#TalkingAAC 2025

The world of AAC is always changing and knowing what access methods, language apps and accessories out there can be a big job to navigate. Wouldn’t it be great to learn from a hands-on course to experience types of AAC from low-tech to high-tech, trial access methods and collaborate with team members from OTs to teachers and SLPs? Through this hour and a half course small teams will be given four real-life case scenarios and explore over 25 different AAC devices from robust low-tech systems to high-tech devices. Case scenarios include preschool to high school students with complex communication needs and a range of access methods.  Problem solve and build a total communication approach for your client while being led by a group of AT consultants with different backgrounds and experiences.  Trial different access methods from switch scanning to head pointing and eye gaze and consider mounting for AAC access throughout the day. We will collaborate and review different total communication plans and options as a group and discuss potential data collection ideas to show progress and growth. Don’t miss out on this hands-on course to review, learn or explore the world of AAC. 

Clinicians often find that successful use of AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) in schools involves more than evaluating and acquiring a device. Successful implementation requires a detailed analysis of how best to meet a student’s communication needs in various settings, while still honoring the student’s multimodal communication efforts. An implementation plan can greatly facilitate this process.

This session will offer teachers and SLPs an example of creating a comprehensive communication implementation plan. This plan, which has been piloted and revised over five years, was created to ensure that all steps, strategies, actions, and resources for successful AAC outcomes are documented and acknowledged across communication partners and settings. The form is based on current research and clinical best practices and weaves together concepts from Joy Zabala’s SETT Framework, The Lippitt-Knoster Model for Managing Complex Change, The Participation Model (Beukelman and Mirenda), and the Zone of Proximal Development. It also encourages evidenced-based practices including: Aided Language Stimulation, Communication Competencies (Janice Light), communication partner training, functions of communication (Janice Light), robust communication tools, core vocabulary, Descriptive Teaching Method (Gail Van Tatenhove), and debunking AAC Myths. Most importantly, this plan incorporates personal preferences and insights from the AAC user and familiar communication partners. This presentation will offer several case studies demonstrating how the thoughtful construction of an implementation plan can encourage evidence-based practices and support teams in identifying the routines needed to implement the AAC tool with success.

The purpose of this presentation is to share our team’s experience implementing both low and high tech AAC in our preschool classroom while providing a safe space for an open and honest discussion with attendees to learn from everyone in attendance. When our current preschool special education team came together two years ago, we were overwhelmed with the level of communication needs in the classroom. There were between 20-24 students in our district Early Childhood Special Education classrooms, and all were non- or minimally speaking. Every caregiver listed communication as their primary concern at an IEP. We were experiencing a significant increase and escalation in behaviors as a direct result of these communication concerns.  Our team knew that we needed a more comprehensive and robust approach to support communication, and we were overwhelmed thinking about how to move forward. We were intimidated by all of the ideas and information coming from seasoned professionals or experts at conference presentations, consultants, and every SLP/Early Childhood/ASD/parent account on Instagram telling us what we should (or shouldn’t) be doing to create the ideal communication-focused classroom. We decided to jump in, knowing that mistakes would be made as we continued to learn.        

With the support of our county’s assistive technology and ASD consultants, we determined which supports we would use (108-icon county-wide core board and speech generating devices) and decided to focus our efforts on these areas:
Training of all staff
Modeling without expectation across all classroom activities
Supporting and involving families

The presentation will go into detail about what each of those areas looked like for us and how moving forward to just get started impacted our classroom, students, and their families. In each area, participants will be encouraged to share their thoughts, experiences, and ideas with the expectation that no one is the “expert,” and we can all learn from each other.

The world of AAC is always changing and knowing what access methods, language apps and accessories out there can be a big job to navigate. Wouldn’t it be great to learn from a hands-on course to experience types of AAC from low-tech to high-tech, trial access methods and collaborate with team members from OTs to teachers and SLPs? Through this hour and a half course small teams will be given four real-life case scenarios and explore over 25 different AAC devices from robust low-tech systems to high-tech devices. Case scenarios include preschool to high school students with complex communication needs and a range of access methods.  Problem solve and build a total communication approach for your client while being led by a group of AT consultants with different backgrounds and experiences.  Trial different access methods from switch scanning to head pointing and eye gaze and consider mounting for AAC access throughout the day. We will collaborate and review different total communication plans and options as a group and discuss potential data collection ideas to show progress and growth. Don’t miss out on this hands-on course to review, learn or explore the world of AAC.