PrAACtical Alert: AAC Professional Development Options

Lauren Enders, an amazing AAC SLP from Pennsylvania, graciously shared this list of professional development opportunities that may be of interest. Lauren works as an Augmentative Communication/Assistive Technology Consultant for Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22. In the list below, she shares resources for AAC learning in both online and face-to-face formats.

Enjoy! You can see more of Lauren’s guest posts here.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS FOR AAC IMPLEMENTATION           

ONLINE SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING OPTIONS:

• Power AAC modules: a FREE training series developed by The Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)with Gail Van Tatenhove, CCC-SLP. This series of brief modules can be used for professional development by individuals or groups who are supporting students with complex communication needs and who need or use AAC. The POWER AAC modules are intended to build the capacity of school personnel to improve communication skills and provide flexible, generative vocabulary for students who need or use AAC.
• AAC Institute Self-Study Courses: AAC Institute is affiliated with the Prentke Romich Corporation, so you will see information related to PRC’s devices, apps, and the Minspeak language system; however, principles will be useful even when supporting those using devices/systems from other companies.
• Modules from Call Scotland (Intro to AAC, and AAC in Education)
• ISAAC’s Archived webinars
• ATIA’s Archived webinars
• Closing the Gap’s Archived webinars

UPCOMING LIVE WEBINARS (must register):

• Thursday, March 15, 2018 7:00-8:00 pm EDT: Dr. Jill Senner and Matt Baud’s Ingredients to Successful Modeling: SMoRRES and Partner Augmented Input – by USSAAC

• Thursday, March 22, 2018   3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Central Daylight Time: Closing the Gap Webinar 3/22/18 – Rachael Langley’s When Helping isn’t Helping: The Importance of Prompt Awareness in AAC Instruction

• March 28, 2018 Wednesday 12:00pm to 1:15pm Central Daylight Time: AbleNet University – Kelly Fonner’s ABCs & AAC: Alphabet Books in AAC Implementation

• Monday, April 9, 2018 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Central Daylight Time: Closing the Gap Webinar 4/9/18 – Kelly Key’s Embedding Core Words and Visuals Throughout Your Student’s Day

• Monday, May 7, 2018   3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Central Daylight Time: Closing the Gap Webinar 5/7/18 – Kelly Key’s Partner Skills Tips and Strategies to Support Your Students that Use Core Boards and Devices

BLOGS/YOUTUBE Channels to spend time reading/viewing:

• PrAACtical AAC – new content every day!
• Kate Ahern’s Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs
• Dr. Caroline Musselwhite’s AAC Girls
• Kidz Learn Language Blog from Susan Berkowitz
• Center for Literacy and Disability Studies Website (includes links to Project Core)
• Gail Van Tatenhove’s blog and YouTube channel
• Literacy, AAC, and AT from Jane Farrall Consulting
• We Speak PODD on Facebook and YouTube    
• Speak for Yourself Blog from Heidi LoStracco
• Uncommon Sense Blog from Dana Nieder

IN-PERSON TRAININGS:

• Find a local LAMP training workshop (highly recommended) – This training focuses on capitalizing on motor plan learning to support AAC use. As a part of the Prentke Romich Corporation (PRC), trainers will demo use of PRC products (such as the Accent or LAMP Words for Life app): however, the principles of AAC implementation you will learn are applicable with any form of AAC!

• Pittsburgh AAC Language Seminar Series – (in Pittsburgh, PA) Meals and lodging are provided and travel reimbursement is offered. (These are also put on by the folks at PRC, so you will see information specific to their devices and the Minspeak language system, however, I highly recommend them even if you have students using systems from other companies): See the schedule here.