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Outreach

Lecture Series

The Bridge School has been fortunate to be able to bring leaders in the field of AAC/AT to the Bay Area to provide public lectures. Additionally, speakers have the opportunity to visit the school, work with our staff and meet with families. We continue to be able to have prominent members of the AAC community across the school year in addition to our biennial 3 day conference: AAC by the Bay

Information about upcoming lectures for the public will be provided here.

Lecture Series, Invited Speakers and Past Lecturers

Karen working with one of the students

Dr. Karen Erickson

Dr. Karen Erickson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Erickson is the director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in Special Education and Literacy Studies from UNC and is a former teacher of children with significant disabilities.
http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/index.html

Lectures:

  • Systematic Literacy Instruction for Students Who Use AAC: What Does It Look Like?
  • Moving Toward Conventional Literacy Instruction for Students who Use AAC

Kelly works with a student at the Building Bridges Camp & Training Institute

Kelly Fonner

Kelly has been working with individuals with disabilities since the mid-70's and with assistive technologies since 1983. Her teaching experiences have been as a teacher assistant, teacher and instructional media specialist in early childhood, preschool and school age programs. She has consulted to university and adult programs concerning access to technology by persons with disabilities. She has a B.S. in special education, an M.S. in educational technology, and holds an Assistive Technology Applications Certificate of Learning from California State University - Northridge. Kelly worked seven years as a consultant with PennTech, the state-wide technology project supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. http://www.kellyfonner.com/

Lecture:

  • Environmental Communication Training

Pati presents at the first AAC by the Bay conference

Pati King-DeBaun, MS, CCC-SLP

Pati describes herself as a "speech-language pathologist by training, an O.T. at heart and a special education teacher by necessity." Pati has specialized in communication for children and young adults (0-21 years) with severe physical and cognitive disabilities for the past 15 years. She has written numerous articles, books (e.g. Storytime Series) and software for students who have severe language and learning difficulties. She speaks and consults throughout the world on topics of interaction, augmentative communication, emergent literacy, and creativity for children with disabilities. http://www.creativecommunicating.com/

Lecture:

  • Emergent Literacy for All Students!
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Karen Kangas, OTR/L

Karen is an occupational therapist in private practice specializing in evaluation and treatment of complex, unique, "difficult/complicated" patients, for seating, positioning and mobility, especially with patients who may need powered mobility and assistive technology, as well as regularly teaching seminars throughout the USA.

Lectures:

  • Clinical Assessment and Training Strategies for the Child's Mastery of Independent Powered Mobility
  • Applying Sensory Integration, Its Principles and Treatment to Students in Wheelchairs; Understanding How Sensory Integration Affects Body Postures, Body Control, Learning Styles and Task Behaviors

Caroline works with the staff

Dr. Caroline Musselwhite CCC-SLP

Dr. Caroline Musselwhite is an assistive technology specialist with more than 20 years experience working with children and adolescents with severe disabilities. Dr. Musselwhite has taught courses at universities, authored books and software programs, and is a founding member of the Board of Directors for the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC). http://www.aacintervention.com/

Lectures:

  • "PHONICS PHUN, or Today Is NOT Brought to You by the Short Vowel 'O' "
  • Adaptive Play

Gail Van Tatenhove, MS, CCC-SLP

Gail Van Tatenhove specializes in Communicative Disorders and has worked in the field of Assistive Technology for more than 20 years. Ms. Van Tatenhove's private practice includes working with children and young adults included in a variety of educational programs and with severely challenged adults in vocational and community settings. http://www.vantatenhove.com/

Lecture:

  • Implementing Minspeak® Systems: Giving Communication Power to Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities

Bob Williams

Bob Williams, former U.S. Commissioner for Developmental Disabilities, lifelong AAC user and advocate for literacy for all.

Lecture:

  • Sensory Processing and Regulation
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