Welcome back to Season 6 of Innovative AAC Solutions the Podcast! 

Season 6 | Episode 1:  Great Generalization at Glasgow

In today’s episode, we’re learning about how the team at Glasgow Elementary School in Riverview Gardens School District plans for generalization of skills for their students. From collaboration to paraprofessional’s involvement, this team prioritizes giving students opportunities to use their AAC all day long. We’ll hear from Emily Faust, Occupational Therapist, Morganne Blechle, Speech-Language Pathologist, and Melissa Collings, BCBA who all share a passion for helping students use communication skills to participate to the best of their abilities.  Tune in to find out how to take your team to the next level by collaborating and getting on the same page about creating real opportunities for students to communicate in an authentic and meaningful way!

Guest Bios:

My name is Emily Faust and I am an occupational therapist. I have been with SSD for 7 years, and 5 years of those years, I have spent working with the Phase 2 program in Riverview Gardens. I graduated from St. Louis University in 2019 knowing I would love to be a school-based therapist. I have a strong interest in AAC and really enjoy incorporating as much communication as possible during my sessions to increase engagement, motivation, participation. I love approaching therapy as a collaborative effort, and working so closely with ABA and SLPs have improved outcomes and made me a better therapist!

Melissa Collings is in her sixth year with SSD. Previously, she worked in New Jersey in a variety of settings with a range of clients. Before joining the ABA world, she was a special education teacher. She values listening to and looking for autistic and disabled voices to inform her practice and increase her understanding of true neuro-diverse-affirming care. She urges everyone to look for those in the community you serve to hear how you can do better.

Morganne Blechle received her bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and her master's degree in Communication Disorders from Fontbonne University as an IPEI OSEP Scholar with an emphasis in Early Intervention for children with hearing loss. Morganne has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 5 years and started her career in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is currently an SLP for Special School District in Riverview Gardens. Her special interests include AAC, Auditory Habilitation, and Gestalt Language Processors.