Category Archives: Speech & Language

Back to School Savings: New Low Price on Sign to Talk Nouns and Verbs!

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DRC_479_Sign_toTalk_NounsThe K&K Sign to Talk Nouns and Sign to Talk Verbs are a trusted resource designed to shape verbal language specifically for individuals with autism and other developmental challenges. It’s back to school time and we’re dropping the price of the cards by $20! The Sign to Talk Nouns are now $139 and the Verbs are $119!

The front of each card has a large 5″x7″, full-color, glossy photo of the target item. The reverse side contains a photo of the ASL sign, a written description of the hand shapes, and a series of Kaufman Speech to Language “word shells,” which are highly effective for shaping intelligible articulation.

The Sign to Talk Nouns include a variety of everyday objects (nouns) that children frequently request and that double as excellent reinforcers. The Kit contains 150 noun cards and the accompanying 40-page manual fully explains the approach. The Sign to Talk Verbs include 80 everyday actions that children frequently request  as well as the accompanying 40-page manual.

SigntoTalkVerbsTake advantage of the new low price on these excellent teaching tools while you can!

 

Pick of the Week: What are They Thinking? ColorCards

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In continuation of last week’s theme of empathy and inference by asking and answering “wh-” questions, we are excited to bring you the What are They Thinking? ColorCards for this week’s Pick of the Week! These flashcards and accompanying CD with individual worksheets will help students develop empathy and inference, as they learn to recognize and interpret others’ emotions and behaviors. They are also a good resource for initiating conversation and storytelling. This week only, take 15% off your order of the What are They Thinking? ColorCards by using our promo code BLOGWTT6 at checkout!

Use this set with your child to explore the relationship between thoughts and feelings, as well as to recognize that behavior affects others.

Children will be asked to imagine what the people depicted in these cards are thinking and then fill in the thought bubbles, orally or in writing.

This process naturally exercises skills in observation, empathy, and social perception. Viewing these cards, students will improve their ability to read facial expressions, nonverbal cues, and surrounding circumstances.

This set comes with 30 cards, each measuring 8.25 by 11.75 inches, an instruction booklet, and a CD-ROM with images and worksheets that can be printed out.

This week, save 15% on the What are They Thinking? ColorCards by applying the promo code BLOGWTT6 at checkout!

*This offer is valid until August 27th, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces in the promo code at check out!

Pick of the Week: What? How? Question Set

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Our pick this week is the What? How? Question Set! This set of cards teaches children to label and identify actions while learning how to ask and answer “what” and “how” questions.

This week only, save 15% on your order of the What? How? Question Set by using our promotional code BLOGWHQ3 at checkout!

Each of the “what” questions in the set requires a one-sentence answer; each of the “how” questions have 3 possible answers. If the answer to “What are they doing?” is “hugging,” then the answer to “How do you hug a friend?” is “open your arms,” “put them around your friend,” and “give a gentle squeeze”.

Each card measures 5 x 3.5 inches. Each concept presented in this photographic deck of 40 cards relates to a child’s everyday experiences, such as reading a book, blowing bubbles, playing t-ball, hugging a friend, cooking, and feeding ducks.

Remember, this week only, take 15% off your online order of the What? How? Question Set by entering in the promo code BLOGWHQ3 at checkout!

*This offer is valid until August 20th, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces in the promo code at check out!

Pick of the Week: Answering “Wh” Questions

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This week’s Pick of the Week is our Answering “Wh” Questions cards set! Answering “Wh” Questions contains 23 full-color photographic learning cards that will inspire conversation and speculation in young learners. This week only, take 15% off your online order of the Answering “Wh” Questions cards by applying the promotional code BLOGWHQ6 at checkout!

DRC 536 Answering Wh Questions

Each photo in this set of cards includes children engaged in various indoor and outdoor activities that encourage language development, emotional awareness, and critical thinking when answering who, what, when, where, why, and how questions.

The cards in this set depict children interacting with their peers and with adults in various settings, including theDRC 536 Answering Wh Questions 2 classroom, playground, kitchen, and many more. Answering “Wh” Questions also comes with word lists and a resource guide in English, Spanish, as well as French, to suggest different methods of asking and answering “wh” questions.

The Answering “Wh” Questions set is a wonderful way to reinforce basic principles, lessons, and skills. Recommended for pre-K to 2nd grade learners.

Remember, this week only, save 15% on your purchase of Answer “Wh” Questions by applying the promo code BLOGWHQ6 at checkout!

*This offer is valid until July 29th, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces in the promo code at check out!

Using Music to Help Children with Autism: A Guest Post by Board Certified Music Therapist Ryan Judd

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For those of you who don’t know him, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Ryan Judd. Ryan is a board certified music therapist with a Masters degree in Music Therapy and has been working as a music therapist with children with special needs for more than 13 years. We’re excited not only to share his wonderful wisdom with you but also to let you know that you can now incorporate his teaching techniques at home and school with The Rhythm Tree Music & DVD Package. This comprehensive package includes a DVD with 9 interactive songs that address particular skill sets, a full-length CD for listening and learning on the go, a 30-page guidebook with music and lyrics along with strategies for addressing developmental goals, and 3 sets of musical and motivating instruments so the whole family can join in. It’s this week’s pick so you can save 15% on The Rhythm Tree DVD and Music Package by applying the promotional code BLOGRHY3 at checkout.

“Using Music to Help Children with Autism”
By Ryan Judd

I am a lucky man. I get to see music touch the lives of children with autism on a daily basis. Even after 13 years of providing music therapy for children with autism, I still am amazed at the power of music and the way it can grab a child’s attention and motivate them to perform challenging tasks.

Today, I would like to share with you some ways that you can use music to motivate children with autism and help them reach developmental goals. The cool thing is that you don’t need to be a musician or even be able to sing on key in order to use music with children! Music offers so many possibilities for growth and development. I am here to help you begin to tap into this powerful medium.

Let’s look at how you can use music to help children learn social skills, and in particular, greetings. This can be challenging for some children with autism, especially when the expectation is to make eye contact when greeting a peer. If you practice greetings through a fun and engaging song, you can grab a child’s attention and help them practice this foundational social skill.

I have created a simple but effective greetings song for you that is easy to learn and easy to remember. It is to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” I changed the words, but have written the original words above these, so that you can get a better feel for the timing. So here it goes. Let’s try it!

Twinkle Twinkle little star, how I won-der what you are.
Hello, hello, hello friends, it is time to sing a-gain.

Up a-bove the world so high, like a dia-mond in the sky.
Look at a friend and say “hi.” Use your eyes and give high fives.

Twinkle Twinkle little star, how I won-der what you are
Hello, hello, hello friends, it is time to sing a-gain


To practice this song and teach it to your child, start by facing each other and holding hands while seated. Now rock back and forth or side to side while singing. This not only gives your child time with you to practice greetings, but it’s also a great way to bond with your child. Facing each other also sets you up perfectly for making eye contact. If your child is not willing to hold hands for that long, then try a patty-cake type pattern by slapping your knees with both hands and then their hands. If your child craves deep pressure, you can push firmly down on their shoulders, after slapping your knees.

In order to prompt your child to use a greeting in this song, you can use the musical tension that is created by stopping a song in the middle. For example, if you hear, “Twinkle, twinkle, little ________” your brain just wants to hear “star” if it is left out! You can use this natural tension as a non-verbal prompt by pausing before the word or action that you want your child to take. To create even more tension, take a loud, audible breath in, and hold your breath while waiting for them to respond. For our greetings song, it would look like this.

Hel-lo, hel-lo, hello friends, it is time to sing again.

Look at a friend and say ________ (big dramatic pause while waiting for your child to make eye contact and say “hi”).

Use your eyes and give high _______ (big dramatic pause while waiting for your child to make eye contact and give a “high five”).

If your child is non-verbal, no problem! You can have them wave high instead of saying it, or have a visual icon for them to select or touch. You can also set up an electronic Augmentative and Alternative (AAC) device, so that they get the auditory feedback from pushing a button and hearing a recorded voice say “hi.”

To generalize this skill when you are out and about, you can prompt your child by singing, “Look at a friend and say _____ (big pause).” This musical cue can be very effective in prompting a child to use an appropriate greeting with a peer or adult. Just make sure to be patient and give plenty of wait time!

I hope that you’ve found this article helpful and that you’ll begin to explore the potential and fun of using music with your child. Whether you are looking to build a deeper connection, or help your child learn developmental skills, music is a great source of motivation. I have a free bi-weekly newsletter that gives great suggestions and resources for using music with your child, so please sign up at https://www.therhythmtree.com/user-registration.

If you are interested in having all of the tools you need to bring the joy and benefit of music into your child’s life, check out my award-winning DVD and Music Package for Children with Special Needs. It is now for sale at Different Roads to Learning!

Remember, this week only, take 15% off your order of the Rhythm Tree DVD & Music Package by entering in BLOGRHY3 at check out!*

*This offer is valid until July 22, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces in the promo code at check out!

Pick of the Week: ConversaCards

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Many strategies to help individuals on the autism spectrum organize and prioritize their daily activities propose using visual supports, color coding, lists, and other teaching materials such as timers and sequence cards. Understanding the concept of time and honing critical thinking and expressive language skills early in development is especially vital to  creating plans and making conversation independently later on in life.

ConversaCards_Blog&Emailer

Our Pick of this Week this week features the ConversaCards, which were developed to encourage organization, critical thinking, and conversation skills in children. The ConversaCards include six different packs: What Comes Next?, What Do You Do With It?, What Do You Like?, What Do You Need?, What Happened?, and Where Does It Go?

This week only, save 15% on your order with any one of these packs of ConversaCards by using promo code BLOGCNV3 at checkout!

What Comes Next? invites young learners to speculate about sequences of events. Full-color photographs on the cards show children performing sequential activities in identifiable scenarios in series of 2 and 3 cards. Designed to develop effective conversation, listening and social skills, these cards are easy to use and are developmentally appropriate for all levels.

WhDoYouDoWithIt

What Do You Do With it? invites children to speculate about the uses for the everyday objects shown. The photographic objects contain relatable images such as a toothbrush, piano, towel, alarm clock, keys, and ice cream scoop. This set ultimately improves conversation and critical thinking skills, in addition to social skills and sorting in learners.

What Do You Like? invites young learners to identify and share their preferences as well as their reasoning. Designed to promote effective communication and social skills, these cards depict photographs of common objects and scenarios that will encourage analysis and self-awareness.

WhDoYouNeed

What Do You Need? cards were developed to encourage sequencing and critical thinking and invites children to speculate about the possible next steps necessary in order to continue with an activity. Created to promote listening, conversation, and social skills, these cards also inspire creative story-telling.

What Happened? cards were developed to build language skills while inspiring story-telling. These cards are fun and easy to use, so children will enjoy working with them independently or in lessons.

Where Does It Go? cards will encourage children to categorize and place identifiable items, furthering critical thinking while building conversation skills in creative story-telling and sharing experiences.

The back of each card in the ConversaCards™ series contains questions and prompts that can be used for independent work, in one-on-one sessions, or in group lessons. Learning to respond to “what” and “where” questions is the foundation of conversation and expressive language. These flashcards can be used to teach sequencing, storytelling, and logical thinking for a wide range of ability levels. Each deck contains 54 3″ x 5″ cards, a resource guide containing helpful prompts, questioning strategies, and suggested lesson ideas.

POTW_BLOGCNV3_Worm

This week only, save 15% on your order of any one of our six ConversaCards by entering in the promo code BLOGCNV3 at checkout!*

*Offer expires on May 28, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout. 

Pick of the Week: Earobics Interactive Software – Sound Foundations for Reading & Spelling

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For years, the interactive software program Earobics has been teaching the phonological awareness and auditory processing skills that learning experts recognize as critical for learning how to read, speak and spell. The program has finally been updated to run on the newest Windows and Macintosh platforms.

Earobics Foundations is the updated version of Earobics: Step 1 and features six interactive learning games with over 300 levels of play. The program is designed for 2 players and recommended for ages 4-7.

Earobics Connections is the updated version of Earobics: Step 2 and features five interactive games with 593 levels that teach the essential skills required for learning how to read and spell. It is also designed for 2 players and is recommended for ages 7-10.

Earobics automatically adjusts to the appropriate skill level of the user based on the correctness of their responses. Earobics uses adaptive training and acoustically modified speech and carefully controls important learning variables. You can use the automated data collection tools to monitor students’ progress, print reports and guide remediation. For each activity, the program automatically generates IEP-formatted goals. Earobics helps students struggling with speech and language while allowing teachers to effectively use collected data to monitor student progress.

Both Earobics Foundations and Earobics Connections have the following system requirements: Windows 7, XP, Vista/MAC OSX 10.2.x to 10.4.x, 10.5, 10.6.

This week only, you can save 15% on the revised Earobics Foundations and Earobics Connections by entering the Promo Code BLOGEAR3 at checkout.

*Offer expires on February 12, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

Introducing the Eden Autism Services Assessment & Curriculum Series

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It is with great excitement that we announce the publication of the Eden School’s Assessment and Curriculum Series. This set of seven assessments and curriculum guides provide an expansive range of content for grades Pre-K through 12.

This week only, you can save 15% on these new assessments and curricula by entering the Promo Code BLOGEDA at checkout.

The Autism Assessment provides educators, therapists, and parents with a tool to accurately assess a student’s current abilities and skill level. This assessment identifies the student’s strengths and weaknesses, assists with goal selection, tracks progress, and makes it easy to translate the assessment into concrete IEP goals. The Autism Curriculum is a comprehensive series of teaching programs designed to provide a valuable resource to enable professionals and parents to effectively teach students with autism. Employing a hands-on approach, the curriculum includes practical strategies for each teaching program. In addition, each skill area includes a systematic assessment and flow chart to support appropriate goal selection. Teaching programs are clearly written, with step-by-step instructions, and include target behaviors, prerequisite skills, criterion-referenced assessment, measurement, materials, procedures, and prompting techniques. Each curriculum delineates Primary, Intermediate and Secondary Skills to help structure learning for students of various ages and abilities.

These teaching programs, grounded in the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), have been field-tested with hundreds of students and adults with autism.  They address essential areas of skill such as cognitive, self-care and domestics, speech and language, vocational, physical education, recreation and leisure, employment, and residential living. This series offers specifically targeted curricula for Infants and Toddlers, a 5-part series for school-age students, and an Adult Curriculum.

Teaching programs are clearly written, with step-by-step instructions and include target behaviors, prerequisite skills, criterion, measurement, materials, procedures, and prompting techniques.  Each volume includes flow charts to assist with selection of goals. Teaching programs and data tools are presented in wire-bound format for easy use. Each volume comes with a Curriculum, Assessment and Assessment Score Sheet. Additional blank assessment score sheets are available for sale in sets of 10 for each curriculum volume: Infant/Toddler; Cognitive; PE; Self-Care/Domestics; Speech/Language; Vocational; Adult.

 

Infant & Toddler Assessment & Curriculum

Developed to specifically address the needs of infants and toddlers (up to age three) with autism, the Infant and Toddler Curriculum contains teaching programs for learning readiness, cognitive skills, oral motor/feeding, receptive and expressive language and communication, play and social skills, sensory-motor, self-care, and preschool readiness skills.

 

Eden Autism Services School Curriculum Series

This five-volume series specifically addresses the educational needs of school-age students with autism by skill area: Cognitive, Adaptive Physical Education, Self-Care and Domestics, Speech and Language, and Vocational Education. The curricula can be purchased individually or as a set of five. Each volume contains the prerequisite skills, criterion, measurement, materials, procedure, prompting techniques and teaching tips for each target behavior.

 

Cognitive Volume: School Curriculum & Assessment

The Cognitive volume contains teaching programs to address the educational needs of school aged students with autism in the areas of Learning Readiness (eye contact, gross motor imitation), Pre-academics (block imitation, matching objects, body part ID, etc.), Academics (counting, handwriting, sight word ID, etc.), and classroom language/social play (categorization, pretend play, etc.). There are more than 85 lessons presented with prerequisite skills, criterion, measurement, materials, procedure, prompting techniques and teaching tips.

 

Speech and Language Volume: School Curriculum  & Assessment

The Speech/Language volume contains teaching programs for school-aged students with autism which is divided into four domains and then ranked as primary, intermediate and secondary skills. The domains focus on oral motor/feeding, receptive language, expressive language, and pragmatics. There are more than 75 lessons presented in a highly structured, specialized format.

 

Self-Care and Domestics Volume: School Curriculum & Assessment

The Self-Care/Domestics volume contains teaching programs targeting daily living activities for school aged students with autism in the areas of self-care and domestic skills. There are more than 60 target behaviors covering primary skills like dressing, hand washing, and toileting to secondary skills such as bathing, shaving, menu preparation, and food shopping.

 

Vocational Education Volume: School Curriculum & Assessment

The Vocational volume contains teaching programs specially designed to address a variety of vocational skills for school aged students with autism. The skills taught are designed to prepare individuals with autism and developmental disabilities for adult life and the world of work. The emphasis is on using these teaching programs to foster appropriate levels of independence. There are 55 targets in this volume addressing vocational skills like sorting, labeling, packaging, inventory, stocking, and more.

 

Physical Education/Recreation and Leisure Volume: School Curriculum & Assessment

The PE volume contains teaching programs specifically designed to address the physical education, recreation, and leisure skills of school-aged students with autism. While many educators use task-analyzed programs to teach students with ASD, physical education, recreation and leisure skills are often not approached in the same manner. There are more than 35 target behaviors from biking, golf, doing a puzzle to bowling, board games, swimming and video games.

 

 

Eden Autism Services School Curriculum Series: 5-Volume Set

The 5-Volume Set includes each volume in the series for school-aged students: Cognitive, Speech/Language, Self-Care and Domestics, Vocational, and Physical Education/Recreation and Leisure.

 

Adult Services Assessment & Curriculum

The Adult Residential and Employment volumes have been combined into a single comprehensive volume for Adult Services. Developed for adolescents and adults with autism residing in community-based living arrangements, the Adult Services volume contains teaching programs for self-care, domestics, physical education, and recreation and leisure. There is a complete vocational section that focuses on teaching programs to be implemented in an adult day placement with application in employment settings.

ABOUT EDEN

Since 1975, families, educators, healthcare professionals and others with an interest in autism have looked to the knowledgeable, caring and committed staff at Eden for guidance.  Headquartered in Princeton, NJ,  Eden’s expertise includes early intervention services, pre-K through 21 education, adult residential and employment programs, and support and training for families and professionals.  This Assessment and Curriculum provides educators and caregivers with nearly 40 years of Eden’s teaching expertise.

*Offer expires on January 15, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

 

 

 

 

The Success of Early Intervention!

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The other day our wonderful consultant Stacy Asay came to chat. Stacy has been working with young children in early intervention for 15 years.  Whenever we look at new products or books, we always ask her to give us an opinion on its value to teaching children on the autism spectrum.

We were discussing the benefits of Early Intervention – what kids on the spectrum are like when they are two years old and the amazing skills and capabilities that they acquire through applied behavior analysis and verbal behavior teaching.  Children who can’t make words or eye contact at 2 are able to hold long discussions about their favorite topics at 4.

As Abigail and I started thinking about the astounding success that these children have been making over the years, it dawned on us that our mission here at Different Roads is being fulfilled by these kids!

Our mission is to make a difference in the lives of children diagnosed with autism, giving them tools needed to find success in gaining independence.  We just figured out that by the time our pre-school students get to a school age program, they know how to label, ask questions and do math.  What they need is guidance in social skills.

We are amazed by the progress of so many of our young students…..we know that our products have made a difference and we’re so happy to share in each child’s success. Many of you have stories of these successes. We hope that you will find the time to share stories of the new capabilities and skills that your child has acquired through early intervention.

Building Early Reading and Language Skills in Children with Autism: A Guest Post by Joan Green

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This week, we’re thrilled to share a guest post by our friend and colleague, Joan Green. Joan has taught special education in California for 20 years and was even selected as the Special Education Teacher of the Year in 1997. As a member of an Autism Task Force, she co-authored a certification of competency for teaching children with autism. Based on her years of experience in the classroom, she developed a series of Interactive Reading Books designed to build language and literacy in your learners. These books have been incredibly popular over the years and we thought you all might enjoy learning a bit more about how and why they were created and how she implemented them with her students. Joan’s Interactive Reading Books are all available as this week’s Pick of the Week at a 15% discount. Just enter the promo code BLOGIRB7 at checkout.

 

I taught special education in Los Angeles schools for 20 years. In the beginning I had children with a variety of disabilities including Down syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Kabuki Syndrome and other developmental delays. During this time the students with autism were in specific autism programs and not in my class. After a few years I began teaching Early Childhood Special Education and began getting children with autism in my program.  These children are often diagnosed between 2 and 3 years of age and begin early intervention services. Once the child turns three and they begin public school it is important that teachers know the strategies that are helpful to children with autism. I began going to seminars on Teacch, Floortime, PECS, PRT, and ABA and read many books written by respected individuals who had worked with children with autism. I learned that visual strategies were very important and helpful for these children and incorporated the strategies I had learned and provided visual information throughout my classroom.

All of my students were either non-verbal or language delayed and I began using PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) with all of my students. Picture Exchange Communication does not require that children speak; giving a picture card to someone is their communication. If, however, a child did have some speech, I wanted to hear it. If they could use one word utterances, I wanted two, if they used two words, I wanted three. I began putting sentence strips around my room that the children would bring to me to request objects or activities. All the interesting new materials were put within sight, but out of reach. On top of the cabinet could be a new truck and the sentence strip attached to the cabinet reading, “I want truck please.” Children would bring me the strip and if they had expressive language we would “read” the strip together and they would get the truck to play with. When they were done the truck would go back to the top of the cabinet. I used a Visual Schedule to help the children understand their day, what was going to be happening and if there were any changes in expected activities.

I found that when given the visual cue of a picture, the children were beginning to speak and label more than they had before. When the children began increasing their vocabulary by using pictures and sentence strips I thought to myself, “If they can read a sentence, then they can read a book. What is a book but a bunch of sentences?” and this is how the idea of Interactive Reading Books came into being.

 Children with autism are often taught using a method called Applied Behavior Analysis. There is a sequence of activities that are used to help the children acquire language where they match, identify and then label pictures. I utilized this strategy and developed a book called What Color Is It? where the children matched pictures of objects and colors, then identified and labeled them and finally they were to be sequenced into sentence order and read in sentence form. The children would practice reading the sentences with the pictures and finally read the sentences without any picture cues. Since some children with autism are good at memorization, I made put the books on rings so the sentence order could be changed to help determine if the child was reading or had memorized  the sentence order.

Using the students’ IEP goals, I began creating books that taught the skills they needed. Reading color words and number words are kindergarten goals so What Color Is It? and How Many? were two of our first books. We followed up with Things I Do At Home and I Go to School which included the vocabulary and visual schedule of activities that are performed in their home and school environments. All of the children in my class and many children in special education have speech goals on their IEP and therefore all our Interactive Reading Books were created to be helpful in reaching speech and language goals. We now have 18 titles and many cover more advanced language skills, such as idioms, functions, social behavior and more.

 

The full list of titles appears below. Remember, this week only, save 15% on all of Joan Green’s Interactive Reading Books by entering the Promo Code BLOGIRB7 at checkout.

 Action!
How Do I Feel?
How Many?
Things I Do at Home
I Go To School
What Color Is It?
Sounds Good to Me! An Interactive Reading Book with Phonucs and the Alphabet
The Ups and Downs of Opposites
What Do I Do? Appropriate School Behaviors
What Do I Say? Appropriate Social Responses
What’s It For? Function and Categorizing
Meet the Word Family
Show Me A Sign: An Interactive Reading Book About Safety Signs
What Do They Really Mean? An Interactive Reading Book About Idioms

*Offer expires on September 26, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.