Let me introduce you to your new favorite book for reading with a child using an AAC device. Ninja, Ninja, Never Stop written by Todd Tuell is packed with core words and a fun story. When I first found the book I thought it might appeal to active boys, but it didn’t strike me as an overly useful book. I was so wrong. [Read more…]
Which witch?
The last time I worked with Joey he was fairly quiet, and not as engaged as he usually is. He had just worked hard during his in home occupational therapy, and he just seemed tired. I was wondering if he was with me when he scanned the room and then gave me a disapproving look.
“What’s up?” I asked. “What book do you want to read? What will Fat Cat Sit on? or What is Chasing Duck?” (I’m on a Jan Thomas kick since Joey told me he loved funny, silly books. You don’t get sillier or funnier than Jan Thomas.)
Joey looked past both books I was holding up and again scanned the area of the room behind me, obviously looking for something.
He turned back to his device. “Where a a which on?” he asked, then once again looking past me. [Read more…]
Reading “Press Here” with Joey
“Love. Love. Love,” Joey said to me after we read the book Press Here by Herve Tullet for the first time. If you aren’t familiar with this book, it engages the reader by asking them to physically touch the page in different ways. The words “Press here” are under a yellow dot. After the reader presses the yellow dot you turn the page, to find that the yellow dot has multiplied. The book is a low-tech cause and effect game, as you read through it to see what your pressing, clapping, shaking, or blowing does to the dots in the book.
I wasn’t sure how Joey would respond to this book because it requires so much motor planning. It would require him to focus his motor movements to particular areas on a page. This could be hard for him, and I was worried he would become too frustrated. Yet I don’t know many four year olds who don’t love the book, and if it wasn’t for the motor planning difficulties this would be the exact book I’d expect Joey to enjoy. [Read more…]
Another Great Book for Modeling Core Words on the AAC Device
When I first picked up the book, Look! Written by Jeff Mack I was immediately intrigued. The book has only two words repeated throughout the entire story, and both of them are words on Joey’s device – Look, and Out. [Read more…]
