AAC in the Cloud - Highlighted Sessions

We discuss the case study of a clients AAC journey with complex access requirements. How Mike’s physical skill development lead to the use of bespoke systems and the progression from switch scanning to learning morse code. One of the challenges? How do you teach morse code auditorily?

I primarily use symbol AAC, iday I switch between 5-6 different types of AAC, depending on the situation,I use the internet. Multimodal communication is critical to my active lifestyle, so is cognitive accessibility and screen readers! My active life, multimodal communication, internet use doesn't change that.

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.

Kelly will set the stage for Dads of AAC communicators to Share 5 tips about AAC that they think that everyone should know. Their tips will cover their children of a variety of ages and use of different AAC systems. Please join us to get this valuable information for your family and child's staff. You may want to share a few tips of your own!

This session will discuss components of the AAC system and how to use the system to support implementation for the AAC users in your life. Information provided in this session is based on research and experience in clinical practice with individuals and teams using AAC as well as system design experience.

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).

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 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.

Discover how to create effective AAC teams to help achieve communication goals for AAC users. This presentation shares practical strategies for team collaboration, communication partner training, and helpful tools to empower AAC users and their families to build a cohesive support team which can evolve with the AAC user.

Curious what sets CoughDrop apart from all the other AAC apps and devices out there? Come find out how CoughDrop leverages the cloud and team-based tools, data, and reports to make strengthen every member of the AAC team.

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.

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

For children who write via non-traditional modalities, family and staff often miss the emerging steps of scribbling and drawing. Join Kelly to learn how to encourage your students with complex learning needs go through the beginning stages of putting ideas to print through activities, strategies and technologies.

We talk a lot about the importance of training in AAC, but are only starting to talk about how to do that training. With years of teaching AAC to pre-service and in-service SLPs and teachers, Vicki has become a firm believer in hands on activities and she will share some here.

Learn about OpenAAC, a new initiative to help break down barriers for AAC users around the world! This session will be hosted in the Slack chat channel, we will do a short introduction video session and move to chat.

Co-VidSpeak is a new, AAC-oriented web conferencing app. We originally created it for ventilated individuals in a hospital setting, and are expanding its use to support remote communication for any users who could benefit from AAC. Come learn what Co-VidSpeak does, share feedback on features you'd like to see, and learn how you can try it out for yourself!

The Communication Technology Education Center (CTEC) is creating a lively video series specifically for support teams of individuals who have complex communication needs. The STAR series of short videos is for people of any age, using high tech to light tech AAC. The entertaining video scenarios illustrate evidence-based training and support strategies for increasing meaningful communication.