This week, TWT presents part 1 of special education specialist Erin Sheldon’s amazing interview with literacy expert Dr. Karen Erickson on promoting literacy for people with significant disabilities, including deaf/blindness and severe intellectual disability. They talk about supporting access to grade level standards for kids with complex needs, the problem of the candidacy model, why literacy is critical for everyone's well being, and more!
Before the interview, Rachel shares about meeting Hannah Foley virtually and how Rachel was able to connect Hannah with one of her clients. She shares about all of the ways that meeting a proficient AAC user motivated her client (and her client’s circle of support) to work even harder to achieve AAC proficiency.
Key ideas this week:
🔑 We can teach reading and writing every day to every person. It’s not easy and it may take longer, but it isn’t impossible. There are people with significant disabilities that read and write every day.
🔑 Without literacy, a person with significant disabilities may lose the ability to connect with friends who have moved away after school. We want people to be engaged and happy when they are 25, not just when they are 10. Literacy is the way that we socially connect now.
🔑 “Presume competence” doesn’t mean “presume there is no disability”. We don’t want to presume people with significant disabilities will learn the same way in the same amount of time. We should presume potential and that there is a path to success.
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Visit talkingwithtech.org to access previous episodes, resources, and CEU credits that you can earn for listening to TWT episodes!
Smiles for Speech provides children with special needs living in impoverished communities with the therapeutic intervention and resources they need to enhance their ability to reach their full potential. Contact them at sfsvirtual@smilesforspeech.org to sign up for their upcoming dyslexia workshop on October 10th!
Karen Janowski - Strategies to Support Literacy & Inclusivity
Brittany Dube: Author, YouTuber, and Part-time AAC User
Colleen Warn - Improving Equity in AAC Evaluation and Implementation
Amy Fleischer & Corinne Nelson - Implementing a Specific Language System First Approach to AAC Selection - Part 2
Amy Fleischer & Corinne Nelson - Implementing a Specific Language System First Approach to AAC Selection - Part 1
Kim Albrecht: Learning to Model AAC as a Family
Mary Van Donsel & Anne Kuhlmeier: Creating a Successful AAC Camp
Coaching Call w/ Nikki Stempien (Part 2): AAC Coaching Strategies
Coaching Call w/ Nikki Stempien (Part 1): Increasing High-Tech AAC Buy In
Jennifer Edge Savage - Using AAC with Alexa & Other Voice Assistants
Alissa DeSousa: Using Video to Support Cortical Visual Impairment
Julia James - Improving Special Ed Online Instruction
Chris Sawka: AAC User & USSAAC Committee Member
Lydia Dawley: AAC User, CEO, and Co-Creator of the NadPen Stylus
AAC After Work: Digital Storytelling to Foster Communication Partner Skills - Part 2
AAC After Work: Digital Storytelling to Foster Communication Partner Skills - Part 1
TWT Live: Access to Education Conference - Part 2
TWT Live: Access to Education Conference - Part1
Talking with Tech Year in Review 2020
Coaching Call w/ Michaela Ball: Supporting a Severely Apraxic Emergent Communicator (Part 2)
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