This week, we hear Part 2 of Dr. Meredith Gohsman's interview with Chris and Rachel! Meredith, Chris, and Rachel reflect on the meeting they attended at the last ASHA convention about ASHA AAC Certification. While previous meetings they attended were more concerned regarding ASHA AAC certification, at ASHA the crowd was more in favor of the certification. Meredith, Chris, and Rachel remain concerned about ASHA AAC certification and discuss some possible negative consequences, including possible impacts on device funding and reducing personal ownership of AAC for some communication partners.
Key ideas this week:
🔑 Parents should always be the most important “expert” on their child. The leader of the AAC team should be the caregiver or the AAC user themselves. AAC Certification may lead people to think that the AAC Specialist needs to be leading the AAC team in decision making.
🔑 An ASHA AAC Certification could potentially make communication partners feel more intimidated by AAC. It could be a reason that caregivers and communication partners to say “I don’t do AAC, I’m not an expert” We don’t need anything to take away from the idea that AAC is for all, and it’s everyone’s responsibility.
🔑 It is possible that insurance companies may make it harder for non-AAC Specialists to get funding for a device. Insurance companies might even require someone to be a certified AAC Specialist before they will fund a device.
🔑 One of the most important aspects of supporting AAC users is coaching their communication partners. It isn’t clear if the AAC Certification process will focus on coaching as much as it should; they may focus more on individual expertise in areas like AAC devices or 1:1 treatment.
Links:
stopaaccertification.org - website with resources and information about the effort to stop ASHA AAC certification. If you are interested in advocating for a stop or pause in the AAC Certification process, there are links on this site to templates and contacts where you can send your letter.
aacspecialist.org - home of the American Board of Augmentative and Alternative Communication; the website includes information in support of the potential ASHA AAC certification.
Committee on Specialty Certification: specialtycertification@asha.org
Feedback for ASHA Executive Board: https://www.asha.org/Form/Board-of-Directors-Feedback/
Visit talkingwithtech.org to access previous episodes, resources, and CEU credits that you can earn for listening to TWT episodes!
Help us develop new content and keep the podcast going strong! Support our podcast at patreon.com/talkingwithtech!
Emma Fischer - Preparing for a New Career in Assistive Technology
Otto Lana: Autistic Advocate, Writer, Actor, and AAC User
Rémi Morin - Creating the Canadian-French Version of LAMP:WFL as a Parent
Emily Macklin, Neha Sharma, & Amber Skerry: Supporting Communication for Deafblind Students
McKinzee Steve, Danielle Welge, & Kendra Everette (Part 2): Providing High-Tech AAC as a Tier 2 Early Childhood Intervention
McKinzee Steve, Danielle Welge, & Kendra Everette (Part 1): Providing District-Led 1:1 AAC Training to Parents
Emily Taylor: Using Social Media to Promote Your AAC Resources
April Wallace & Christina Stader - Specific Language System First Approach Q&A
Dr. Barry Prizant (Part 2): Is ”Spelling to Communicate” Authentic Communication?
Dr. Barry Prizant (Part 1): Echolalia and Gestalt Language Processing
Kimberly Neely: The Trauma-Informed SLP
Barbara Gruber & Ashley Grady: Supporting Accessibility and Inclusion at the Smithsonian Institution
Tiffanie Zaugg: Creating an AAC Facilitator’s Guide for a School District
Ashley Waterman: Supporting Language as a Parent of an AAC User
Judith Schoonover (Part 2): The Role of OTs in AAC Assessment
Judith Schoonover (Part 1): Quickly Create AT Solutions From Common Objects
Recast: AAC Modeling Roundtable
Recast: Chris Klein: The Importance of Motor Planning
Recast: Shaun Pearson & Chris Chicoskikelly: The AAC Agreements
Recast: Core Words Roundtable
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Navigating Life After 40
Teaching Learning Leading K-12
Regenerative Skills
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast