Making AAC in the Classroom Work!

INT-OO5:  
Making AAC in the
classroom work!
Amanda Hartmann
amandahartmann88@gmail.com
!
Thursday, Jan 29 from 4:30 PM-5:30 PM
Handouts are available at:
www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
1

Amanda Hartmann
Spectronics.com.au/Blog
amandahartmann88@gmail.com
!
Inclusive Technology Consultant 
Speech Pathologist

Amanda Hartmann, Speech Pathologist, ATIA 2015

Learning Objectives
• Participants will be able to identify 3 major roadblocks to
success of AAC in the classroom and how to overcome
these
• Participants will be able to apply at least 5 key strategies for
AAC instruction in the classroom
• Participants will be able to develop at least 5 interactive
classroom activities to support the AAC needs of students
with complex communication needs.
2
Handouts are available at:
www.atia.org/orlandohandouts

AAC in the classroom

!
!
Motivating
Engaging
Interactive
Purposeful
Fun

Choices
Comments
Protests
Questions
Feelings
Opinions
News
telling
Help
Functions of communication

AAC for all

Roadblocks

People give up too soon
Roadblock #1

Be persistent.
Don't give up too soon!

Be consistent.
Regular and reliable.
Repetition with variety.

Be ﬂexible.
Be ready to change and evolve.

Vocabulary planning
Customise & Personalise
Success depends on planning the
right vocabulary and activities

Classroom Communication Activities
vs Individual Communication Systems
Plan AAC as a part of your
classroom programming, and
individual systems can evolve on
the back of that.

Easy to access AAC resources
20 second rule

Modelling
Aided Language Stimulation
Partner Augmented Input

Lack of training and support
Roadblock #2

Collect examples
Videos/ photos

Professional Development
NB: Not just HOW-TO’s but
HOW-TO-USE

People must learn how to:
Model
Prompt & fade
Create communication opportunities
Respond to communication attempts
Manage their timing
Customise & personalise vocab

Get an AAC Champion
Identify key people to
support and buddy with
others

SHARE Share what works
Share what doesn’t work
Share resources

DELEGATE
What task can be shared?
Match tasks to people’s strengths

Putting all your eggs
in one basket
Roadblock #3

KEEP THE OLD
Don’t make way for new AAC
strategies/tools without
considering whether the old
systems still have a place and
value

AND
LOW/ LIGHT TECH HIGH TECH
Not either, or….

“Dance
with the
girl you
brought!”
Dr Caroline Musselwhite

Create and model
Multi-modal methods of communication

Practical activities
for AAC in classrooms

PLANNING CLASSROOM
COMMUNICATION ACTIVITES
DISCUSS:
Who is it for?
When & where will it be used?
How will it look?
What is it trying to achieve?

AND
ACTIVITY SPECIFIC CORE WORD
Not either, or….

VISUAL SCENE DISPLAYS WORD TREES
TeachMate365
Autismate365
aacorn

Class-based Routines &
Schedules

Timetables work well with the app: Aurasma

Daily summary

Circle Time

What is already happening…
Calendar work
Role/Names
Weather
Feelings
Words of the week
Daily Schedule

What to ADD to make it more focused on
communication and interaction…
News telling
Show & Share
Singing
Shared reading
Shared class activities
& much more!!!

Problem solving & communicating
through difﬁcult behaviours

“Clues” page in Proloquo2Go

Telling news/recounts/ stories

Photo based chat books
I like reading
Hotspotting behind photos

Games & Activities

Bag game
Collins Big Cat
Toca TailorMy Playhome
Make me a
Monster
Toca Kitchen
Monsters
Core word vocab
with interactive apps

Social connectedness

Jokes

Photo based chat books
I like reading books!

• greetings (eg. Hey!)
• openers (eg. What’s up? How are you?)
• commenting/ continuers (eg. cool, awesome,
bummer, Really? Tell me more) ***most common
• Often not included in an AAC vocabulary system
Social interaction vocabulary

Snappy chat
The range of apps by Snappy Chat -
have great vocab for Social interaction

Give praise and compliments to students and staff

“Cool vocabulary”
Totes Amazing ROFL

Asking Questions

Quizzes

Email/Text

Music & singing

Language & sentence building

Give clues in scavenger hunt

aacorn

Language & literacy
using books

Make it…
INTERACTIVE
& REAL

Walking in the garden, what do I see?

Text innovation

Don’t forget….

spectronics.com.au/online
Subscription
https://essdack.org/

Thank you for attending this session
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• CEUs – Session Code: XXX-YY
• More info at: www.atia.org/CEU
• For ACVREP, AOTA and ASHA CEUs, hand in completed Attendance Forms to
REGISTRATION DESK at the end of the conference. Please note there is a $15 fee
for AOTA CEUs.
• For general CEUs, apply online with The AAC Institute: www.aacinstitute.org
• Session Evaluation: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/INT-005
• Please help us improve the quality of our conference by completing your session
evaluation form.
• Completed evaluation forms should be submitted as you exit or to staff at the
registration desk.
• Handouts
• Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
• Handout link remains live for 3 months after the conference ends.
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts

Making AAC in the Classroom Work!

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