Communication Hub
I have collated some resources I use in some of my communication sessions that you could use with your young people.
Emma Jowett
Salt by the Sea – Good information about lots of different strategies.
Speeh sprouts therapy – lots of resources for different aspects of communication.
Chatterpack – a list of website with free resource including specific links for children with Special Educational Needs.
Do 2 Learn – Lots of resources / advice that can be accessed for free.
Sensory Activities:
Picture Resources:
https://www.senteacher.org/printables/freeworksheets/43/Word-And-Picture-Cards.html
https://www.senteacher.org/printables/freeworksheets/45/PECS..html
https://www.senteacher.org/printables/popular/
Learning Resources:
Twinkl – Free to access for a month has worksheets of lots of different communication and learning resources.
Phonics play Are giving a free subscription using Username: march20 and Password: home
Amazing Educational Resources – a long list of educational resource websites covering all key stages.
Makaton Signing
Makaton lots of free resources available and videos or signing. They release a sign of the week and have some resources related to specific children’s books that cost £2.50
Singing Hands
Singing Hands – This is a website which has signed songs and resources.
Vocabulary Activities:
Narrative Activities:
https://www.speechsproutstherapy.com/2018/04/how-to-improve-narrative-skills-in.html
Language Activities
https://www.humber.nhs.uk/services/childrens-language-resources.htm
Attention and Listening Activities:
Follow Attention Autism facebook page as they are going to be giving ideas for how to adapt this to home tasks.
Speech Resources
https://www.humber.nhs.uk/services/childrens-speech-resources.htm
| Name of App | Description | Cost | Star Rating (1*- 5*) | Comments |
| Splingo’s Language Universe | A language game based on understanding instructions | £2.99 | 4* | You can enter how many ICW you want in an instruction, and whether you want it to include nouns/verbs/prepositions/adjectives. It’s a very useful app, and children find it very motivating. |
| Colourful Semantics | An app which is based on the principle of Colourful Semantics created by the London Speech Practice. | £14.99 | 4* | This app is based on the principle of Colourful Semantics. A picture is presented to the student, and they then have to use symbols to create a sentence about the pictures. You can adjust how much information is needed in the sentences (e.g. SV, SVO etc.) |
| Pogg | This app is for developing understanding of verbs by using videos of an alien acting them out | 49p | 4* | This is a fun app which is motivating for students to use. They point to a verb and the alien will act them out in a silly way. There is also a way for the student to say what you want the alien to do and it will act it out – there are roughly 40 verbs. |
| Talking Gina/Talking Tom/Talking Angela | Speak to the animal and it repeats back what you have said in a high pitched voice. | Free | 3* | This is good for students who are reluctant to speak, or who want to hear themselves speak, or if you want to encourage students to make noises with their mouths that they can hear repeated. |
| Super Duper Story Maker – Free | An app which you can use to create stories using photos or pictures. | Free | ||
| Special Words | Based on Downs Ed. “See and Learn” programme. | £19.99 | 4* | Uses sight word recognition for photographs of objects – pictures of frequently used words for early vocabulary (and you can also take photographs of objects to make it more personal to the student). |
| Scene and Heard | AAC app by therapy box, which uses pictures, recorded audio and imported photographs to develop vocabulary use. | £39.99 | ||
| Things That go Together | Vocabulary Builder | 99p | ||
| One Step Two Step | Understanding a following directions. | £2.99 | This helps children to listen to and follow instructions in a fun and interactive way. | |
| Heads Up | A description game | 99p | 4* | This app is a fun game to play in a group – One person holds the phone/tablet up, and the others have to describe the word that is being held up. If the person guessing gets it right, then they can move on and try and guess as many as they can within a minute. |
| Talking Mats | Free | |||
| Pictello | This can be used to make Social Stories, share news, make a visual schedule etc. by taking and using photographs. | £18.99 |