Graceful Words

04/04/2022

This is grace in action. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. 💕

Thank you The SLP Solution!

03/23/2022

Thanks so much to Lauren S. Enders, MA, CCC - SLP for this resource. Save the dates and save this visual!

4/6/22 Update - PRC-Saltillo announced that TouchChat will be 50% off from May 6-12, 2022!

Check out the deep discounts being offered on select and apps and products in honor of 2022! BIG thanks to the companies/developers who participated.
https://bit.ly/AutismAcceptanceSalesApril22
*Once you open the graphic using the link above, click icons and websites for live links.
Screenreader-friendly sale document here: https://bit.ly/AutismAcceptanceSale22Screenreader

*PRC-Saltillo's TouchChat and Dialogue apps are not on sale in April. Stay tuned for upcoming discounts in May!

Both Smartbox and TobiiDynaVox shared that they do not plan to run (April 2022) sales this year. So, neither the Grid nor TD Snap are included in the April sale.

image: Single page graphic in shades of blue showing aac and educational apps and products on sale in April 2022 for Autism Acceptance Month.

03/22/2022

Save for date for this family-friendly Autism Awareness Event in Hopkinsville, KY. There will be several vendors, lots of entertaining activities, and all kinds of food! I will be there sharing information about speech therapy and AAC. It is totally FREE for families!!

To RSVP, visit the page below:

https://facebook.com/events/s/1st-annual-autism-awareness-ev/431050851988646/

03/17/2022

Did you know that a communication system for an AAC user could include multiple tools? While we as SLPs do recommend use of robust language systems, we know that high-tech devices cannot be used all the time. And, if we’re being honest, sometimes it’s easier to use low-tech tools. If a quick response is needed and the high-tech device is powered off or charging, pictures symbols or screenshots from the language system will work just fine! This also works well for activities like messy play or water play, when we don’t want to risk damage to a high-tech device.

Additionally, ongoing use of various forms of AAC help to develop news skills. As a result, language and access needs could change over time. While we love when a system is working, we know that people change and one day, we might need to revisit the AAC system they’re using in consideration of their current needs.

Questions? Comment below ⬇️ and let’s talk!

03/16/2022

I’ve heard of and seen situations where an individual was deemed “not ready” to use AAC. Sometimes, the limitations of what we know impact what we believe an individual may be able to do. In the case of AAC, those preconceived notions can keep an individual from accessing communication, which is a basic human right. Here are three points to consider for an individual who appears to need AAC, but does not appear to be “ready”:

1. Staying seated does not accelerate progress. Participation does. If you’re working with someone who likes or needs to move, consider ways you can incorporate AAC into movement activities, like jumping, swinging, or walking.

2. An isolated finger point is not the only way to access AAC. People have differing motor abilities. While some use their index fingers, others use their thumbs, eyes, head, and even toes!

3. There are no readiness skills (e.g., reading, counting, labeling) that a person needs to be a candidate for AAC. This is one of the most rewarding on-the-job training experiences ever! Participation is the only requirement to learn to use AAC.

Questions about these?? Comment below ⬇️ and let’s chat.

If you’re in Clarksville and you’d like to learn more about the basics of AAC, join us in a group coaching session this Saturday 3/19–three more days! Register at:
www.gracefulwordstn.com/events.

03/11/2022

Friendly reminder. Have a great weekend!

03/09/2022

Reminder: register today!

This session for parents and caregivers will cover communication strategies to implement for AAC use at home. There will be time for Q&A, so bring your questions!

www.gracefulwordstn.com/events

03/07/2022

I WANT YOU HERE 🙂

See what I did using core vocabulary?? That’s one of the topics we’ll discuss and explore during this AAC group coaching session. If this is for you, register now using the link below.

www.gracefulwordstn.com/events

If you know someone who might be interested, please share!

03/05/2022

Registration is NOW OPEN for the first AAC group coaching session hosted by Graceful Words! This will be an interactive way to build your skills as a communication partner and to connect with other parents/caregivers who support AAC users at home. Led by an SLP, this session will provide opportunities for demonstrations and questions. The cost is $35. Visit www.gracefulwordstn.com/events and click “Register now!”. Seating is limited to ensure an engaging experience for all participants.

P.S. This is not a CEU event. It will be informal—dress is casual and comfortable!

03/03/2022

Registration opens in 2 days! Here’s your reminder to share this with your friends and family who want to be better communication partners for AAC users at home.

03/01/2022

Save the date for this introductory class on AAC! The goal of this session is to help caregivers who want to learn the basics of AAC. This is for caregivers who:

*have recently been introduced to AAC
*are not sure how/if they can help
*want to be more involved in implementation

This is an in-person training that will have multiple interactive components. Seating is limited. Registration opens Saturday, March 5. PM with questions!

02/26/2022

Is there a pediatric or young adult AAC user in your family? Do you want to learn how to be a better communication partner for your loved one? Mark your calendars and plan now to attend "Lights, Camera, AACtion! Basics for Caregivers Who Support AAC Users".

In this interactive class, you will:
1) Learn the highlights of AAC implementation strategies.
2) Preview examples of these strategies in action.
3) Showcase your understanding through completing challenges.

This course is for communication partners who want to improve their AAC skills at a basic level. Due to social distancing, seating will be limited. Registration opens March 5. Stay tuned!

02/24/2022

One reason I'm so passionate about being an SLP is that I believe our words create our world. ⁠
⁠
Can you think of a time when you learned a word (or description) that perfectly describes something? Something that you maybe didn't have a good word for before? ⁠
⁠
It's POWERFUL. 👊🏼⁠
⁠
This is why our jobs are so important! ⁠
⁠
The words we teach empower our students to better express themselves, use self-talk, tell stories, and literally create their belief systems and whole world. ⁠
⁠
🗣 Our words create our worlds! 🌎⁠

Hope you enjoy your day! 😘

02/03/2022

Graceful Words offers high-quality home-based and online speech therapy services, specializing in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Currently accepting clients for teletherapy with no wait list! Visit www.gracefulwordstn.com to request your free consultation! Contact Kaleena at (615) 270-8745 or ksmith@gracefulwordstn.com for more details.

01/31/2022

Is it too late to say Happy New Year?? 🎉🎉🎉

It’s been such a long time since I’ve shared anything. Today I’m feeling energized and motivated. I spent the end of last week in Orlando soaking up all that had to offer. It was such a good learning environment. And I had a fun time socializing as well. I can’t wait to share the ideas that are running around in my brain. 🙂

05/20/2021

Summer 2006. My grad school classmates and I spent a week on the campus of Mississippi State University for Camp Jabberjaw. That time was spent with AAC users and their families from all over with all kinds of activities—swimming, horseback riding, games, and a dance!

What I remember as a graduate clinician is that I didn’t feel competent enough to be there. None of us were very familiar with high-tech devices and language systems. In fact, I may have been the only one in my class who had used a high-tech device before that week. Simply put, I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing!

On a personal note, however, it was so good for me to be there. The families were SO happy to be there and reconnect, as some of them had been going there since the first camp. And I remember thinking that it was so meaningful for them to be able to spend that time together—some of them were going back to a town, school, community where they were the only AAC user around...

I’m pretty sure a seed was planted in me that summer. And one of these days, we’ll see the fruit.