VOLUME 3, ISSUE 17
MAY 2015
TIS AND THAT May is Better Hearing and Speech Month! By: Lisa McKinney-Jackson, Speech-Language Pathologist Speech language pathologists and audiologists all over the country are celebrating Better Hearing and Speech Month in May. Speech-language pathologists are often called upon to use technology in their work, whether they work in school systems, clinics, universities private practice, hospitals or homes. But what do technology and communication have in common? Isn’t communication by word or through sign language? Communication is much more than using your hands or voice for those who have physical or mental challenges and are not able to use their voice or hands effectively. Alternative and augmentative communication, also known as AAC, is a way or providing the ability to communicate to people who cannot speak or use sign language. It can range from low-tech, using simple pictures and objects to tell wants and needs, to very high-tech, using dynamic displays of various pictures to go along with full sentences and paragraphs typed by the user to tell their wants, needs, ideas, thoughts and feelings. There are many websites, apps, and devices that may help with making alternative ways of communication possible. Today, I will provide a few of those for your consideration and information. WEBSITES: geekslp.com-The GeekSLP website has many ideas for helping people communicate, including apps and devices. Excellent source of using technology for communication.
asha.org-This is the official website of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. It has assistance for using augmentative and alternative communication, as well as information on other speech, language, and hearing problems. It has information for both professionals and the public.
prentrom.com-This is the Prentke-Romich Company website that creates AAC devices. The website also has information about how to get funding for devices, resources for AAC, and support and training for using AAC devices.
Aactechconnect.com-This website has apps, devices, information about evaluations for AAC users, workshops, and free materials.
http://tinyurl.com/ou3t38d-The website, for the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, has information about AAC, seminars, conferences and other resources.
http://tinyurl.com/nupcuz4-Enablemart website. This site has information on AAC ranging from $0-$5000.
Ussaac.org-The official site for the US Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. It includes information on devices, laws regarding AAC, emergency preparedness for AAC users, and a magazine for more AAC information.
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Communication Apps for Users and Professionals People who are not able to communicate with spoken words or with sign language due to physical or mental limitations may need technology to help them communicate. There are many apps and devices that can help them make their wants, needs, and ideas known. They range from free to thousands of dollars (prices subject to change of course). Below are a few choices.
APPS: ProLoquo2Go—$219.99; features over 14,000 pictures; customizable; can be used for face-to-face communication and on social media; tinyurl.com/q4yj7sp iCommunicate—$49.99; 10,000 pictures to use; pictures are printable; tinyurl.com/jvtxepo iComm—2 versions; one is free, one costs $7.99; load your own pictures if you would like to; record your voice or someone else’s voice; http://tinyurl.com/jwvfa7s My Talk Tools Mobile—Lite version is free, full version is $179.99; images, symbols, and audio to aid in communicating; http://tinyurl.com/lre6334
Voice4You—Pictures in 9 categories; good for beginning communicators; http://tinyurl.com/oroqowh ProxTalkerLite—Free; 80 starter pictures; low-tech; http://tinyurl.com/meg54mr ProxTalkerPlus—$99.99; 15,000 symbols; http://tinyurl.com/ll6pbn3 ProxTalkerPro—$199.99; 27,000 symbols; pictures can be emailed and printed; http://tinyurl.comnukl8nh URTalkerPro—$9.99; 1-16 pictures per page; add categories, images, audio; http://tinyurl.com/n3whszl GoTalkNow—$79.99; 1-25 pictures; import pictures; pictures are printable; http://tinyurl.com/1ahqvo8 Expressive—$39.99; by Smarty Ears; more than 10,000 images; designed for beginning to intermediate communicators; http://tinyurl.com/kpxbpfe DEVICES: Some people who use AAC devices prefer to have a specific dedicated device rather than an app on a tablet to help them communicate. Below are a few choices. If you know anyone who needs a device or app, please consult a certified Speech-Language Pathologist to evaluate what is best for their communication needs. Dynavox T10
Lightwriter
Go-Talk 20
From Dynavox;
From Toby Churchill Co.
3/4” thick
Text-to-speech device
From Mayer-Johnson Company
1.9 pounds
$5222
100 messages
Includes a companion app Funding assistance available
23 ounces
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Free Resources for the Everyday Teacher By Jennifer Bowman-Lusk Every teacher loves free resources. In today’s world, there are a ton of free resources available to teachers. However, most teachers simply do not have the time to research them in order to find the right fit. Here is a list of resources that are available, free to use, and are studentfriendly.
Blendspace— This is a great resource used to compile lessons to mix text, pictures, websites, and quizzes. You can view lessons already created by others in the gallery, modify them to fit your needs, or even create your own. Students can join on a computer without an account, or view the lesson from your smartboard. Check it out at https://www.blendspace.com.
Quizlet— This great resource allows you to create various types of quizzes, which can be created online, or printed out. You can also create games for students to complete. See it at https://quizlet.com.
KidBlog—Kidblog is a safe environment for students to create their own blogs. Teachers sign up for free. Students can enter using the code from the teacher, and parents can connect with their students. Privacy and moderation options are available. Kidblog.org Sometimes teachers can get so overwhelmed with new resources, it can be difficult to determine which ones are right for you. With summer coming up, and the end of the school year at hand, we hope that you can find the time to look through these great resources to use in the upcoming school year.
Remind—A great tool to use to easily connect with parents and students. https://www.remind.com.
ClassDojo—A great tool to use in classroom management. Uses both positive and negative behaviors. Can be used by teachers and viewed by students and parents. http://tinyurl.com/ nv6xs2k
Socrative—A great resource for quizzes that can be teacher-paced or student-paced. Www.socrative.com.
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EVEN MORE FREEBIES! By Jennifer Bowman-Lusk Storybird—Create a story with K-2 students. https://www.storybird.com Toontastic—An app similar to Storybird, but for older students. http://tinyurl.com/m2zh4tx Animoto– Similar to iMovie. Create a story with animation. http://tinyurl.com/mzngmy8 Classtools—Has many classroom tools available. Www.classtools.net Powtoons—Create short greetings for bell ringers, or other introductions. Www.powtoon.com Dipity—Create a timeline. Www.dipity.com
Typing club—Help students learn keyboarding skills. Www.typingclub.com
This issue of TIS AND THAT is brought to you by:
Jennifer Bowman-Lusk
Lisa McKinney-Jackson
Media Specialist/TIS
Speech-Language Pathologist &
Mercer County Schools
TIS-in-training Raleigh County Schools