Bridge School at CSUN's 18th International Conference, "Technology & Persons with Disabilities"

Bridge School staff recently participated in CSUN's 18th International Conference, "Technology & Persons with Disabilities." Our presentation, "Establishing a Research Program in an Educational Setting" discussed program requirements & other issues to consider when starting a school-based AAC research program.

View the PowerPoint presentation   [PPT file, 835K]

View a PDF of the presentation   [PPT file, 628K]

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Social Networks presentation at CSUN

Dr. Mary Hunt Berg, Bridge's Research Program Director, has co-authored a new, 'breakthrough' assessment and intervention planning tool, designed to help individuals, their families and professionals determine the most appropriate technologies and communication strategies for people with complex communication needs. Bridge School staff members have been among the first in the world to put the tool to use, systematically documenting students' skill levels, communication modes, topics, partners, and strategies that support interaction with a range of communication partners. The data obtained using Social Networks is then used for intervention planning, goal setting, and longitudinal outcome research. Our research staff uses Social Networks as a way to follow up systematically on long-term outcomes of former Bridge School students for broader dissemination in the AAC field.

Dr. Hunt Berg's co-author, Dr. Sarah Blackstone, is a member of Bridge School's Board of Directors and chairs Bridge's Research Program Committee. Dr. Blackstone spearheaded the decade-long development process resulting in a tool that can enable practitioners and researchers to collect information from individuals, their family members, and others in a way that is both more systematic and more prescriptively helpful than the available alternatives.

Firmly grounded in the principles of functional goal-setting and person-centered planning, Social Networks can help parents, peers and caregivers broaden the circle of friends and acquaintances around individuals with complex communication needs, and promote their confidence and capability in communicating with others.

View more information about Social Networks, including slides from the recent CSUN conference at: http://www.augcominc.com.