Proloquo2Go

Proloquo2Go

I was recently introduced to this software that a few of my non-verbal kiddos have been using to help open the lines of communication.  It's a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) that uses electronic picture exchange cards paired with speech so my kids can use both the visual and auditory aspects of language to help me understand their needs.

The program is available online at the App Store but has a $189 price tag.  It's got a lot of really cool basic features, but you can also add in kid-specific categories/places/people/things using Shutterfly.  We've added teacher's/therapists/family photos too!  Another awesome perk is that it can be used on the ipad/phone/pod so kiddos who know how to use it can use it out  in the community to help get their needs met.

In my experience, the most difficult part of the program is teaching my kids to use it--not in the user-friendly way, but in the basic use way.  It's a cool gadget, fun to use, and offers the use of multiple intelligences--all bonuses!

Token Boards

One of my kid's parents requested that we make him a new DRO chart, which is absolutely reasonable considering I'm pretty sure he's grown out of "Dora the Explorer" now that he's turned 12.  We're probably headed toward a Cars themed one but are still trying to come up with age/interest appropriate ideas.  Aside from that, he needs a larger-than-normal board that can hold up to 20 tokens plus the reinforcer.  

One thing I've learned in my teaching studies is that there is no need to reinvent the wheel.  There are lots of things out there that will work for most kids. ABA Resources is one of the websites that offers free printables; both themed and generic.

I also found a portable magnetized version on Amazon too!  All of the reviews say it's really great, there are lots of different kinds of tokens and they're laminated, a big plus for longevity and durability--2 very important things for my kiddos.  All things considered, it seems to be a great buy at only $20.  That price is half off the original, which may just be a holiday promo, hard to say.  It's made by a company called Autism Help Today LLC which offers a lot of ideas for purchase...but also some DIY inspiration.

There's another token board I found that uses pennies as tokens, which is fine, but not all that exciting.  It's more like a meanstreaming strategy that can be used in GenEd classrooms that can also translate into higher functioning classrooms.  The website is really great for training and other products too, but they are on the more expensive side.  Its actually a really great teacher resource too, something to remember when I get into my classroom!

Punch Cards!

Aside from that, I found a couple of other websites that give a lot of ideas for different types of token economies and how best to use them.  This site addresses other kinds of reinforcers which are all classroom appropriate too and look a bit more at the technical and research side of the token economy.

Dragon Dictation

Dragon Dictation

I was introduced to this during one of my Master's SPED classes. I don't have an ipad/pod/phone to test it out on just yet, but we did get to see a demo and it looked like a really cool tool for kiddos with orthopedic impairments.

From what I understand, you do have to go through a process of initial speech recognition so the program gets to know your voice, but once it's in place I hear it works really well!  It's initial use was for business people, but I think it would translate well (pardon the pun) into the Special Education sector. Plus for the ipad/phone (as of now) it's FREE!

An ipad is on my list of things that may help make my life easier so hopefully, I'll be getting to test it out soon!