VOICE AAC Center

11/02/2020

We appreciate how hard companies are working to make Speech Generating Devices better and better- PRC-Saltillo's most recent innovation of Voice keeper is sure to be a beneficial feature for many individuals! Check it out!

https://app.thevoicekeeper.com/prc-saltillo

09/05/2020

The last 6 months have brought drastic sweeping changes to how we can operate best to serve our students- and at VOICE we have been exclusively focused on how to keep doing the work we love- AAC evaluation/consultation- in a 100% remote format.

What we have discovered? We have so much potential and opportunity in the AAC evaluation/consultation world in this format of remote learning. We have created and trialed new plans and routines to maximize teaching and learning of devices while getting to know our students and teams- the best part of the equation!

We are still offering dynamic AAC evaluations that closely involve teams and parents. We are still consulting for students with devices to maximize their programs and supporting teams in their planning. We are still focused on serving AAC users and their teams to maximize communication across all contexts!

We are excited to keep doing the work we love to support AAC users in the state of Vermont! We thank all of our educators and administrators who have worked so hard to create programming in our schools across the state. Here's to the 20-21 school year!

03/04/2020

Happy March!

As it gets warmer in Vermont, we thought it might be a fun time to talk about the environment around us.

Language input is crucial - even more so for students who have communication differences and benefit from AAC support! Practice describing and labeling the environment around you and your students using your student's device- noticing what you smell, see, and hear!

Check out this awesome resource from Saltillo on Aided Language Modeling/Input- what do you think?

https://saltillo.com/images/putting-aided-language-into-practice-aac-putting-aided-language-to-practice-handout.pdf

02/16/2020

Question time! What Questions do you often have in the Evaluation/Device Trial Process? We want to hear from you!

02/02/2020

Project Core offers some AMAZING (and free!) professional development opportunities for supporting core language in the classroom. Check out their many offerings! What are you most interested to check out first?

01/22/2020

You know we LOVE to share upcoming webinars and AAC CE opportunities! Saltillo is presenting a Chat Editor overview (software for supporting Nova Chat devices) in this FREE Webinar on Tuesday February 18! You can even earn ASHA CEUs.

Check it out!
https://saltillo.com/training/details/1994

Oh the Things You Can Do! A Chat Editor Make & Take Session

01/17/2020

January Challenge for you- try and communicate with someone today using gestures, facial expressions, or pointing. (No finger spelling if you and your communication partner have ASL knowledge). How far can you get into communication before speaking or writing is necessary?

This challenge is a simple reminder for us that having access to lite/high tech forms of AAC (LANGUAGE) gives us the tools to learn to communicate beyond behavior/gestural means.

Happy Communicating!

01/08/2020

The Unity Language System can feel overwhelming for learners who are more familiar with text based systems. PRC has created several amazing resources to support teams, including a FREE Unity training tomorrow. Click the link to get more information!

https://www.prentrom.com/education/details/2010

01/03/2020

Interprofessional Education and Interprofessional Practice (IPE/IPP) are becoming more and more common terminology as we strive to better serve and work with our students and families. Our lengthy team intake (a necessary component of VOICE evaluations) often leaves teams sharing feelings of appreciation and awareness of the necessity of IPP.

ASHA offers an amazing and FREE webinar (that offers CEUs!).

Check it out and let us know what you think!

https://www.asha.org/Practice/The-Why-What-and-How-of-Interprofessional-Collaboration/

This webinar will teach you the why, what, and how of interprofessional education and interprofessional collaborative practice.

01/02/2020

Happy New Year!

We hope this New Year brings everyone abundant communication opportunities and access to learning more about AAC!

If you ever have evaluation or training needs in AAC, we are happy to talk more!

12/28/2019

The vendors we work with offer so many free or low cost resources for clinicians and families alike! The attached resource is from Saltillo- Low Tech Communication Board Options. Check out the resources!

Wishing all of our friends and families near and far a very Happy New Year as we move into 2020 this coming week!

12/15/2019

The Holidays are surely an exciting time- but they also can be a stressful time for many children! Changing schedules, new faces, new smells/foods...it can all be a lot. Then add the compounding factor of having language understanding/expression challenges- !

Many of these tips in the attached article are helpful for all children.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Holiday Season.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/five_tips_for_happy_holidays_with_young_children

The holiday season can be an overwhelming time for children. Help keep your holidays happy with these quick tips!

12/08/2019

Happy December!

The cold is here in Vermont, and so are the RESOURCES! Take some time to check out the amazing Language Lab from PRC. Let us know your thoughts- do you use the Language Lab?

https://aaclanguagelab.com/

Check out what's new on AAC Language Lab

11/30/2019

While we are focused on AAC assessment here at VOICE, we also like to share information we see on speech sound/language development!

Some of our students that we evaluate have verbal skills, but struggle with communicating effectively due to dysarthria, apraxia, language abilities or a severe speech sound disorder. Know that AAC can be a supportive communication tool for students who are preverbal OR verbal to enhance quality of communication and ability to communicate about wants, needs, and medical concerns. 🗣

11/23/2019

Whenever we see work that is being done to increase access and independence for individuals with communication differences, it makes the world a brighter place.

What do you think?

The goal of project Euphonia is to help people be better understood. In order to do that, we work on improving automated speech recognition. Our research particularly focuses on how we can train computers and mobile devices to better understand people who have difficulty pronouncing words due to neu...

11/17/2019

Technology is so incredibly powerful- especially when it’s used for outcomes like this! 

Lachlan can now communicate using the voice of an 12-year-old Scottish boy due to new technology.

11/14/2019

We definitely understand that an AAC evaluation and next steps for funding are COMPLICATED. Based off of years of hearing concerns and questions from SLPs, we devised trainings that answer the following questions:

1) What data do I need to collect during a long-term trial?
2) What paperwork do I need to submit for insurance funding?
3) Will my request be denied?
4) What behavior strategies and access supports should I offer?
5) What if my student has verbal skills?

The list goes on- and we understand!

Know that you're not alone with these questions- there are often so many questions and variables to consider! We make sure to take the careful time in our evaluations, trainings, and consultations to answer these questions, and more.

What questions often come up for you in the Evaluation/Funding process?

11/07/2019

DID YOU KNOW
That the Evaluation Process to move forward with a speech generating device (SGD) consists of MANY considerations?

You should be factoring in:
Hardware Needs (Device vs. an app on an iPad)
AS WELL AS
Software Needs (Language System, Operating Software!)

This includes considering a student's vision, language/cognitive skills/strengths, fine/gross motor abilities, hearing, access, motor movement capacity, attention to modeling, and SO MUCH MORE.

This is why our evaluations at VOICE incorporate a lengthy intake process with a student's team; we want to make sure that we know each student as well as we can before we look at what device(s) to try with them. We consider it a necessary step in making sure we can get the most input from all team members to make best recommendations for next steps.

What are some considerations or challenges you have had in the evaluation process for an SGD?

(This image is a screenshot of just ONE of the hardware/software options we consider in an evaluation- the Nova Chat with Word Power!)