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We were so excited to have the opportunity to speak with Venita Litvack MA, CCC-SLP of Speechie Side Up! In our interview with Venita, she shared her extensive experience and passion for literacy instruction with individuals who use AAC. You can find more information about her podcast and other materials available on her website!

Listen and learn more about best practice when it comes to literacy instruction (spoiler alert: sight words in isolation isn’t it). Venita shares her enthusiasm, along with a number of actionable tips and resources for SLPs, educators, and others seeking to improve their skills and efficacy in the area of literacy instruction for AAC users. Along with examples for working individually with clients, you’ll also come away with ideas for group instruction and support.

We wrapped this interview feeling educated, invigorated, and inspired to share this new information with others and implement it in our own clinical work. We hope our listeners will feel the same way! You can read more about Venita, her background, and current projects here. Thank you for joining us Venita!

This episode is offered for 1 ASHA CMH (equal to .1 ASHA CEU). If you have questions about CEUs or how this works, please see our How It Works or ASHA Professional Development pages.

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe at least 3 evidenced-based strategies for teaching literacy to children who use AAC.

2. Describe at least 3 resources that are available to teach literacy to individuals who use AAC.

3. Describe at least 3 activities to use in group lessons that incorporate AAC and literacy.

References

Cunningham, J. W. (2001). The National Reading Panel report. Reading Research Quarterly, 36, 326-335. doi:10.1598/RRQ.36.3.5

Erickson, K. A., & Koppenhaver, D. (2020). Comprehensive literacy for all: Teaching students with significant disabilities to read and write. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Hall, D.P., & Williams, E. (2001). Predictable Charts: Shared writing for kindergarten and 1st grade. Greensboro, NC: Carson-Dellosa.

Hanser, G. (2006). Promoting emergent writing for students with significant disabilities. OT Practice, 11(9), 1-8.

Jones, C.D., Clark, S. K., & Reutzel, D. R. (2013). Enhancing alphabet knowledge instruction: Research implications and practical strategies for early childhood educators. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41, 81-89. doi:10.1007/s10643-012-0534-9

Kent-Walsh, J., Binger, C., & Malani, M. D. (2010). Teaching partners to support the communication skills of young children who use AAC: Lessons from the ImPAACT program. Early Childhood Services, 4, 155-170.

Mathis, H.J. (2010). The effect of pause time upon the communicative interactions of young people who use augmentative and alternative communication. (Master's thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand). Retrieved from https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/3878

Treiman, R., Levin, I., & Kessler, B. (2007). Learning of letter names follow similar principles across languages: Evidence from Hebrew. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 96, 87-106. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2006.08.002

Online Resources:

Tarheel Reader: https://tarheelreader.org

Core Calendar Club: https://speechiesideup.com/core-calendar-club-challenge/

Speechie Side Up Podcast: https://speechiesideup.com/

Iowa Department of Education: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCjV5sSPJR8

Tar heel gameplay: https://tarheelgameplay.org/

Epic Books: https://www.getepic.com/

Overdrive: https://www.overdrive.com

Literacy through Unity: https://aaclanguagelab.com/

Saltillo Calendar Supports: https://saltillo.com/chatcorner/content/67

Tell Me Curriculum: https://www.attainmentcompany.com/tell-me-program

The Center for Literacy and Disability Studies: https://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/

Disclosures:

Financial: Venita Litvack has the following relevant financial relationships to disclose: ownership interest in Speechie Side Up, LLC and Tassel Learning, LLC; royalties from the Lou Knows What to Do book series. Kate Grandbois is the owner / founder of Grandbois Therapy + Consulting, LLC and co-founder of SLP Nerdcast. Amy Wonkka is an employee of a public school system and co-founder of SLP Nerdcast.

Non-financial: Venita Litvack has the following relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose: member of the ASHA Special Interest Group 12. Kate and Amy are both members of ASHA, SIG 12, and both serve on the AAC Advisory Group for Massachusetts Advocates for Children. Kate is a member of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT), MassABA, the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and the corresponding Speech Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis SIG.

Time Ordered Agenda:

10 minutes: Introduction, Disclaimers and Disclosures

20 minutes: Review of strategies for teaching literacy to AAC users

15 minutes: Review of available resources for teaching literacy to AAC users

10 minutes: Review of Activities and group lessons that incorporate AAC and literacy

5 minutes: Discussion and closing

Disclaimer

The contents of this episode are not meant to replace clinical advice. SLP Nerdcast, its hosts and guests do not represent or endorse specific products or procedures mentioned during our episodes unless otherwise stated. We are NOT PhDs, but we do research our material. We do our best to provide a thorough review and fair representation of each topic that we tackle. That being said, it is always likely that there is an article we’ve missed, or another perspective that isn’t shared. If you have something to add to the conversation, please email us! Wed love to hear from you!

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