1. Typical Day in a Language Building Classroom
Donna Millar
Special Education teacher
Littleton Public Schools
Michelle Butler SLP

2. Who are We? Donna Teacher of students with significant needs
Value each student’s individuality
In my spare time I work with refugees.

3. Who is Here?
SLPs
Teachers
OTs
PTs
Parents
Others?

4. Unique to this building
Our Team
Full time teacher
Part time Speech Pathologist
Part time Occupational Therapist
Three full time Paraprofessionals
Unique to this building
Two self-contained programs
Blending of services
Ability to group by students needs
Ability to tailor the programs to utilize all team members strengths

5. Our Classroom Center based Eight students Wide range of abilities
Combination of inclusion and pull-out

6. Our Students
Patrick
Seth go
Gabe
Mary

7. GABE How Did We Get Here? Device trials Challenges
Support from Saltillo
Success with PalmChat
software on the Smartboard for all kids

8. What You Will Learn Today
Participants will gain insight into how multiple disciplines can work together to support students with a variety of communication needs.
Participants will identify keys to successful implementation of AAC into a classroom of students who have complex communication needs.
Participants will identify keys to incorporate language development into literacy activities for students who have complex communication needs and may need AAC.

9. What We Know About How AAC and Language
“The family, teacher, or therapist working with the child needs to have a vision of where they are going in terms of AAC and language development. Without this vision, development of an AAC system is too often drive by "immediate needs," and the support team ends up continually scrambling to make yet another board or to program yet more vocabulary for yet another activity or event in the child's life. “
“What you often end up with is (1) an AAC system full of nouns, but deficit of language and/or (2) an AAC system that lacks a systematic organization of words. Plus, this cycle of board making and vocabulary programming is never ending and these boards and new now vocabulary are usually only used for a day, or week, or month. It does not build long term, life-long language skills.”
- Normal Language Development, Generative Language and AAC
Gail M Van Tatenhove PA, MS, CCC-SLP

10. PalmChat by What is PalmChat? A comprehensive word-based vocabulary
Nancy Inman, M.A.T.,
CCC-SLP and
Janet Lehr, M.S., CCC-SLP
A comprehensive
word-based
vocabulary
for the ChatPC

11. PalmChat What is it? Word-based, generative vocabulary program
Uses high-frequency core words
All grammatical classes have been included
Includes frequently used nouns and adjectives arranged in logical categories
‘Grammar’ keys for morphological endings for verbs, nouns and adjectives

12. Yellow People and Pronouns Light Green Helping Verbs Dark Green Verbs
PalmChat
Color Coding
Yellow People and Pronouns
Light Green Helping Verbs
Dark Green Verbs
Gray Question Words
Violet Determiners
Orange Negatives

13. PalmChat Organization
Anticipatory Prediction

14. PalmChat Examples I want help. Stop it. Don’t do that.
That’s not good. It’s bad.
I like to read Desktop ChatSE
I need to go to the mall.
I want to go to the movies.
I am going to eat pizza and French fries.

15. Structuring our Day go Program Schedule Setting up Inclusion
Language needs- not just cognitive levels
Patrick vs Gabe

16. Student’s Daily Schedules
Students use visual schedules.
Each student uses this.
After each class teacher
and student discuss behavior
and participation.
Seth and the Principal

17. Team Meetings Modeling and using technology
Recognize the struggles of using technology in the classroom or in small groups go

18. Keys To Success With Reading and Writing
Blend reading and writing instruction to focus on common language.
Incorporate language goals in reading and writing.
The key to lesson planning is flexibility and modifying to the needs of the students.
Huge doses of patience and tenacity.

19. Decisions to Make for Each Reading and Writing Lesson
What technology do you want to use?
Smartboard
Document camera
2 high tech assistive devices
Tech talk
Low tech options

20. Decisions to Make for Each Reading and Writing Lesson
Will it be teacher scribed or student written?
Illustrations: student drawn or internet photos?

21. Decisions to Make for Each Reading and Writing Lesson
What will be the theme?
Choose book and decide focus.
Brainstorming: thinking maps
Do symbols need to be added to facilitate student reading?
cool go

22. Decisions to Make for Each Reading and Writing Lesson
Choose writing target: pattern book
How will the student share? recorded or read from print go go
I like ______________ because
____________________.

23. Decisions to Make for Each Reading and Writing Lesson
Choose writing target: fiction

24. Decisions to Make for Each Reading and Writing Lesson
Choose writing target: non-fiction

25. Decisions to Make for Each Reading and Writing Lesson
Identify steps to final written project.
How will we celebrate the writing process?
Display in the hall
Make a classroom book
Share with classmates

26. 1-1 speech
Use PalmChat software to provide a highly visual approach to grammar. go

27. Morning Group go

28. go 1-1 Speech Focus on teaching device navigation/vocabulary.
Use highly motivating/preferred activities to pair with use of AAC device.
Facilitate conversation and shared enjoyment. go

29. go go Inclusion Strategies
Classroom/peer participation: social strategies
Incorporate technology into science and social studies
School jobs
Reverse inclusion go go

30. Routine at End of the Daygo

31. Contact Us: Questions?? Donna Millar: dmillar@lps.k12.co.us
Elisa Sarosi: