8:30 - 10:00 Plenary - Caroline Musselwhite

Research and Strategies for Face-to-Face and Written Communication
The ability to initiate a topic is a crucial skill in terms of communicative competence. For augmented communicators, this discourse skill is particularly important, as topic initiation promotes power and conversational control. This workshop will summarize research and highlight similarities and differences in face-to-face and written communication. Strategies will be offered for supporting both general and specific topic setting, and use of both light tech and high tech topic setters.
» Handout   [PDF, 709k]

10:15 - 11:45 Concurrent Session - Aileen Arai and Ijeana Avila

Practical Tools, Tips and Strategies to Promote Classroom Inclusion for Students using AAC
This is an open forum for educators and parents who would like to share and take away practical classroom strategies to build social and academic interactions for students in regular education classrooms. Tools, tips and strategies should target no, low and high tech interventions. Outcomes of this open forum will be posted on the Bridge School web site for the AAC community. Let's share our ideas and talk about goals and outcomes.

10:15 - 11:45 Concurrent Session - Mary Hunt-Berg and Elisa Kingsbury

Using Outcome Research to Inform Educational Practice in AAC
In the field of AAC, there is limited outcome data to inform educational practice. The Bridge School recently conducted one of the few existing longitudinal research projects examining outcomes of students who received AAC services and supports. This presentation describes a range of outcomes of former Bridge School students including patterns of social and academic participation, educational inclusion, quality of life, and development and use of communication systems over a period of 15 years.
» Handout   [PDF, 366k]

10:15 - 11:45 Concurrent Session - Sarah Baroody and Chris Toomey

Supporting Successful Transitions: Bridge School Student Portfolios
This presentation describes Bridge School Student Portfolios that are developed specifically to foster successful transition of students who use AAC across educational settings. Each student's portfolio is an individualized collection of educational documents including reports, recent work samples and video clips. Case examples will be presented to illustrate both the range of content, instructional strategies, AAC system components, and AT resources and how this information is used in a variety of educational settings.
» Handout   [PDF, 546k]

1:00 - 2:30 Concurrent Session - Caroline Musselwhite

BEFORE, DURING, & AFTER: Reading Comprehension Supports & AAC
For students who use AAC, teaching and assessing reading comprehension is often haphazard, and typically relies on overuse of close-ended WH-Questions. This presentation will provide strategies to teach literacy, communication, and content for individuals who use AAC. Emphasis will be placed on supporting comprehension of written and oral language through before, during, and after-reading activities. Strategies will demonstrate use of existing vocabulary on student's devices, rather than creating topic-specific, temporary communication pages or displays.
» Handout   [PDF, 921k]

1:00 - 2:30 Concurrent Session - Gloria Soto

Narrative Skills of Children who Use AAC: Assessment and Intervention Considerations
Narrative language - the act of sharing personal and fictional stories - has been identified as a critical link to the development of communicative competence and the acquisition of literacy. Students who use AAC have been found at risk for impaired narrative ability. This presentation will describe evidence-based procedures to assess and to support the development of narrative skills of children who use AAC systems.
» Handout   [PDF, 301k]

1:00 - 2:30 Concurrent Session - Pati King-DeBaun

Supported Readings: Understanding Symbol Supports
When how and why to use symbols to support early reading participation will be discussed in this session. Emphasis will be placed on book selection, adaptations, and presentation techniques for AAC users and or students who have low verbal skills. Participants will have a clear understanding of how and when the use of symbols are needed to support readings and strategies to fade the use of symbols to build important independent literacy skills.

2:45 - 4:00 Concurrent Session - Bonnie Mintun

The Crucial Role of Expectations in Setting Communication and Literacy Goals: A Family Perspective
Bonnie Mintun, educator and parent of a child with multiple disabilities, describes her family's colorful trek in search of AAC, hindered initially by the weight of low expectations. Anna, now age 21, couldn't consistently use even basic communication boards. Yet when she acquired complex, language-rich technology, she finally began to show interest in expressing herself. Anna has significant cognitive challenges, but is blossoming in life-affirming ways, using her Vantage to connect with others. After years of unspoken rules that limit access to high-tech devices, the question must be asked, "Who gets the good stuff?"
» Handout   [PDF, 653k]

2:45 - 4:00 Concurrent Session - Susan Moore

"Unfiltered Voices" Family Perspectives on Current Practices in AAC
This interactive session will explore parental perspectives focused on reported benefits and challenges about use of AAC systems with children. Parental reactions regarding the impact of commonly held myths and misperceptions will also be discussed. Information shared is intended to inform current practices by providers and influence preparation of professionals involved in AAC services and supports.
» Handout   [PDF, 248k]

2:45 - 4:00 Concurrent Session - Kelly Rinehart

Communication Awareness Program: Introducing AAC To The Community
Many people shy away from that which they don't understand. This barrier can affect quality of life for individuals using AAC. It is the goal of the Communication Awareness Program to provide information in practical modes and quantities, so that more people will be willing to step up as communication partners with individuals using AAC. The program is not meant to be a formula but rather a framework from which you can create customized presentations.
» Handout   [PDF, 828k]