Classroom Toolbox Training

The Classroom Toolbox is a virtual toolbox of resources to help teachers provide adapted communication supports to students in their classrooms. In here you'll find the Classroom Communication Supports Checklist to help you determine what supports you already have in place, ones you have but aren't using, and ones you are interested in exploring. For every communication support, there's a learning module to explore, with photos, descriptions, components, links to comprehensive resources and curated YouTube videos. These modules will help you confidently increase the communication supports for your students!

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Building the Communication Classroom Series

  • Getting Oriented (3 lessons)​
  • Present Level of Performance: How do my students communicate? (3 lessons)​
  • Can You Hear Me Now?   Classroom Routines, Expectations & Visual Supports (7 lessons)​
  • Simple Communication Systems: Light Tech (5 lessons)​
  • Embedding Communication Into Your Classroom (5 lessons)​
  • IEP Time! Progress, Present Levels and Goals (2 lessons)​
  • AAC 101: Simple Steps for Student Communication​
  • The Core Word Classroom​

There is a wealth of information and materials for you on our website, so you may be asking yourself, "Where in the world do I start?" No worries, we've got you! This is the first stop in your training! In this unit we will be answering some primary questions to get you started!

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Starting Young: Communication in Early Intervention & the Preschool Classroom

Our specialized training hub dedicated to supporting communication success in Early Intervention in the home and our preschool classrooms

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Communication Systems Series

  • Getting Started with a New Communication System (3 lessons)​
  • Understanding Robust AAC Systems (3 lessons)​
  • AAC Feature Considerations (5 lessons)​
  • Speech Generating Devices & Applications (3 lessons) ​

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Partner Strategy Kits

  • Interaction Strategies (3 lessons)​
  • AAC Access (3 lessons)​
  • Engagement (3 lessons)​
  • Language Support Strategies (5 lessons)​

Partner Strategy Kits

AAC Partner Strategy Kits are engaging posters/handouts, descriptions and short videos explaining and modeling techniques for you to use to help your student be willing, and able to communicate using their AAC system!

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AAC Assessment Series

  • Communication Matrix:  Forms & Functions​
  • Student Communication Goals Grid​
  • Every Move Counts, Clicks & Chats: Motivators, Sensory Needs, Forms & Functions​
  • Communication Sample & Analysis​
  • Dynamic AAC Goals Grid (DAGG)​
  • AAC Evaluation Genie Training​
  • AAC Communication Skills Assessment-2​
  • Dynamic AAC Advanced Consultation FORM​
  • Team & Family Involvement

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DTA Schools Evaluation and Funding

  • DTA Schools Process Introduction​
  • DTA Schools Referral & Records Review​
  • DTA Schools Dynamic AAC Assessment & Trials Process​
  • AAC Funding Sources​
  • SGD Evaluation Report Writing​
  • Working with SGD Manufacturers
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Empowering Families: AAC At Home

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High Frequency Core Words & Messages

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AAC 101

5 steps to move from training to talking, give you a clear path for you and your student learner. Learning to communicate is a shared journey between the learner and their partners, and that makes sense! Communication is a shared activity between two people. It is the means for us to make connections, meet our needs, engage socially, participate in shared experiences, and bridge the gap between our experiences and sharing these their partners.

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Homework for AAC

Teamwork makes the dream work!! We know that children first learn to communicate at home by listening to their parents talk. Our students using AAC need the same experience of watching their parents "talk" using symbols. To make this easier, we've created some homework packets designed to help parents use the same core word symbols around the house that we are using at school!

Each core word packet contains some simple activities to "train" the recognition of the symbol with familiar matching and finding activities. In addition, we are helping parents think about new activities they can engage in to use the targeted core word. Finally, parents are challenged to use the targeted core word in different rooms of the house.

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Prepare the family that homework is coming! You might talk to them at an IEP meeting, make a phone call, or share the information in the student's notebook.
  2. Decide how you will send home the pages. Do you want to send the entire packet to be worked on over a 2 week period of time; or do you want to send one activity page home at a time. It's up to you!
  3. Remind parents to return homework to the classroom.
  4. Consider offering an incentive! Remember, many of our parents have never had homework for their child with special needs. This may be a new experience for them too!
  5. Encourage families to share their experiences with you by sending a picture of the activities they are doing, where they placed the icons or anything else they might take pride in.
  6. Consider having a place to share information between family members, such as a private Facebook page!

Downloads:

Next lesson:

Home Schedule Analysis

Lesson

1

AAC Informational Flyers

These flyers are a quick introduction to the world of AAC for our families!

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Lesson

2

Light Tech Communication Materials

There are many Light Tech AAC options we can offer a wide range of communication options for our students. These options are simple, low-tech, and do not require batteries or electronics, making them an easy "first step" to introduce to our families! Let's look at some of the options!

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Lesson

3

Personal Home Customization ​

It is highly important that we assist our families of AAC users in planning, and sometimes programming their AAC systems to include all of these highly relevant messages.  Let's talk about it!

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Lesson

4

Parent Training Options ​

There are many options for training families. Here are a few to consider!

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Lesson

5

Homework for AAC

In an effort to help our students generalize their new communication skills, we have homework packets for you to send home!

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Lesson

6

Home Schedule Analysis

We all know our students learn to communicate primarily at home. You can invite parents to complete the Home & Community Schedule Analysis so that school teams can help the family integrate AAC into their home life.

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