Video of the Week: Developing an AT Implementation Plan

• Gianna’s teacher uses a visual schedule app successfully in the classroom to support comprehension and reduce problem behaviors. Although she’s shared the strategy and the app with the SLP and OT, neither one consistently use the visual schedule app in their sessions with this student.
• Jordan’s SLP does her best to use aided language input to provide a competent model of linguistic expression using his SGD when she pushes in to provide services in the classroom. Once she’s gone, classroom staff rarely implement that strategy or create opportunities for Jordan to use the SGD at other times during the school day.
• Evan’s parents have made an enormous investment in learning about AAC and modeling core words at home to help their son develop stronger skills with his AAC app. They do their best to follow along with the Year of Core Vocabulary Words approach, and are understandably dismayed when the history function in the app shows little use during the school day.

Despite their different roles, each of these stakeholders shares a common frustration: Failure to see the learner’s AAC and AT implemented across environments. There are lots of ways to address this concern, but we’re big fans of dealing with this in a proactive way during the planning process. In this week’s featured video, SLP Allyson Robinson, of the Oklahoma ABLE Tech Project, discusses the process of creating an AT Implementation Plan. She succinctly reviews the hows and whys of using this approach to increase the chances that AAC and other AT provided to the student actually gets implemented as intended.

The New Year is a perfect time to consider different approaches to persistent problems. If you’ve experienced frustrations like the ones described above, this strategy is worth some consideration.

Edited: You can click on the links to download their AT Implementation Organizer, editable AT Policies and Guidelines Template, and the QIAT AT Implementation Planner.

Direct Link to Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCQZ_RtpcFE