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25.01.2022 Its R U Ok day and a great time to check in with each other and the people we support https://www.ruok.org.au/

23.01.2022 Trying to work but the cat owns my chair

23.01.2022 Introducing the NEW Liberator Rugged 8!! We are absolutely thrilled to be introducing Liberator's newest Rugged Device, the Liberator Rugged 8 (LR8). The LR...8 supersedes the popular LR7 product that has been a mainstay of the companys product range for over 6 years. The extra inch in screen size, slimmer & lighter design, faster processor and its 3 layers of Gorilla-Glass protection allows this device to be used in some of the toughest environments. We care deeply about our device users and for a long time have strived to provide an AAC system that could hold up to the rigours that our children with Autism often provide. The LR7 has served us well but now the next generation, the LR8, is here to pick up where the LR7 left off. We know you will love this device as much as us and we can't wait to hear your stories of success. If you would like to trial the LR8 you can head over to our trial device page https://liberator.net.au/products/device-trials If you would like to see a product demonstration you can contact your local Liberator consultant.

21.01.2022 "We encourage our customers to make a positive change in the community by putting their purchasing power behind a brand that supports open employment opportunities" - Chloe, Founder of By Indeko

20.01.2022 Grid 3 editing tutorials https://thinksmartbox.com/training-centre/

19.01.2022 Spelfabet's review of Reading Eggs - Fast Phonics - not an ad! https://www.spelfabet.com.au//07/reading-eggs-fast-phonics/

19.01.2022 Something to chat about!

17.01.2022 The colder weather means we have to move back inside, but we can still stay #ActiveWithAAC. This month let’s take a look at what to model and do while doing arts and crafts. Pick a craft and have fun! Download here: https://saltillo.com/chatcorner/content/64 #Saltillo #ActiveWithAAC

16.01.2022 Morning reading!

15.01.2022 Hard to tell but I am smiling!

14.01.2022 Happy Birthday to Grid 3!!! I love this software

14.01.2022 PODD Book Carry Strap My weekend project was to come up with a way to keep the pole in the PODD book from slipping out. This pole makes it easier to carry the book and makes the binding last a lot longer but it’s annoying when it slips through. After a bit of time at Bunnings and some very simple sewing, this is the finished product! Materials:... Grunt webbing Grunt double adjustable side buckle 25mm Grunt webbing protector (so it’s comfy to carry) 2 x PVC elbow 90D faucet 15mm x 1/2 inch

14.01.2022 One club A special moment yesterday when our team surprised @jamiehowell_ by signing the club song in Auslan #UTD

13.01.2022 https://www.abc.net.au//ndis-assesment-changes-sp/12942684

12.01.2022 I'm interested in news re: the upcoming changes to the NDIS assessment process and came across this article: https://teamdsc.com.au/resources/independent-assessments

12.01.2022 Xav using his TobiiDynavox I-13 with outdoor eye tracking while on holidays with family. And the best thing is that he could communicate with his PODD pages "I want to go to the pub" Communication everywhere

11.01.2022 A jaunty angle for the last day of term Im taking a break over the school holidays (but will be sneakily checking emails while my kids are playing Minecraft). Enjoy the sunshine!

11.01.2022 Its Speech Pathology Week Speech Pathology Australia Its great timing that Agoscis In Focus magazine is out. Check out pages 20-21 for some very cool artwork which inspired some fun chats! #spweek

11.01.2022 She really is an awesome role model for parenting an autistic child Diary of a Mom

10.01.2022 https://www.abc.net.au//international-day-of-peo/12942446

09.01.2022 You may have been given the advice to "narrate your day" when helping a little one learn to talk. This basically means talk out loud...a lot. The more words y...our child hears, the better. Makes sense. Here's the next step (or two): problem solve out loud. Use conversation starters to invite your little one to participate. They may not yet have all the words but they can point, they can gesture, they can attempt to help you. At least they are actively participating and not just passively listening to your narration. These questions are not meant as a test, but as a general wondering about the answer. No pressure to respond, but the opportunity exists. To help, you may need to: 1. start the response but leave out the key word such as, "Oh, yes, you need a...(spoon!)" 2. offer choices so they remember which word to use: "Do you need a fork or a spoon?" 3. do nothing more than stop talking or wonder "hmm..." so that they have a chance to help you! :-) Once they understand language, they may need more opportunities to practice it. Engage them. Invite them. You may be surprised!

09.01.2022 Heres a great summary of how kids learn to read, plus some info about Reading Eggs

08.01.2022 It's Speech Pathology Week (23-29 August)! The week promotes the speech pathology profession and the work speech pathologists do with the 1.2 million Australian...s who have communication disability. The theme for Speech Pathology Week 2020 is Communicating with Confidence! www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/week

08.01.2022 Iso PODD Book Stand Project! I came across a blog post with instructions on how to make a PODD Book Stand out of PVC ages ago and have been thinking how handy a stand would be during Telehealth sessions. Since my husband studied engineering at uni, I set him the task to make me one AND write up the specs so you can make your own! To see the original post that inspired the project, go to https://omazingkidsyoga.files.wordpress.com//podd-pvc-stan

07.01.2022 Speech pathologists now need to wear surgical face masks for face to face sessions

06.01.2022 A cool resource from Spelfabet: moveable alphabet for literacy skills https://www.spelfabet.com.au/materials/moveable-alphabet/

05.01.2022 Last week we trialled food moulds for our aged care residents who require texture modified food, and they were an absolute hit! After we cook the food it is pur...eed or minced and formed into realistic shapes using moulds and all natural, vegan setting agents. The result is a more authentic, pleasurable food experience while maintaining the soft texture some residents need. Nine residents trialled the meals and the response was so positive we are now looking at the possibility of extending the meals to all residents who require texture modified food! We are so proud of the innovative work our catering team is doing in this space!

05.01.2022 A great story on The Project last night showing how the Neuronode works to enable a person to access a communication system

05.01.2022 Good morning! Heres a pic of my cat FaceTiming my Mums cat

05.01.2022 Today I attended the second of Dr Kathy Howery's webinars for Agosci and it prompted some great conversations about the impact of time and timing when using AAC. The webinar recordings will be available through paid access via Agosci https://www.agosci.org.au/event-3858261

05.01.2022 Lets talk about the word autistic for a moment. This post is not intended to be combative. It is simply meant to share information I wish I had known a deca...de ago when starting my career as an educator. I was taught in college and teacher trainings to always use person-first language (kid with autism). This was considered a universal truth from non-autistic professionals. However, over the last five years, I have had conversations with hundreds of self-advocates and learned that this is not true. In fact, many self-advocates prefer identity first language (autistic kid). To be honest, I have avoided commenting on this topic for some time. I like the focus of SBSK to be on the individual being featured and not a debate about semantics. It seems now the topic is no longer one that can be ignored. Every time I publish a video that includes the word autistic in the caption or title, I am greeted by countless messages proclaiming this phrasing is wrong from non-autistic people. Last night I shared an interview of a kid who proudly described himself as autistic. As anticipated, I received many messages about how it was wrong to refer to him in this way. One person said the title of the video made them cringe. In the mentioned video, this child shared that he felt alone and different his whole life. After learning he was autistic, he began to better understand himself. His new identity as an autistic person helped to replace feelings of uncertainty and anxiety with pride and self-awareness. Instead of cringing at the word autistic, I ask that you examine why this word would elicit feelings of discomfort in you. With that said, I do have a process when deciding the captions and titles of SBSK videos. I understand our videos reach millions of people each day, so I take no decision lightly. First, I ask the featured person if they have a preference. Most people these days prefer identity first. Some though, person first. If a person has a preference, I use that. If a person does not have a preference, I use identity first language. Hundreds of my disabled and autistic friends have told me this is their preferred terminology and I honor their expertise. Personally, I see the word autistic as a way to communicate information that will allow me to better connect with a person. In fact, I often get excited when I hear this word and instinctively reply "Cool!" when someone shares they are autistic. Many of my favorite people in the world are autistic! To sum it up, there is no right or wrong when it comes to language. What we must be wary of is speaking over people who have the lived experience of being an autistic person. The redundancy of the messages correcting my use of language often has me feeling like a character in the movie Groundhogs Day. Semantics are constantly evolving. Many of the points I made in this post will probably be outdated in a few years. I will continue to work with each self-advocate I feature to ensure the use of their preferred terminology. I only ask that you do the same. Thank you. -Chris Image Description: Chris and Jon (his former autistic student and SBSK legend) as co-keynote speakers at the 2017 National Autism Conference.

04.01.2022 Local shoutout!

04.01.2022 Happy Speech Pathology Week! It has been a big week: Ive had a few of the clients I support celebrate big achievements, Ive done lots of Telehealth calls, finished a comprehensive NDIS report and programmed a very fun eye gaze accessible Instagram page set in Grid 3! I also left the house today for work! #spweek @speechpathaus

03.01.2022 Decodable readers on sale!

03.01.2022 https://www.assistiveware.com//taking-proloquo2go-to-the-n

03.01.2022 Last week I tested out my car boot office- complete with esky bag chair - and it was awesome!

03.01.2022 Do you know someone who would like to get a look at a demo version of Proloquo2Go? Please let them know that Proloquo2Go is on iPads and iPhones in Apple Stores... in many English, French, Dutch and Spanish speaking countries. No Apple Store in the neighborhood? You will find it on iPhones at Apple resellers in half the world's countries. See more

02.01.2022 I’m thinking switch adapted Nerf guns

02.01.2022 Really good FAQ section

01.01.2022 A new look is coming to Facebook. If you log in and suddenly find things look a little different, you'll need to switch back to 'Classic Facebook' for now in order to keep on accessing it via Grid 3. Just click on the arrow at the top right, and then 'switch to Classic Facebook'.

01.01.2022 Happy Friday! Banksy’s guarding my iPad sleeve, so I guess I’ll work a bit longer