AAC Educational Materials

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The AAC-RERC is dedicated to the support and development of
augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technology.
AAC refers to ways (other than speech) that are used to send a message from one person to another.

We are pleased to announce the availability of the following webcasts. All webcasts are free, viewable on any internet browser, and feature nationally recognized experts on communication and assistive technology. We hope you find these materials useful with pre-service educators or graduate students who will work with individuals with limited or no speech.

After viewing this webcast, students will be able to ...

	AAC Interventions to Maximize Language Development for Young Children	Describe the benefits of early intervention to support language development List key components of communication systems for young children with limited speech who would benefit from the use of AAC Provide examples of effective techniques for supporting language development and implementing AAC with young children
Janice Light (Penn State University) describes the components of effective interventions for young children who use augmentative and alternative communication. (81 minutes)

	Seating and Positioning for Individuals who use Assistive Technology	Describe the importance of appropriate seating and positioning for individuals with disabilities List techniques to promote appropriate seating and positioning Identify the role of assistive technology team members in working collaboratively with families
Aileen Costigan (Penn State University) describes key issues in seating and positioning for individuals who use assistive technology. (47 minutes)

	AAC and College Life: Just Do It!	Describe the benefits of post-secondary education for individuals with disabilities List key supports to successful transitions for individuals who use AAC Provide examples of the positive impact of appropriate transition planning
Beth Anne Luciani (California University of Pennsylvania) describes her academic experiences, and the benefits and the challenges of college life for individuals who use AAC. (22 minutes)

	Maximizing the Literacy Skills of Individuals who Require AAC	Describe the importance of literacy skills for individuals with limited speech who use AAC List key components of effective literacy interventions for individuals who use AAC Provide examples of motivating and effective literacy instruction for children who use AAC
Janice Light (Penn State University) describes the components of effective literacy interventions for individuals who require AAC. (106 minutes)

	How Far We've Come, How Far We've Got to Go: Tales from the Trenches	Describe important historical developments in the disability rights movement List key benefits of the use of AAC for individuals with complex communication needs
Michael Williams, a long time practitioner of the art of augmented communication, uses his life story to help illustrate many of the key social and technological issues in AAC today

	Overview of the Health-based Funding Programs that Cover Speech Generating Devices	Describe key concepts in assistive technology funding coverage List key issues related to obtaining AAC technology Provide examples of the roles of assistive technology team members in the assistive technology funding process.
Lew Golinker (AT Law Center) provides an overview of funding issues in AAC. (66 minutes)

	Visual Immersion Program (VIP) for Individuals with Autism	Describe common communication challenges for individuals with autism List examples of visual aids to support communication Provide examples of the benefits of visual supports to teach language concepts to individuals with autism
Howard Shane and Meghan O'Brien (Children's Hospital Boston) discuss their research on the development of the Visual Immersion Program to teach language concepts to individuals with autism. (62 minutes)

We hope you find this information useful in working with special education, early childhood education, and general education pre-service teachers, as well as graduate students.

Could you please forward this message to any faculty member that you think may be interested in this content.

Thank you, please let me know if you have any sugestions for the development of these educational materials.

David McNaughton
Special Education
The Pennsylvania State University

DBM2@PSU.EDU

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This is a publication of the Communication Enhancement Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (AAC-RERC), which is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education under grant number H133E030018. The opinions contained in this publication are those of the grantee and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Education.

http://mcn.ed.psu.edu/dbm/educator_e_blast/educator_1.html