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Developing a Plan for a Student with a Assistive and Augmentative Communication Device in the Classroom

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  Children with different physical or developmental disabilities may have assistive devices that help them in a variety of ways. One common device for a student without verbal communication skills is to use a communication device. If a teacher is unfamiliar with these devices it is important they seek out guidance, so they can best support their student. A colleague and I put together some tips and tricks when it comes to assisting a student with a communication device.   Tip 1 Find out the level of independence the student communicates with their Assistive and Augmentative Communication Devices (AAC). Many Students are in the process of learning and support within the classroom Environment can be life-changing   Tip 2 If a Caregiver hasn't reached out to you - then reach out to the caregiver to find out how you can support a student's communication goals Tip 3 Interprofessional collaboration with a Speech Language Pathologist(SLP) and/or A behaviour therapist is key to the stu

Choosing Apps to Implement into a Preschool Curriculum

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  Choosing Apps to Implement into a Preschool Curriculum There are a lot of Apps in the App Store that target the preschool age group. Many of the apps on the market say they offer some educational value, but there is limited research in assessing the quality of these apps. This makes it difficult for teachers and parents to evaluate the effectiveness of “educational” apps. A framework called the four pillars was created by Meyer et al., (2021) to assess the quality of preschool apps. This framework is broken down into the following four sections: Active Learning Engagement in the Learning Process Meaningful Learning Social Interaction  This framework is important for choosing which apps to implement into a preschool Curriculum. Active and meaningful learning allows children to engage in technology in a beneficial way. Engagement in the learning process makes sure that preschoolers aren’t passively just staring at a screen, and most importantly social interaction, which is an important