This week, we present Part 2 of Chris’s interview with Kara Cotter, a school-based AAC/AT Specialist who contacted Chris to ask about improving buy in, moving to the coaching model, making AAC more inclusive, and more!
Before the interview, Chris shares a Patreon subscriber’s questions about: 1) feeling “imposter syndrome” as a new AAC Specialist; 2) discussing the features of different AAC apps in a resource consideration meeting; and 3) how long to “trial” AAC systems to determine what system is best for the student.
Key ideas this week:
🔑 When you get a new AAC referral, you can provide a self-paced training module (e.g. google drive folder) and then jump into coaching with them after they have completed the initial training materials. This may help break up the coaching on your schedule, as some will finish faster than others.
🔑 How long should we trial AAC apps to determine best fit? There are a lot of factors- if we go through a good SETT based process and the team decides on a tool, it is probably a good choice long term. It is unclear about the benefit (other than for insurance paperwork) of trialing multiple different systems with the student, as we have little control over many variables, and the best software long term may not be what the student is able to learn the fastest in a couple of weeks.
🔑 During a resource consideration guide meeting, using an outside AAC feature “wheel” or chart can be very helpful. Call Scotland has a feature matching wheel that can give an overview of different AAC features. https://www.callscotland.org.uk/blog/updated-aac-ipad-app-wheel-available-now/ Angela Moorad also has a “Free and Affordable Symbol-Based AAC apps” resource that has lots of feature matching information. https://bit.ly/free-aac-apps-for-ios
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TWT Live: Closing The Gap - Part 3
TWT Live: Closing the Gap - Part 2
TWT Live: Closing The Gap - Part 1
Megan Roberts: Research Supporting Parent-Implemented Interventions
Amanda Soper: AAC Implementation Strategies for People with CVI
Amy Fleischer & Melissa Petersen: Benefits of a Universal Core Board for All Students
Jayme Grant: Effective AAC Assessment, Treatment, and Progress Monitoring - Part 2
Jayme Grant: Using Team-Based Assessments to Determine Long Term AAC Needs - Part 1
Mark Nichols: Supporting AT and Universal Design in Higher Education
Kate McLaughlin - Celebrating Small Successes With Better Progress Measurement
Meryl Schnapp & Mark N. Brown: Becoming a District-Wide AAC Implementation Coach
Heidi Hosick Joyce: Reflective Coaching Strategies for AAC Communication Partners
Beth Poss & Tonya Williams-Walker: Improving Equity for AAC Users
Mike Marotta - Best Built-in Accessibility Features on Devices
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