AAC in the Cloud - Highlighted Sessions
Highlights For the Week of Sep 9, 2024
Core Communication Workshop -- Accessible Tools to Support Core Learning
2019
Many AAC communicators can benefit from the gradual introduction and modeling of a small set of core words for the week or month. Focusing on a set of core words can also help the support team and families have a concrete area of focus. In this session we will discuss the research backing up this educational strategy and introduce the Communication Workshop, a free, open-licensed, community-driven library of books, videos and activities to support core word implementation across multiple device brands and implementations.
Improving AAC Support with Lessons from Distance Learning
2020
There has been a recent pivot in the way AAC support is provided due to the need for distance learning. This is an opportunity to evaluate new and traditional strategies to decide what will be continued upon return to in person learning. Let’s allow creativity and innovation to guide implementation.
Highlights For the Week of Sep 2, 2024
When More is BETTER: Increasing Motor Automaticity & Decreasing Page Navigation
2018
The are time when “less is more.” AAC is not one of those times! Increasing availability vocabulary on the main page, increases Motor automaticity and reduce key stoke and the time it takes to gereate a novel utterance.
Overnight Transformation to TeleprAACtice Due to Covid-19 -- Keeping it Real
2020
With the COVID-19 pandemic, we closed our AAC private practice offices, and we began providing telepractice services to our clients. This presentation will discuss how we accomplished this, share successes and challenges of this service delivery model, tools and strategies we use, and current outcomes. Families’ perspectives will be included.
Highlights For the Week of Aug 26, 2024
When technology breaks -- No-tech and low- tech AAC solutions
2019
Technology fails. It’s a horrible but very real truth. Other times, technology cannot do as much as we would like (like go for a swim with us). During this presentation, we’ll discuss creating backups of systems (high-tech and paper-based), as well as creative solutions to access language across all environments.
Highlights For the Week of Aug 19, 2024
Motivational Interviewing: Cultivating Skilled Communication Partners for AAC Learners
2021
Need help convincing and encouraging communication partners to change how they interact with AAC learners? Tap into Motivational Interviewing: a counseling technique designed to help people discover their own intrinsic motivation to make positive changes in their behavior.
AAC Implementation -- Model as a MASTER PAL
2019
A MASTER PAL, or “skilled partner” of an individual who uses AAC engages in authentic and meaningful interactions. However, developing such skills with communication partners is an on-going, nuanced and gradual process. This session lays out a framework for meaningful team dialogue to identify, describe, and discuss interaction behaviors of exemplar communication partners, in digestible chunks. Model as a MASTER PAL has been implemented in a school-based setting, but the content and structure are relevant across environments where AAC communication partners require support to understand and engage in authentic communicative interactions. Participants will be provided access to and an overview of Model as a MASTER PAL modules on the following topics: Model AAC, Motivate, Accept Multiple Modalities, Statements more than Questions, Time, Engage Naturally, Response Not Required, Presume Competence, Appropriate Prompting, and Let the Child Lead.
AAC in the Community: Bridging Communication Gaps Beyond the Classroom
2024
Practical ideas to integrate AAC into community-based instruction, empowering individuals to communicate effectively in various real-world settings.
Highlights For the Week of Aug 12, 2024
Sorting Through Tactiles for Literacy & Communication: What Are They & How Do You Use Them?
2024
This session explores the uses of tactiles, which are growing as an effective instructional strategy. Tactile representations are used for access to literacy and learning, and as a representation of language in both expressive and receptive communication. Presenters will explore two main teaching considerations supporting integrating the use of tactiles or reviewing their use: (1) What are the properties of tactiles? and (2) How do we use them?
AAC: Success with AAC users what I didn't know 20+ years ago and many still don't know
2019
I worked with children who were non-verbal and minimally verbal 20+ years ago. There were so many things I didn't know that I wish I had and many people still don't believe now that I know would have made kids I worked with who had no communication have much more communication.
The Development of an Assessment Tool to support AAC Practitioners -- The Pragmatics Profile for People who use AAC
2020
This session will summarise the origins of The Pragmatics Profile for People who use AAC and will be useful for AAC Practitioners who want to develop their knowledge of this Assessment tool. A case example will be presented where the Profile was used to assist practitioners working in local services.
Highlights For the Week of Aug 5, 2024
ABCs & AAC - Alphabet Books and AAC Implementation
2018
ABC books connect literacy to communication & give us a purpose to chat. There are a large variety books that can provide a prompt for a lesson, an opportunity for a child to read to themselves, or an engaged time for a parent to read with their child.
How I Learned to Read -- the experience of an AAC user
2019
Yesterday I posted on Facebook, took my medicine, went to class, answered emails, and went out to eat. I can do this because I can read and write. I can read my medicine bottle, my Facebook feed, my class books, emails, and the menu at the restaurant. It was hard to learn to read. I will tell my story about learning to read and how I read and write now.
Highlights For the Week of Jul 29, 2024
Helping Families Build AAC Teams Through Collaboration
2024
Explore effective collaboration strategies for AAC users, families, educators, and healthcare professionals. Gain insights from a seasoned special education teacher and parent of an AAC user. Learn to create personalized action plans integrating education, therapy, and medical goals. Empower families to advocate effectively and build cohesive AAC teams, leaving with practical tools for inclusive AAC support.
Tips from Parents of Kids Who Use AAC Systems
2019
Kelly is excited to bring together this panel of Mothers who have children of a variety of ages (from preschool to young adults) who use AAC Systems. Each Mom will give their "Top 5 Tips" from their unique, experienced based perspective on AAC.
Highlights For the Week of Jul 22, 2024
AAC for Caregivers
2019
AAC for Caregivers: When aging parents or a spouse suffer speech loss following a stroke, surgery, progressive illness or dementia, life at home gets very stressful. This presentation provides an overview of how to use no tech/low tech Augmentative Communication Aids to help individuals get their care needs met at home, in the hospital and out in the community.
Comparing & Contrasting 6 Common Robust AAC apps
2018
This presentation will compare and contrast 6 common and robust AAC iPad apps. 3 sentences will be inputted in each app revealing just how intuitive each is. Although every feature of each app will not be able to be discussed, key features of each app will be reviewed.
Highlights For the Week of Jul 15, 2024
STE'A'M Partnerships Make Robust Language Systems Available for Toddlers
2021
3D printers create amazing Items supporting multisensory teaching and home made keyguards. Create visual, sensory and tactile cues to exploring and understand the language system. Let’s face it not everybody has a 3-D printer….it’s about partnerships: local high schools, generous engineers, community colleges. Come learn about 3D printing and AAC and see how I came up with novel ways to teach robust language systems to toddlers.
We All Worship Together – Making Places of Worship Accessible to All
2022
How to not just build ramps but to include all people in all aspects of the life of a faith community (especially AAC users)
Highlights For the Week of Jul 8, 2024
2019
Anyone who wants can do a 1-5 minute session on anything they'd like to share! More details in the Slack chat channel.
Categories and Motor Planning and Pragmatic Function, Oh My! Understanding Organizational Set-Ups for AAC Systems
2022
If you have ever been confused about the ways that vocabulary robust AAC systems are put together, this is the session for you! Follow us down the Yellow Brick Road of AAC to explore the organizational features of some of the most popular robust systems. We will examine the rationale of different ways that vocabulary is organized as a way to structure an AAC system and the implications of the organization on communication success.
Highlights For the Week of Jul 1, 2024
Tell me More -- Descriptive teaching methods for instructors of AAC users
2018
“Tell Me More” will provide instructional tools to utilize while developing teaching models for AAC users. Descriptive teaching poses inquiry phrasing that elicits responses that may be composed through of core vocabulary but still challenges the academic content presented. Descriptive teaching helps teachers meet the demands of State standards/assessment while respecting the domain of AAC users.
Powerful insights from Adult AAC users that challenge how we practice AAC
2019
In 2018, AssistiveWare embarked on a project to create support materials for users of text-based Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC). After conducting a comprehensive literature review, we realised how little specific support and knowledge there is. Following this we conducted interviews with a range of AAC users and their supporters, including users with developmental disabilities and Autism, acquired physical disabilities, aphasia, and traumatic brain injury. The insights and knowledge gained from the group of AAC users changed many assumptions we had made about AAC.
Highlights For the Week of Jun 24, 2024
Home Grown – Planting Seeds for AAC Growth
2022
Communication opportunities are everywhere. While therapeutic AAC intervention may be valuable to provide clients with foundational skills, it is certainly not the only way to encourage skill development in those with AAC needs. This session will explore manageable and accessible strategies for selection and implementation of AAC systems at home.
What's New With CoughDrop
2018
We're always making changes to CoughDrop, based on new research and what we learn from our users. Come see how new integrations, built-in modeling ideas and other new features keep making CoughDrop better and better!
Highlights For the Week of Jun 17, 2024
The Meaning of Voice -- The Lived Experience of SGD Users
2019
What is the meaning of voice in the life of a young person who speaks using a SGD? This presentation provides a glimpse into the lived experience of people who use speech generating devices, drawing upon their first hand accounts. “Giving voice”, both literally and metaphorically, will be explored.
AAC and the Transition to Adulthood
2018
This presentations will run through steps, concerns, and consideration regarding students who will be transitioning from school-based services to adulthood. Adult vocabulary, funding, and resources will be considered.
What are Tangible Symbols? Use of these AAC Supports Across Settings
2022
Learn what makes a "good" tangible symbol including considerations when making them that I have found to be successful. Demonstrating how this form of AAC can be powerful tool to provide access to AAC, not just in school, but also at home and how they can be used to facilitate and open doors for community interactions.
Highlights For the Week of Jun 10, 2024
Eye Gaze Access for Autistics
2022
Eyegaze AAC is often primarily considered when a disability affects the use of hands, arms or multiple limbs! When thinking of eyegaze most people think of ALS, cerebral palsy or similar disabilities as they are well known for impacting motor and coordination! rarely if ever considered for autistics, however many autistic speak at length about the brain body disconnect where our bodies don't listen to our brains, this ranges from person to person but is widely discussed and well known in the autistic community, the brain body disconnect effect motor movements, speech coordination ect. However despite it being widely discussed by autistics. As well as Spoken a fair bit about by many non speaking autistics eyegaze still doesn't seem to be looked at as an AAC access method for autistics
Highlights For the Week of Jun 3, 2024
Fostering an AAC-affirming classroom
2022
AAC users may be the only child in their classroom with a communication tool... but they don't need to feel alone! Learn strategies to affirm and celebrate AAC with peers and educational staff.
AAC and Heritage Language
2021
A Heritage Language is a language that is not the dominant language, typically learned or used at home, by people who have cultural ties to that language. Through our family’s journey to achieving fluency and a working AAC device in an endangered language, this presentation will address common issues.
Literacy Connections -- Reading, Writing and AAC
2023
For students AAC communicators, the development of literacy skills are essential to unrestricted access to ALL the words. Too often, Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening are taught in isolation. In this session, participants learn ways to connect and integrate reading, writing and language into instructional routines across the student day.