Category Archives: Speech & Language

Pick of the Week: Jumpstarting Communication Skills in Children with Autism

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Establishing basic communication skills in students with autism is one of the most important goals of intervention and therapy. Jumpstarting Communication Skills in Children with Autism helps explain strategies for parents to do just that in an Applied Verbal Behavior method.

Providing an accessible understanding of Applied Verbal Behavior (AVB) for parents, Jumpstarting Communication Skills in Children with Autism presents strategies for improving children’s understanding of both verbal and nonverbal communication to improve expressive abilities. With an overview of language development, the authors offer practical strategies to address issues such as making requests, perseverative speech, lack of fluency in conversation, and trouble reading others’ signals. Other strategies profiled are PECS, sign language, video modeling, scripts, and social stories.

This week only, Jumpstarting Communication Skills in Children with Autism is being offered at a 15% discount. Simply enter the Promo Code BLOGJSCS6 at checkout to redeem your savings.

*Offer expires on September 18, 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.

Pick of the Week: Verbal Behavior Targets

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As the school year rapidly approaches, many of you teachers out there will have your hands full with assessments, IEP development and planning, all in addition to the excitement of getting to know your new students. Verbal Behavior Targets: A Tool to Teach Mands, Tacts & Intraverbals can save you tons of time and energy by providing you with comprehensive word lists that can be used for both assessment and teaching. This is a vital resource for anyone teaching language to a student with Autism or speech and language delays.  The book consists of words and word combination lists categorized by word families covering nouns including people, places, events and things inside and outside plus verbs, adjectives, adverbs, verbs plus nouns, nouns plus nouns, fill in the blanks, verb tense, receptive instruction, categories, features, functions and topics for conversation.

This week only, you can save 15% on Verbal Behavior Targets by entering the Promo Code BLOGVBT9 at checkout.

As one reviewer in Wisconsin puts it: “Special education programs are now an integral part of every public school system in the country. Among the student populations for which these programs are purposed are those students who suffer from language delays, most especially the growing number of children diagnosed with various forms of autism. Now classroom instructors and special education support staff working with these children can have access to a vital resource with “Verbal Behavior Targets: A Tool To Teach Mands, Tacts And Intraverbals”, written by Diana Luckevich, an experienced data analyst with expertise in computerization applications in education. With a particular focus on autistic learners, “Verbal Behavior Targets” includes word lists and word combinations categorized by word families; accessible tools for children who are ESL learners; who have Down syndrome; who are autistic; or who are experiencing language delays; and/or are dealing with developmental disabilities. “Verbal Behavior Targets” also features common, functional and relevant language goals suitable for any child who is learning word skills. Enhanced with additional spaces and worksheets for teachers and involved parents to customize and track language for an individual child, “Verbal Behavior Targets” is an especially recommended addition for special education curriculum reference libraries and classroom lesson planning supplements.”

*Offer expires on August 14, 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.

Pick of the Week: Dr. Jen’s U-Play Mat for Education – NEW!

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When you’re in one-on-one sessions and get down on the floor with the kids, wouldn’t it be wonderful to still have the benefits of a working surface that the child has complete visual and tactile access to? The brand new, innovative U-Play Mat is the answer! The U-shaped mat and 50 photo flashcards create a solid learning environment, promoting face-to-face interaction and eye contact.

There are 10 clear pockets on the 4′ x 3′ mat which allows the child full visual and tactile access. The U-Play Mat comes with 2 decks of cards featuring Animals and Foods from the folks who brought you the Language Builder Picture Cards. Each deck has 50 cards with 25 matching pairs. Each card has a clear, photographic image with the corresponding label on one side, and fun facts on the reverse. These fun facts can serve as conversation starters to build interaction, vocabulary and language skills. You can also use the U-Play Mat with additional customized set of flashcards and images. There is a detailed Activity Guide for therapists, educators, and parents to organize and implement an education program. The guide comes complete with 19 custom-designed, reproducible data sheets to record responses and track progress.

This week only, save 15% on the new Dr. Jen’s U-Play Mat for Education by entering the Promo Code BLOGUPM at checkout.

*Offer expires on June 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

 

Pick of the Week: Trifold Literacy/Choice Board

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Do you ever need to make a quick transition during activities or when working with different students? This Trifold Literacy/Choice Board allows for 6 complete workable surfaces so that you can prearrange symbols on each and every side to ensure a quick and easy transition. The easel measures 4″ x 16″ and is made of the Veltex brand loop fabric so your picture symbols stick directly on to the board – no need for two sides of Velcro anymore! The versatile board can be used for choice-making, scheduling or for a sight word/story board for working on literacy skills.

This week only, save 15% on the Trifold Literacy/Choice Board by entering the Promo Code BLOGTFL3 at checkout.

*Offer expires on June 19, 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

Pick of the Week: Earobics – Auditory Development & Phonics CD-Rom

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The Earobics CDs are well-known and excellently reviewed by both parents and professionals who use the program with their students. Earobics teaches the phonological awareness and auditory processing skills that are critical for learning how to read, speak and spell. Both Earobics Step 1 and Earobics Step 2 deliver interactive games over hundreds of levels to deliver extensive training and practice. The software automatically adjusts to the appropriate skill level of the user based on the correctness of the responses.

Both levels accommodate tracking and data collection for 2 players and one guest. Earobics Step 1 is recommended for children at a cognitive level of 4-7; Earobics Step 2 is recommended for ages 7-11.

This week only, save 15% on the Earobics Software by entering the Promo Code BLOGEA12 at checkout.

*Offer expires on May 29, 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.

Pick of the Week: Save OVER $100 on the Language Builder Flashcard Bundle

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This is a fantastic deal and it won’t last long…The Language Builder Flashcard Bundle contains 3 sets of cards at savings of over $100! Normally, purchasing these top sellers individually costs $268.90 but this week only, wwe’re offering the Language Builder Picture Cards, Language Builder Picture Noun Cards Set 2, and the Photo Emotion Cards for $165.00 for ALL THREE! That’s over $100 in savings!

To take advantage of this amazing offer, you must click on the links above! This special offer is only available to you – our readers -for one week! The offer ends on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Since it’s an exclusive offer, you must follow the links on this post to access the Language Builder Picture Card Flashcard Bundle on our site.

The Language Builder Card Sets are the most widely used photo language flashcards for teaching key language concepts to children and adults with autism, developmental delays, or speech/language delays. All of the cards measure the same 3 1/2″ x 5″ so coordinating the flashcards is a breeze.

The Language Builder Picture Noun Cards contain 350 photographic flashcards for teaching key language concepts to children with autism or other speech and language delays. This set of vivid, beautiful noun cards was created by a parent and a therapist both personally experienced in the program needs of Applied Behavioral Analysis.
The set includes images in nine basic categories: Animals, Foods, Vehicles, Furniture, Clothing, Toys, Everyday Objects, Shapes and Colors. Stage One is comprised of 105 cards that present two identical images on non-distracting white backgrounds. These basic cards foster matching, labeling and categorization skills. The remaining cards round out Stage Two, which presents the images in their natural settings, enabling children to conceptualize and generalize.
In addition to fostering receptive and expressive language, these cards are also ideal for higher learning, including functions, story telling and more. On the back of each card is an easy to use system for tracking your child’s progress, including a list of possible program uses, with the date that each is introduced and mastered. Each set includes 57 foods, 39 animals, 27 vehicles, 31 clothing items, 24 furniture items, 39 familiar toys, 15 basic stages sets, 13 colors with duplicates, 12 shapes with duplicates and 83 additional objects familiar to your child.

 

The Language Builder Picture Noun Cards Set 2 is a 200-Card set of photographic cards that offers additional vocabulary for students who have mastered the original Language Builder. Categories include Body Parts, Safety Signs, Tools, and Musical Instruments, along with over 100 additional cards to expand your set. This set is great for labeling practice, as well as sorting, adjectives, functions, things that go together, storytelling and more.

 

 

 

 

The Language Builder Photo Emotions depict facial expressions and emotions by presenting various scenarios featuring men and women of various ages and ethnicities. This 80-Card set will help students identify and discuss different feelings and emotions. Half of the images are presented against a plain background, showing only the upper body and face, clearly depicting a single emotion. The remaining cards show people engaging in real activities and situations in natural settings and contexts. This invites discussion about a range of emotions, why people may feel a certain way, and possible responses to these feelings. For the convenience of the instructor, the back of each card is numbered, provides a label for the featured image, and lists suggested activities for which the card is targeted. An included activity booklet provides more detailed instruction ideas.

*This offer ends on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.  You must click on the links above to access the Bundle on our website.

Pick of the Week: The Language of Perspective Taking

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Work on social language and help your students feel more comfortable in social situations as they learn to see things from someone else’s point of view with The Language of Perspective Taking. An important milestone in a child’s development is seeing things from the perspective of someone else. The ability to understand another’s point of view contributes to the development of pragmatic language and communication and is a cornerstone of literacy as well.  
This interactive workbook has pages for both students to work on and guides for teachers that explore emotions, empathy, and how feelings are affected by various factors and experiences.

This week only, save 15% on The Language of Perspective Taking by entering the promo code BLOGLPA at checkout.

*Offer expires on March 20, 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.

Pick of the Week: Talk Blocks & Boards

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We’ve loved these Talk Boards and Talk Blocks since we first laid eyes on them for the myriad possibilities they offer to fully customize a lesson or activity for each student. They’re designed to fit perfectly with the Basic Vocabulary, Alphabet, Kindergarten, and First Grade Vocabulary Photo Card Sets.

The Talk Boards  are double-sided with write-on/wipe-off surfaces and come in a set of 3. You can record a 10-second message for each one enabling you to get creative in endless, fun ways!

 

 

The Talk Blocks come in a set of 5, each a unique color, and you can record 30-seconds for each one to adapt activity instructions, assess or reinforce skills.

This week only, save 15% on all Talk Boards and Blocks as well as the 4 sets of Vocabulary Cards – Alphabet, Basic, Kindergarten and First Grade – by entering the Promo Code BLOGTBT2 at checkout.

 

*Offer expires on February 28, 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.

 

Tell Me About It! Sweepstakes – Win A Free Copy of Our New App!

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 Different Roads to Learning is thrilled to offer you the chance to win a free copy of our latest iPhone/iPad App for teaching language to students with Autism or speech and language delays: Tell Me About It! Learning Language by Receptive Function, Feature & Category. This special offer ends on February 17, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST.

 Tell Me About It! teaches the label, category, function, and features of more than 235 language targets over 6 levels of incremental difficulty with over 1000 unique testable attributes. The presentation of each language target conforms to an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) discrete trial program, with reinforcement provided by a token economy system. Once the user collects the given number of tokens, they are rewarded with an adorable 5-10 second animation clip of the token character.

 Tell Me About It! provides a self-contained discrete trial program that error corrects and provides direct reinforcement to the student while collecting and synthesizing data for up to 10 students. There is a Student Report Card in the format of a data sheet that displays data for each student, with an option to email the results.

For complete details on our sweepstakes and to enter, click here! 

Currently, our new app Tell Me About It!is being sold in the iTunes store for $9.99. You have the chance to win it for free by entering our Sweepstakes!

 To learn more about Tell Me About It!, visit the store in iTunes by clicking here! 

 

Pick of the Week: Music In My Mouth Manual & CD

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Music In My Mouth presents 26 original songs along with a user’s manual that have been designed by speech-language pathologists, early childhood educators, and families to teach and practice the skills for developing communication skills. Competence in communication is essential for a child’s personal, social, and academic success. The songs target sound production, language skills, fluency, social communication and play skills. The 64-page manual provides tips on how to integrate the songs in individual therapy sessions, group speech therapy, in the classroom, at home, or even in the car.

This week, save 15% on Music In My Mouth by entering the Promo Code BLOGMIM2 at checkout.

*Offer expires on February 14, 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.