Why is Literacy Critical in AAC by Karen Erickson

[@profmj7630]

Such a powerful message...I love Dr. Erickson's approach that literacy is important for all and all abilities...I started homeschooling my 10 yr old son with CVI and multiple disabilities because school was not willing to teach him to read or write. I've been homeschooling for 2 months, where I read a story aloud to him then practice tracing the spelling words. He now can read 8 words and his first name ...plus spell those 8 words and his first name.

[@Tobiidynavox]

This is great progress. You must be proud!

[@Mathilda5xp]

Thank you for sharing this awesome information. Keep up the great work.

[@elliemason9736]

Amazing speaker and hits the nail on the head about literacy. As a mother with a kid who uses AAC i am always searching how to help him progress and expand the literacy of his communication. More speech therapist need to learn AAC and realize that wants and needs do not just make for communication. i wish i had access to more women like this. this is an area that i really struggle with.

[@Tobiidynavox]

If you are looking for continuing education resources and opportunities to learn from our team please check out the resources below: Recorded Webinars: www.tobiidynavox.com/support-training/webinars/ Learning Hub learn.tobiidynavox.com/ Video Library: us.tobiidynavox.com/blogs/product-discovery KZbin Channel: kzbin.info/door/SFhjTdkb4rt4GiIPmDypQA...

[@elliemason9736]

@@Tobiidynavox thank you, i bought her book, so that will start helping me.

[@Tobiidynavox]

@@elliemason9736 we are so happy to hear this!

[@profmj7630]

Ditto...my son uses an AAC and I had to program his device from scratch multiple times. Not counting all the times his speech therapists made me change his AAC program to one they were comfortable with...until I fought hard to keep his last AAC program and got my own iPad for him so they couldn't take it away during breaks or if he left that school. It's sad that it is hard to find a good speech therapist who is knowledgeable in all types of AAC.

[@tiayuke7803]

An amazing presentation. I learnt so much from your presentation today, Thank you so much.

[@Mathilda5xp]

Thank you so much for sharing this important information re teaching Literacy to students with special needs, Karen. Great work! Kia ora from Aotearoa.

[@roshannehobbs6602]

Learned so much from that presentation. Thank you

[@jyotikaprasad4945]

An amazing presentation that helps us special needs teachers to be able to teach what the individual students need is and giving them the opportunity to say when/what they want to say. "All Means All"

[@Tobiidynavox]

Glad to hear that, Jyotika!

[@movingyourmindwashtenawcou9801]

Please help students who need that longer time as they are being stopped from learning foundational skills in literacy come middle school!

[@dee_dee2203]

I wholeheartedly love this message! While I use a broader definition just to get adults engaged in dreaming for the possibilities for students who have complex needs. If I don't, they don't even consider ANY literacy is possible. I would love to just convince them to jump straight to literacy! I support classroom teachers (as an OT and AT specialist) who are often stuck. It takes time to shift the adult's thinking.... wish they had more in their training about how to do this so when I suggest it, it isn't a totally foreign concept. Keep up the great work Karen!

[@Mathilda5xp]

I fully agree with you @dee_dee2203.Student teachers need more training in this field.

[@irinaphoenix2169]

Are there any AAC devices that are based on phonemes? Wouldn't that be getting close to how speaking children learn to say words?

[@Tobiidynavox]

Interesting question. At Tobii Dynavox, our ultimate goal is to support AAC users in their ability become independent, as communicators, readers, and writers. Accordingly, we provide users with the range of evidence-based tools and features that allow not only for impromptu, everyday communication (quickfires and topics, for example) but also provide inroads to conventional literacy development (core words and keybords, for example).