Attainment's New Stuff

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A browse through the new products at Attainment Company just made me start humming, "I Want to Be A Millionaire"!  Here are just a few of the things that made me think about my credit card:

• SymbolSupported iPad App - like Pix Writer for your iPad this app adds literacy support symbols from Imagine Symbols and PixWriter as you type, perfect for directions and recipes all on your iPad (or save as a PDF and send to your printer) $29.99
• Classic Attainment software programs as iPad apps - programs we have all been using for 15+ years coming to your iPad, for now just Community Success and Dollars and Cents at $39.99 each, but I am sure more will be on the way (these two programs have also been updated to look and act more modern when used on your computer)
• ELSB now available as a software program - a literacy program for learners with with special needs that was only available in a print version now for your computer 
• New Early Numeracy and Early Science print curriculum for elementary students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities pricey at $599 and $499 respectively these program will fill in a missing piece for those of us using Unique needing a more intense focus on Math and Science
• GoNow iPad Case has a built in handle, and is designed to both protect iPad 2 or 3 and direct the sound out in one direction (it seems to be more for users to hear - not for communication partners to hear when using AAC apps however); also easy access ports for charging and syncing for $59.99 it is certainly worth a try
• Attainment eBooks are how Attainment is going to be offering all of their books (for teachers and professionals) in a version that will be available on iOS, but the process is kind of convoluted, still it might be worth it for schools to purchase in this manner (I don't quite understand why they can't just be sold in the iBooks store, but I am sure there is some reason)
• This last product I can't wait to get my hands on StepPAD is a small, handheld prompting device with the ability to record series of auditory prompts for a user to access later, it also has an overlay holder for visual cues.  I can envision this being used for students with working memory deficits as to assist in following instructions, especially for individual or home work , $99.99

My hopes for Attainment next round of new products:

• More updates of classic computer programs to new computer and iOS versions
• Age appropriate versions of ELSB and the new numerancy and science curriculums for older learners with severe disabilities
• Computer and iOS versions of all curriculums
• A sharing website for SymbolSupprt and Go Talk NOW creations teachers, SLPs and families make for students

The Yes/No Series - Part Two

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Teaching Yes/No

There is so much more in the world to say than yes/no, yet it is still a vital skill, especially in fast moving situations and medical situations.  We often times see goals on IEPs for learners with severe special needs about yes/no and I will be the first to admit I have done this poorly in the past.  Like many people I had a tendency to believe that if we just practiced enough we would eventually successfully teach yes/no.  Thus many of my students sat through daily "drill" in which they were asked ten yes or no questions and were given positive reinforcement or rewards when they were correct.  Not surprisingly this wasn't effective for many of them.

First we must understand not all yes/no questions are created equally.  "Do you want a cookie?" is far from "Was Washington the third president?".  Think about "Do you want to go home?" versus "You do want to go home, don't you?"  All of these questions are yes/no questions.  Anyone of these could be tossed out in a yes/no drill.  Yet they presume different cognitive and language skills and different types of motivation.

Some of the different types of yes/no are:

• Accept/reject "Do you want your blanket?"
• Choice "How about the blue one?"
• Affirm/deny 
• Possession "Is this your coat?"
• Preference "Do you like the red one?"
• Label "Is this a table?"
• Function of objects "Does a vacuum walk?"
• Test knowledge "Is it facing north?"
• Comparison "Is a dog older than a puppy?"
• Relative time "Did that happen first?"
• Preference "Do you like apples?"
• Rhetorical question "How 'bout them apples?"

For our learners we start by focusing on accept/reject.  We need to avoid the other kinds of yes/no until we are sure that the student understands that yes is accept and no is reject.  Then we will work on different types of yes/no questions.
One way to work yes/no is accept/reject this is by offering choices in the following manner:

• teacher: "Do you want milk or no?"
• student: eyegazes to milk
• teacher: "yes, you want milk." while modeling the students yes response, whatever that is

Another example:

• teacher: "Would you like the purple one or no?"
• student: pushes away the purple one
• teacher "No, you do no want the purple one!" again, while modeling the way the student would show this

We must be careful in doing this type of accept/reject question that we do not assume that we know what the child wants.  A child might love soda, so you ask, "Do you want soda?" and the child communicates "no".   A "no" is a "no".  Perhaps the child already had plenty of soda, or perhaps he or she has a sore throat, or perhaps his parent told him "don't you have soda today!".  Or maybe the child doesn't yet understand yes/no.  
If that is the case modeling that no means you rejected the thing that was offered by taking away/no giving soda is essential.  If the student becomes upset because they wanted soda you can wait a minute and offer again, "Do you want soda? Yes."  This time you answer your own question both verbally and by modeling the yes response.  This give a cue to the child that the answer is yes.  You already established that they want the soda (the complaining when you took it away after they said no) so you can teach the yes response by modeling it.  
Another thing to be careful is the tendency to for adults to use their words just to fill space.  How often do you hear, "Yes or no?  Do you want the ball?  Yes or no?  The ball?  Tell me yes or no?"  Imagine how confusing that is if the child doesn't understand the concept yes and no.  Imagine how confusing it is if the child has language processing issues and that is just too many words.  So many of our students just choose what ever comes last and this is one of the ways we unintentionally teach them to do that.  We teach them that if they wait for us to pause and repeat whatever the last thing we said/did was they will be rewarded. Sometimes our students will even answer with "yes or no" or even by parroting "tell me yes or no".  A key to teaching anything is wait time.  And a key to teaching yes/no is refraining from using the phrase, "Tell me yes or no." 
Another important part of teaching this type of yes/no is by having all those in the environment model it; aides, parents, peers.  We should model it verbally and in the same means that our student should express it.  The more we explicitly show how yes/no work the faster our student will learn. Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teaching-Learners-with-Multiple-Needs/179671874000.

The Yes/No Series - Part 3

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Sing It!

One of the coolest things I saw at Linda Burkhart's and Gayle Porter's workshop at the ISAAC conference was the Yes Song and No Song Gayle's school uses to teach yes and no.  As far as I can find the song isn't available anywhere on the internet.  However some other songs are.  Another option is to work with your music teacher or music therapist to create a song.  This might be especially vital if you work with students over preschool as the selection of songs below is not age appropriate.  (With the exception of the Beatles!)

It is vital to model the way you want your students to communicate yes and no throughout the songs.  Perhaps a turn for each child with specific modeling of their way of communicating yes and no.

Remember you can download the music from videos using this site.

The Yes No Please Thank You Song


Uh huh, Uh huh, Ut uh


Hello, Goodbye



Wild Bear Yes or No Song on LastFM

Smells like Christmas

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 I have to admit that I'm a huge sucker for Holiday scented stuff. If something random is going to end up in my cart during a routine shopping trip this time of year, you can bet it's probably going to be a holiday scented candle, or air freshener of some sort. Sometimes I find myself hoarding this stuff, because once it's gone, it's gone until next year. Since we decorate with an artificial tree in our home, I love finding other ways to make our house smell a little bit more like Christmas.   In particular I'm partial to all things Febreeze. The Clean Linen scented spray is a staple in our home for freshening the carpet and furniture, but I'm addicted to their Holiday stuff too. A girl can never have too many candles. There's something about having a candle lit in a room that just makes it seem more festive. (Also, check out those great colors on the candles- I'm not at all above buying something simply because it coordinates with my decor!)

Spice Collection Soy Candles

 The P&G estore is a great way to stock up on your fav (or my fav) holiday scented stuff without fighting the lines of crazy people in the stores as these last minutes of holiday shopping approach. By shopping online at their estore you can get cool bundles of items that will save you a few bucks as well. These Febreeze bundles look like they were just meant for me!   

Scents of the Season Bundle

Febreeze Cranberries and Frost Bundle

 And there's always free shipping on orders over $25, a free product sample thrown in, and 15% off your first order. Can't go wrong.   If nothing else, I might hop over there to stock up on Batteries, because Santa never seems to bring enough of those!   

AA battery bundle

  
 

Traveling Light

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Packing to travel this time of year can be a little tricky- especially because when you're traveling to a cold destination during winter...you can't exactly pack tank tops and flip flops and call it good.


The problem comes in with the bulk associated with packing for warmth- the sweaters, the scarves, the boots, the puffy jackets, and if you have little ones that are hoping to play in the snow....the snow gear. We have a hard enough time packing for a week away as a family of 4 when we can dress lightly- so you can imagine the space problems that I run into when trying to pack for all of us when we all need to wear 27 layers at all times.

Honestly, I have no idea if it's going to work out as well as I have envisioned- but my grand idea this year is to pack with space saver bags. You know the kind that you vacuum all of the air out of? They claim to take up 1/3 of the room...so I'm thinking that it just might work out well for us.

As a test run I shrank my kiddos snow pants and gloves.



Looks like it did a pretty good job!



My plan is to also shrink our sweaters and bulky stuff- and leave them outside of the suitcases allowing us to pack using the same number of suitcases that we'd normally travel with. We're traveling by car, so this is an option...I'm not sure if they make suitcase sized space saver bags, but they totally should!

I'm also trying to follow my own advice of packing wardrobes that can be interchanged and mixed up. We'll have access to laundry while we're gone, so I'm hoping to pack 5 outfits for 10 days, run a few loads of wash, and then just change things up with scarves or jewelry. I also plan to travel in my big ol' boots and be realistic about how many other pairs of shoes I really need to bring.

But don't ask me how we're getting our presents back and forth because I have no idea!

Any other tips for packing light for efficient travel? Lord help us if we ever decide to fly someplace for Christmas!

Winter Basics

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Winter Basics by alexisanne featuring a wool cardigan


After my post earlier this week about attempting to pack light for travel, I thought it might be fun to share a rough idea of what I packed. I don't actually own any of these things, but I own stuff that's sort of similar- but probably not quite as stylish. :)

 For me it was all about mixed neutrals- blacks,whites, creams, grays, browns, and a small pop of color here and there (mostly in the form of purple). I packed lots of scarves, jewelry, cardigans, and things that could all be worn together or seperately for different looks. I'm big on mixing black, brown, and gray all together instead of sticking to the "black with black" rule that I used to follow when picking shoes and belts for outfits.
 

A week to celebrate

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This week isn't about last minute shopping tips, how to host a perfect Christmas dinner, or organizing your home after the Christmas influx of stuff.

It's about relaxing, breathing, resting, and being thankful for all that we've been blessed with. It's about family, friends, and a celebration of life, miracles, and love.

via Flickr Creative Commons

However you celebrate, I hope that you celebration is meaningful and wonderful. Catch you all next week!