This week, Chris interviews recent SLP graduates Alexis Martinez and Natalie Fry about their experience focusing on AAC in grad school and their thoughts on how AAC instruction and mentorship can be more effective for graduate students in the future.
Before the interview, Chris and Rachel answer a listener question from a parent who has multiple children who use AAC. This parent has one 3-year-old child who uses LAMP Words for Life (WFL), and another child who uses LAMP WFL - Visual Impairment. Chris and Rachel discuss integrating low tech supports into daily routines, placing those supports around the home, modeling for both kids using high-contrast symbols, and taking a few minutes to model with each child individually.
Key ideas this week:
🔑 It may be better to have a required AAC course early in grad school, rather than later, to better prepare students for the clients they may see early in their clinical training.
🔑 If an early AAC course isn’t an option, AAC and core language instruction can be embedded more into first-year graduate courses
🔑 Guest speakers about AAC can include AAC specialists and local AAC product representatives. Borrowing devices from lending libraries to be used in class is another great way to integrate AAC into graduate courses.
Links:
Previous TWT Episodes with Parents of AAC Users: Caitlin Calder, Dana Nieder, and Erin Sheldon
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Jennifer Hyles: Creating Materials That Better Reflect AAC Users
Dr. Laura Clarke: Free Literacy Resources for Emerging Readers
Chloe Rothschild: Teacher, Author, Advocate, and Part-Time AAC User
TWT Live: Colorado’s SWAAAC
Brian Schobel - Supporting Assistive Technology During the Transition to Employment
Chris Klein and Lance McLemore: Creating an AAC-User-Led Conference & Nonprofit
Marge Blanc & Alexandria Zachos (Part 2): Supporting Gestalt Language Processing With AAC
Marge Blanc & Alexandria Zachos (Part 1): Supporting Students with Echolalia Using the Natural Language Acquisition Framework
Becca Eisenberg: Using Video Modeling to Teach AAC Communication Skills
Dr. Cheri Dodge Chin: Teaching Caregivers to Model via Video Chat
Joanna Holmes (Part 2): The Benefits of Open AAC
Joanna Holmes (Part 1): Finding the Right AAC Access Method for your Child
AACessible: Improving AAC Assessment and Trialing
Daniel Parker, Kathy White, & Stacy Duffy: Assistive Technology Microcredentials
Hank Poore: AAC User, AAC Ambassador, and Foundation Director
Ken Hackbarth, Christine Baudin, and Michael Dicpinigaitis: Using 3D Printers to Make Inexpensive AAC Keyguards
Gemma White: Teaching Personal Safety Awareness to AAC Users
Tami Altschuler - Improving AAC Access and Training in the Hospital
TWT Live from Oregon (Part 2): Getting Buy-In from Teachers who Refuse to Support AAC
TWT Live from Oregon (Part 1): Strategies for Improving Virtual Assessments
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