Collection: Early Childhood

Southeast Augmentative Communication Publications

The Southeast Augmentative Communication Clinicial Series includes a wealth of resource books for alternative and augmentative communication. Three resource books which are particularly useful for teachers, clinicians, therapists, and parents working in early childhood settings are described below:

Goossens', C., Crain, S., & Elder, P. (1992) Engineering the Preschool environment for interactive, symbolic communication: An emphasis on the developmental period 18 months to five years. Southeast Augmentative Communication Conference, Clinician Series

This resource books gives the practical information needed to set up alternatiave and augmentative communication (AAC) systems for both students and instructors in the preschool environment. It contains many illustrations and clear how-to explanations and examples appropriate for ages 18 months to 5 years. The information includes, for instance, the need for a master plan, strategies for AAC training, and recommendations for designing the preschool environment, including:

• delineating and prioritizing classroom activities
• generating concentrated message pools
• determining selection technique and display format
• creating communication display(s) for each target activity
• incorporating supplemental symbols
• making displays and supplemental symbols readily accessible within the classroom environment.

202 pages

Price: $40.00

Goossens', C., Crain, S., & Elder, P. Communication displays for engineered preschool environments, Books I and II. Southeast Augmentative Communication Conference, Clinician Series

These books provide a total of 396 prepared communication displays for 100 activities, including daily routine, self-help skills, playing with toys, fine motor skills, pretend play, and gross motor skills. Although designed for preschool activities, they may also be used appropriately with the early school-age population. The displays may be used on either electronic on non-electronic communication aids, and match the symbol size and layout pattern required for many commercially made devices.
Book I contains displays compatible with: Powerpad, Say-it-Simply Plus, Comboard, Dial Scan, Communiclock, Clock Communicator, MegaWolf, SuperWolf, Talking Eye-point Board.

Book II contains displays compatible with: Alpha Talker, Touch Talker, Intro Talker, MegaWolf, SuperWolf, Powerpad, Macaw, Say-it-All-Plus, Message Mate 40, Light Talker, Unicorn Expanded Keyboard.
In addition to each display, a sample conversation script and a list of correlating toys and materials are provided.

Price: Book I - $69.00 410 pages;
Book II -= $69.00 415 pages;
Books I & II - $129.00

Goossens', C. and Crain, S. Utilizing switch interfaces with children who are severely physically challenged. Southeast Augmentative Communication Conference, Clinician Series

This clinical resource book assists teachers, clinicians, and therapists in providing reliable switch access for children who are severely physically challenged. It includes information on:

• determining whether a child is appropriately positioned;
• determining viable control sites for switch access;
• achieving stable switch mounts using commercially available adaptive fixtures;
• constructing relatively inexpensive homemade switch mounts;

In addition, commonly used scanning selection techniques are described with specific guidelines for scanning training. Two chapters are devoted to communication training, including guidelines for training early choice making and guidelines for interactive communication training for students who have progressed beyond choice making.

316 pages

Price: $49.00

In addition, the annual Southeast Augmentative Communication Conference, held during the fall in Birmingham, Alabama, publishes Conference Proceedings which include all papers presented at the conference.

TO ORDER: To purchase any of these resource materials, or to receive information about any publications or the conference, contact:

Southeast Augmentative Communication Conference, Clinician Series
2430 11th Ave. North,
Birmingham, AL 35234
Phone: (205) 251-0165

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