Change is Good!

Poo and I

Hey Tek-Ninjas! I have big news (for me at least) today, November 30th I have completed my last day of employment with my school district. I have been a school employee since 2001, and for the first time,  I will be stepping into the private sector. 

I have loved my work with students, teachers, therapists, and the parents. It has provided me with much joy to be a part of so many people's journey over the years. I will miss many of my colleagues and the communities I have been blessed to be a part of. 

But, I am so excited! On December 4th, I will begin working for Tobii-Dynavox as a regional Sales Consultant.  My territory will include Mid to Eastern NC, and the Hampton Roads area of VA. This adventure will allow me to reach out to a larger population, and to work with adults as well as students. Again, I am so very excited!

Tobii-Dynavox creates communication solutions that users can grow and develop with throughout their life. In short, their products are the bomb!

New chapter, wonderful opportunity!

“Language” Immersion

Hey Tek-Ninjas! I was at a terrific in-service for Augmentative Communication (AAC) today. The presenters were discussing how important it is for AAC to be continuously modeled by educators, therapists, and parents. 

The conversation got me thinking about how we teach students foreign languages. Like many others, our school district has dual language schools, both Spanish and Chinese, Everyone in those buildings are always speaking in those respective languages. This model of language immersion has proven to work.

Now consider how we teach AAC users. Are we modeling a Dual-language classroom in how we communicate? Doing so can feel intimidating, especially as we are sometimes also learning as we go. But showing this process, our own stumbling and successes can be hugely valuable for your students and colleagues, ultimately helping them feel better about their own feelings of AAC inadequacy.
I’d love to hear from any of you as to how immersive you are in your educational settings. Any tips? Pitfalls?
Happy Therapy!