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What is Partner-Assisted Scanning (PAS)?
Partner-Assisted Scanning is a way for non-speaking students with limited physical movement to communicate by having a partner "scan" through choices verbally until the student signals their choice. It can be a first step toward control of computers or communication devices. These articles and links provide information on how to teach this skill to students and communication partners.
Teaching Partner Assisted Scanning
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How to Teach Partner-Assisted Scanning
Here's my basic how-to article, written as if the student were explaining how to partner with them. There is a single-page summary at the end, which you can post in a classroom.
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Promoting Communication On the Fly for Students with Significant Disabilities...Top 10 Tips for PAS
Ten great tips from UNC Chapel Hill's Center for Literacy and Disability Studies on Partner Assisted Scanning
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AAC Tips Wakelet with Videos and other Resources about PAS
On this Wakelet collection by AAC Tips, you can find handouts by the great Linda Burkhart; expanded PAS information from a variety of well-regarded AAC sites; and several video examples of PAS in action.
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Teaching Scanning to Beginning Communicators with Complex Access Needs
Slide Presentation by SLP Tessa Heckel about teaching Partner-assisted and switch scanning, with yes/no choices, to students. Some good tips and helpful information from someone with a lot of experience working with students with cerebral palsy.
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Two Switches to Success
This is AAC guru Linda Burkhart's excellent manual on developing the switch skills that lead to computer and communication device control, including scanning and partner-assisted scanning (PAS). It is more comprehensive than only PAS, but very important if your student will be working on switch skills.
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Stepping Stones to Access
A summary of the steps for switch-skill learning outlined Linda Burkhart's "2 Switches to Success" manual (previous file).