Highlights For the Week of Apr 21, 2025
All Hands On Deck for Touch Access
Kristen Powell & Mary Katherine Dally
2021
Calling all hands-on deck for touch access! There is so much to consider and explore for clients who use touch access. This session is led by two assistive technology consultants and speech-language pathologists ( SLPs) to review ways to encourage touch access, low-tech to high-tech device modifications and DIY ideas to trial touch access methods with your students. One small change can make a big difference when using touch access. Get ready for this hands-on course and leave with a touch access resource guide for editing tips, checklists and trial ideas.
Highlights For the Week of Apr 14, 2025
Feature Matching in the AAC Assessment
Katie Threlkeld
2023
Feature-matching in AAC assessment is a crucial component of the assessment process but can be intimidating! Feature-matching is completed by looking at an individual’s skills and needs to determine the most appropriate AAC system features (ASHA, n.d.). Learn more in this recorded webinar!
AAC in the Classroom...for the teacher
Alyssa Hillary
2018
“AAC in the classroom” usually means AAC for students. Sometimes, however, it's the teacher who needs AAC! I'll be talking about AAC in the workplace, specifically the classroom as a workplace, based on both my experience and that of other teachers I know of. Practical tips incoming!
Highlights For the Week of Apr 7, 2025
Highlights For the Week of Mar 31, 2025
Highlights For the Week of Mar 24, 2025
My AAC is Part of My Gender Presentation
Tuttleturtle (Stephanie)
2020
When setting up AAC, considering disability is normal. But, identity is complex, more than just our disabilities, and our assistive tech is a part of us. It needs to support the whole person. We’ll discuss using AAC as a trans, disabled person and some considerations as they customize their device.
Highlights For the Week of Mar 17, 2025
Strategies to Increase AAC Modeling in the Classroom
Deidre Dobbels & Kelly Key
2018
A nationwide survey of general and special education teachers (pre-k – high school) identified perceived barriers in being able to provide partner aided language in the classroom setting. The results of this survey will be shared with participants along with practical solutions to overcome these obstacles, and provide educators with the tools and confidence they need to speak AAC.
Highlights For the Week of Mar 10, 2025
Highlights For the Week of Mar 3, 2025
AAC and Transition Planning -- Supporting all students to make decisions for the future
Erin Sheldon
2020
Transition planning is an essential part of preparing our students for the adult life they want and need. Many of our students are still learning to use AAC at the time that we need to start planning for their transition out of school. Fortunately, even the most emergent student can be involved in their own planning. This session describes tools and strategies to maximize the role of the student learning to use AAC. Learn to use AAC supports in new, flexible ways to support autonomy, decision-making, and participation.
Highlights For the Week of Feb 24, 2025
Highlights For the Week of Feb 17, 2025
Collaboration between Clinic & School in AAC
Melissa Hoffmann
2018
Many schools refer their students to a clinic to procure a personal SGD through the consumer's. The referring SLPs have a wide variety of comfort levels with AAC and need varying levels of support. This is an overview of how the clinic can work with the schools to support the school, the family and the AAC user to maximize the consumer's communicative potential.
Highlights For the Week of Feb 10, 2025
Mindset Matters -- Setting the Stage for AAC Success
Rachael Langley & Marlene Cummings
2020
Both parents and professionals spend a lot of time and energy on word lists, funding devices, laminating, and coming up with the activities to practice using AAC. What if some changes early on could make that work even more impactful? Join us as we reflect on one of the principles that are foundational to our work: our mindset & the mindset of those we work with. We will discuss the challenges that come along with self-reflection as educators shift towards being influencers rather than experts. Throughout this presentation, we will share resources to help teams consider their role in AAC learning.
Highlights For the Week of Feb 3, 2025
What to consider when considering AAC apps
Mike Cole
2018
Although on the surface, apps appear to be the easy choice due to cost, availability, and ubiquity of tablets/phones, care should be taken when evaluating for an individual. This session discusses app advantages/disadvantages and how to consider apps for an individual with complex communication needs.
Highlights For the Week of Jan 27, 2025
Communication Partner Strategies for AAC
Cheri Dodge Chin
2021
Successful communication depends on the skills of all partners. Knowing how to support AAC-users is challenging for many partners. In fact, without explicit instruction, partners are less likely to provide communication turn opportunities. This presentation will explore multiple research-based communication strategies to make you a WISE partner (Wait, Interpret, Show, & Expand).
Highlights For the Week of Jan 20, 2025
Unconventional AAC
Stephanie Fuller and Saoirse Tilton
2019
When people talk about AAC they usually think about iPad programs and letterboards. There are however, many more options for AAC, including things that are often overlooked as communication. Let’s look at the wider idea of communication and how it happens.
Executive Function & AAC
Amanda Samperi
2018
Executive functioning (EF) skills are critical to using one’s information and skills. This presentation will look at AAC through an executive functioning lens, connecting areas of challenge in EF skills with challenges that many users of AAC face. It will also provide evidence-based strategies to enhance executive functioning skills for users of AAC.
How AT and AAC Changed Me
Jessica Smith
2024
This is a presentation that talks about my story with autism and mental health issues. Then how I overcame these issues then I talk about what I do for first responders and other things I do in the assistive technology field.
Highlights For the Week of Jan 13, 2025
Incorporating Mindfulness Practice Pages into Eye Gaze AAC
James Brinton
2021
Can incorporating “mindfulness” page sets on an AAC device benefit communicators and their support staff? Join us for a group mindfulness exercise, as seen from the screen of an Eyegaze device and see examples of various mindfulness techniques. Learn how these principles may increase quality of life for AAC communicators.
Low-tech AAC Solutions Overview
Margaret Cotts
2019
An overview of low tech communication, including some of the reasons why people use low tech. We will demonstrate different physical access methods: • Pointing by hand • Pointing with a laser (head mounted or handheld) • Eye Gaze • Scanning • Gestures