to the Whole Board to More Settings
- Phase 4: The Next Steps for AAC
- References & Research Base
Discover What's Inside:
Sample goals for using rubric-style assessment for three of the most common early communicative functions: refusals, requesting, and getting attention/greetings.
Use this rubric-style data collection sheet to record progress on how independently the child is able to use language (AAC or speech) for a particular communicative function.
Instructions on how to conduct observations to collect data on language use before and after introducing the AAC trial board.
A basic, 12-Picture AAC board is included for use in this trial. In addition, there are 12 individual boards which only show one of the 12 pictures (in the same position as the larger board). This will allow you to “hide” all of the options except for one while you are doing your direct teaching lessons of specific core words.
When you get ready to introduce this new AAC trial board to the child, you’ll have a full, interactive story book which will model all of the 12 words on the board and encourage the child to point to the pictures along with you.
Each of the 12 words presented on this AAC board comes with a lesson plan with three different no-prep activities that you can use to teach and practice that word. The kit also includes a homework sheet that you can send home to parents or give to classroom teachers to allow them to carry-over the lessons in the natural environment. There are also lesson plans and homework sheets for how to use the AAC board in the natural environment as well.
Once you’ve collected all of your data about the AAC trial, the kit will guide you through what your next steps should be when it comes to future programming and planning for the child’s AAC needs.
