Learning to ask "where are we going?" and "where is + (location)?" with visuals and google maps

I wanted to share this new activity I made to help teach answering and asking *functional* where questions. 

I created this "book" in boardmaker, found on boardmakerachieve.com here: http://www.boardmakerachieve.com/Activity/1868262

Often times with students with autism, low tech paper visual supports are sufficient in order to help them understand and use the expected language for the activity.  But, to make it slightly more engaging, I saved the Boardmaker book as a PDF and saved it in iBooks so that it could be read from my iPad. (This also helped the book be more available to me across my various locations). 

The most fun part about the activity is that most of the activity is completed in song. What's great about using song is that it allows for natural repetitions of expressive language within the activity. 

I sing each page to the tune of "where is thumbkin."  For example this page:

Would sing like this: " Where is are we going? Where are we going?" Then, I would stop and ask a comprehension question "Where is the place where we buy food?" The students can use the two icons to point to as a means to answer the questions. 

Then, on the next page here:

I sing: "Going to the store, going to the store!" 

In the next verse, we  practice the *functional* question: "Where is the store? Where is the store?" and follow with: "There it is! There it is!"

A great follow up activity is to practice looking up where places are located on google maps or using yelp. Following up with a google or yelp search makes the asking of "where" questions really functional (and not just for fun practice). 

Hope you find this activity as fun as I do!

Free ebook with GREAT learning opportunities!

I downloaded this FREE ebook just the other day. I have to say, after using it 3 times, I am already impressed. It is a simple story about a hedgehog named Ned who is looking for a home for the winter. He stumbles upon homes that are already taken and the residents inside tell Ned “this is my home.” Then, the residents tell Ned to check somewhere else to stay for the winter.  

The book provides a great way for my kids with autism to practice intonation and stress (e.g. “my home.”).  There is the opportunity for the student to record his/her own voice in order to hear what his/ her stress sounds like. If you prefer, the narrator can read the book as well and hear the correct stress.

It also provides and excellent opportunity to make inferences (e.g., if Ned can stay in the homes or not) from indirect requests (e.g., to check somewhere else without directly saying “no”).   I simply ask, “Can the hedgehog stay here?” after each animal asks him to move on.

The story line also provides opportunity to practice preposition including “in,” “out,” “up” and “down” while Ned is looking for a home.

If you are working on 2-3 word combinations, I have created this draft of a topical communication board guide novel utterances such as “leaf falling” “blowing wind,” “open door,” “look in.”  The leaf animations are engaging and fun.

 Not to mention the opportunity for an abundance of “L” practice!

What a great find!

The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2011 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.

Boardmaker® is a trademark of Mayer-Johnson LLC.

Low Tech shout out to Boardmaker ®

I had a huge reality check the other when I got to school and realized I left my iPad at home. For a second I thought: "well, how will I do therapy without my iPad?!" After my mini panic, I remembered that I had purchased Boardmaker® last year which gave me access to create endless amounts of visual supports and activities for my students with Autism.

A moment of gratitude came over me as I pulled out my schedule (you know, the laminated kind with velcro and icons), and my book with topical communication board ready to go. 

I just wanted to take the moment to thank the low tech supports for being there for when high tech user errors occur.  I've posted some of the things I have made on boardmakershare. Feel free to check out my boardmakershare profile here: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/156926/Elizabeth-Harmon

But low tech supports are more than just a back-up system. They are an important visual supplement to any activity that aids in expanding language and enhancing comprehension. 

Lately on boardmakershare I have been posting topical communication boards. I love using them along side any activity including books and ipad activities. It helps both my verbal and non verbal kids organize language and move up from using basic carrier phrases like " I want" to using core words and various 2-3 word combinations such as noun + verb ("elephant stomp"), verb+noun ("play drum"), adjective+ noun ("yellow shoes"), and novel SVO combinations ("dog eat bone"). Below is an example. 

Using low tech visual supports along side high tech educational tools has become for me a pivotal part of teaching independent communication skills. From schedules, to expanding language to encouraging social exchanges, low tech supports lead to high quality language. 

The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2011 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.

Boardmaker® is a trademark of Mayer-Johnson LLC.

I close my eyes: an interactive story

Every where I turn at work, I see another student with autism completely engaged with the interactive story app "I close my eyes."  The story walks us through Bella's imagination as she falls asleep.  On each page, Bella explains different scenarios she acts out in her dreams such as: "I close my eyes and I am flying in the clouds."

Each page has a cartoon that shows the action she describes. In addition, on most pages there is generally a funny action (such as a sneeze, an overly excited elephant or a monster that eats a fridge) that keeps most students coming back for more.
What is great about this app is that it provides a great and motivating way to talk about actions. I developed this communication board to help guide and support students as they talk about what they see as exciting!  

The app costs about $1.99 and creates an engaging opportunity to connect with a student.  There will be plenty to talk about!

The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2011 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.

Boardmaker® is a trademark of Mayer-Johnson LLC.

First words sampler

First words sampler was probably one of the first apps that I purchased and used in therapy.  I was almost in disbelief about how easy it was to get my clients to vocalize or use AAC (usually icon supports) to talk about what they saw. 

The app itself is really simple: you drag letters blocks up to the visual match to spell a word. The app reads each letter as you drag it to spell the word out loud. Then, after the word is successfully spelled, the icon spins around. 

I swear on my speech degree, that most kids will do anything (including vocalize, use full sentences to say what they see, expand sentences to include color) to see the icon spin around. 

So, using this app to elicit language is easy! Simply hold the iPad and ask the student what he/she sees. After they state the one word ("cat") or expanded sentence ("I see yellow duck," "It's a blue ship."), then they can drag each letter into the correct spot and squeal with joy as the object spins around!

It's a sure thing, and free!

Touch the sound

I stumbled upon Touch the Sound by Alligator apps.  Currently finishing up a unit on the 5 senses, it has been easy to incorporate app this into my regular speech practice. (Check out the extended 5 senses  lesson on boardmakershare: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Activity/1739181/5-senses-book ) 

I like to use this app to work on the receptive identification of sounds. Then, to keep the student engaged, after about 10 attempts, I usually "step it up a notch" by asking the student to say what they hear before touching the answer. 

I encourage the student to use his/ her communication system to say "I hear" or "hear" and then point to the correct choice on the app.  If the communication system has additional nouns or if the student is verbal, I may ask the student to use a complete sentence (e.g., "I hear a ______.") to work on commenting.

With some practice, I have seen some students generalize this commenting skill to comment on what they hear in their own environment ... " I hear a jet!"

It is worth the megabite usage on the iPad to give it a whirl!

iBaggs® cases for students... "so far so good!"

My previous post for cases (*speck) was geared at therapist use. So, I also wanted to share what I have found as a successful case for student use (for example if the student uses the iPad with a communication based app in place of a dedicated AAC device). 

I have a few students where I work that currently use iBaggs® cases.  

What I like about them is that:

A) They are lightweight and easy for kids to carry.
B) The strap is convenient for the same reason.
C) There is a fold down stand that

1. is out of the way when you need it to be
2. props up the iPad for convenient access during shared communication times like snack or language group. I find when it is propped up, it is a great way to model iPad use so that both student and instructor can view it. 
   

D) There is a handle in the back in case you need to hold up the iPad on the fly (e.g., on the playground) so that the student can access the iPad.

E) There is still easy access to the camera and charger when you need to use them.

F) "So far so good" with protection to the iPad!

I'm not a fan of the plastic protective film for the glass that came on the earlier versions of the cases, but cutting it out was easy enough. 

If you have a child or student using an iPad as a communication system and looking for a case, check out http://www.ibaggs.com/ to check them out!