Educational Resources
Hey!
Welcome here. First of all, I want to say, I see you. I totally get this journey of life filled with a lot of unknowns. I wanted you to know that you are not alone. Too often we can feel like we are drowning in our own sweat completely alone and this is why this community is here. Someone once said it takes a village to raise a family and I have found that to be true. I love sharing the good stuff!
So thank you for being here. Here I will create space to share links and resources that I have found helpful on my journey as either the parent, teacher and child.
Use it as you need it, or perhaps, you want to learn a little more of how to utilize the tools that these resources offer, I’m here so let’s connect.
Communications Bundle Project
The Communication Bundle was created for Hannah's school team, and has been coiled together for everyone to have the opportunity to access ALL THE TIME.
Most often the regular assistants (and substitute) do not have access to all the information about the child and specific strategies of how we presume competence. I do not expect anyone to be an expert in how to educate my child but I can support them on how to see my child.
My reason for creating this bundle is to equip all the persons who are supporting Hannah to get to know her in a strength-based way. My goal is for all is to see her before the disability and learn the different ways she communicates and how we can support her. These pages are forever changing by the team as Hannah grows and matures.
Transitions Plan Video
Here is a strength-based video that Jacob and I created for the people in Hannah’s life. We use it at school for the transitions into a new grade, as part of our Transitions Plan to help educate the school team and her peers.
CONTACT
MEMBERS
RESOURCES
SERVICES
STORIES
Go right to the source of incredible people
Karen Erikson and David Kopenhaver (Comprehensive Literacy for All)
Shelley Moore (quick videos, inclusion strategies of curriculum implementation)
Dr. Caroline Musselwhite, Deanna Wagner and Gretchen Hanser.
Erin Sheldon (M.Ed and child with complex needs, incredible inclusion advocate and speaker. Modified bridge assessment tool, Incredible FB group to ask the most wide range or forward thinking professionals around the globe - Angelman, literacy and Alphabet Therapy)
Erik Carter (work on peer support and belonging)
Dr. Jody Carrington (mental health advocate for professionals. Another great lens to the importance of relationships, connection and belonging.)
See the hope
Check out this book for you and the professionals in your life. It is only $8 on amazon and it is worth 10 times that much! I highly recommend this book when wondering how you can support writing with children with complex communication needs.
This book was written by a girl with Angelman syndrome to describe her communication journey. People with Angelman syndrome have complex communication needs. She chronicles the process she went through toward freeing her inner thoughts. Rylee started this book at 9 years old and finished three years later. This book is intended for you to see the hope.
Comprehensive literacy for all
This book is a NECESSITY for all schools to have on hand. This book provides a guide and layout of supporting literacy for ALL students. It is time we adopt the common sense that EVERY single person can learn reading and writing. It is us as educators and our knowledge that can be the barrier. Buy this book today for your school library for everyone to access.
Aided language stimulation explained
This is the most used video in our journey. I share it with friends, family, community, school and anyone I can gain a captive audience to for just over 2 minutes. I am so thankful that Christopher Bugaj created this video that explains our roles of using AAC in a simple and practical way.
North Star Paths
Kristin Wiens is an incredible artist and inclusion support teacher who creates the most powerful visuals. Check out all the free downloads here at North Star Paths. I have used many of these in a variety of ways in order to get my point across in a way others can understand. Check it out, you will NOT be disappointed.
Prompt Hierarchy
Kate Ahern and Shelaine Neilson have created this incredibly useful and easy to follow prompt hierarchy. Again, I am so thankful for others in our community.
AAC Mission Possible 1
Yes this is our family! This is a powtoon we created for Hannah’s class in grade 5 to inspire those around her to use AAC. Again, if we want Hannah to learn AAC, then we need to speak it too. Therefore, we need to build community around the knowledge and use of it.
Apps that are SO worth it!
PICTELLO
This is a MUST purchase for every single household that has children. I couldn’t stress how much this app has changed our life over the years. When Hannah was younger we would create a story each weekend so she could share it at circle time on Monday. Throughout the week, Hannah would work on her journal within this app. All three of my children have used it with Tarheel Reader online (see link above) and downloaded books of the content they were looking for. Now, my 5 year old is creating stories using predictable chart writing for each letter he learns. It is WORTH more than its price tag in gold.
MAKING WORDS KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE
Making words. I absolutely love teaching through making words as a teacher. All of my kids have used this app to work on phonetics awareness, word families and decoding strategies. I find it is very accessible.
TEACH YOUR MONSTER TO READ
This was a great way for my kids to learn how to read and have a lot of fun along the way.
Links worth exploring!
Alternative “pencils” were created for students who are unable to hold a traditional pencil or physically manipulate a standard keyboard. Alternative pencils can be used with writers of varying abilities and ages including students who are emerging writers and those who are able to write more conventionally. For students with physical, cognitive or linguistic challenges, an alternative pencil can offer a way to write and/or explore the alphabet while focusing the majority of their cognitive energy on text production. Hannah can hold a pencil and is considered an Emergent Writer.
Center for Literacy and Disability Studies
Addresses the needs of individuals with a range of disabilities in response to the demands of families, educators, and health care professionals across the United States and the world. The CLDS has concentrated most of its resources on individuals with severe and multiple disabilities, an estimated 70 to 90 percent of whom read and write at levels significantly below their non-disabled peers.
Literacy Instruction for All THIS IS THE BEST LINK!!
Offers information, research-based instructional approaches, and effective instructional and learning strategies to support school leaders, teachers, and other specialists working to better meet the literacy and communication needs of students with significant disabilities. We are on a “30 year” literacy plan so your belief in presuming potential and the small steps that we are taking now truly matter!
A resource to support core based communication systems.
A resource for families, educators and anyone supporting students using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Supports a community of professionals and families who are determined to improve the communication and literacy abilities of people with significant communication difficulties.
A fun and easy, shared writing activity that supports emergent and conventional writers and readers. It is a way of providing some structure, while allowing students to generate their own ideas.
Aims to develop a comprehensive implementation program for the delivery of universal core vocabulary instruction and augmentative communication supports using the multi-tiered system for augmenting language (mSAL). The site contains student implementation supports, tools, and training resources.
A growing free library of accessible, beginning level readers for students of all ages. You can download these stories into the app Pictello as well.