5 Steps to Improve Your AAC Skills

Author:  Monica Hudnall, MA CCC-SLP/L

Description:  Tips on increasing AAC skills as a practitioner.

Focus:  SLP AAC Skills

Format: Journal Article-ASHA Leader

Audience: SLPs

Population: All ages

Communication Bill of Rights

Author:  National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC)

Description:  This set of principles was developed to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the basic right to communicate and affect their existence through communication. It includes rights such as the ability to express preferences, make choices, refuse unwanted requests, and be treated with dignity and respect. The rights also cover access to functioning communication tools like Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices and the right to be included in environments that promote participation as a full communication partner. 

Focus:  Communication Rights

Format: Website, PDF

Audience: Everyone

Population: All ages

ASHA's Evidence Map for AAC

Author:  American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA)

Description: Curated list of the latest evidence in AAC service delivery, assessment, treatment, and patient perspectives from a range of populations and communication modalities. Includes external scientific evidence, clinicial expertise and client perspectives. Frequently updated and interactive.

Focus:  Broad Range of AAC Topics

Format: Website 

Audience:  AAC Professionals & Individuals who Use AAC

Population: All ages

Please Don't Leave My Voice on the Shelf: 5 Tips to Improve AAC Use in School

Author:  ASHA Leader-Claudia Doan

Description: The author lists five strategies can help School-based SLPs improve AAC access challenges. 

Focus:  Staff Training

Format: PDF 

Audience:  School Based SLPs

Population: All ages

AAC in the Cloud 

Author: AAC Professionals

Description: High quality, practical AAC presentations from professionals in the field recorded from this free online conference  sponsored by Coughdrop.  Past season recordings available for viewing with registration. Certificates available.

Focus:  Broad Range of AAC Topics

Format: Website with Recorded Presentations

Audience:  AAC Professionals

Population: All ages

CTEC STAR Video Training Series

Author: Communication Technology Creation Center

Description: The CTEC STAR Video Training Series is for supporting individuals with complex communication needs. Areas include: Guidelines & Philosophies, Vocabulary that Works, Supportive Training Strategies.  STAR stands for Supportive Training with Active Respect.  Individuals who use AAC are featured in these videos. Creation of a free account is required.

Focus:  Best Practices in AAC

Format: YouTube Videos

Audience: AAC Professionals

Population: All ages

ISAAC

Author:  International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Description:  Archived webinars available on a variety of AAC topics.

Focus:  Broad range of AAC topics

Format: Videos

Audience: AAC Professionals

Population: All ages

Principles and Practices for Working with Individuals with Severe Disabilities

Author: National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC)

Description: The NJC, comprised of eight member organizations produced this video to encourage students and practitioners to consider the specific challenges faced by individuals with severe disabilities across the lifespan. This video addresses best practices from leaders in the AAC field with tips and citation of seminal research in eight major areas: The Communication Bill of Rights, Opportunities for Authentic Choice Making, Transition to Adult Services, If You See Someone Without An AAC System, Don’t Assume That It Has Been Tried And Discarded,  Literacy,  Inter-Professional Collaborative Practice (IPCP), Emergent Communication,  and Myths.

Focus:  Range of AAC & Literacy Topics

Format: Video (27:27)

Audience: Professionals supporting persons with severe disabilities

Population:  All ages

RERC on AAC

Author: AAC Experts including David Beukelman, Melanie Fried-Oken, Sarah Blackstone, and many others

Description: The RERC on AAC is a collaborative center committed to advancing knowledge and producing innovative engineering solutions in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Webinars range from The link to AAC RERC’s YouTube channels has additional materials. Recorded AAC RERC conference presentations span a wide range of topics and populations including: fundamentals of AAC, language, access and positioning to client perspectives. AAC for aphasia, PPA, literacy, disaster preparedness.

More Webcasts: The RERC on Communication Enhancement

Additional RERC Webcasts on YouTube

Focus:  Broad Range of AAC Topics

Format: Website

Audience: AAC  Professionals 

Population:  All ages

Glossary-Communication Matters

Author: Communication Matters-UK  Communication Matters is the working name of ISAAC-UK

Description: Basic AAC terminology is listed alphabetically with links for further information.

Focus:  AAC Terminology

Format: Website

Audience: AAC Professionals & Families

Population:  All ages

AAC Essentials Courses

Author: Pennsylvania Dept of Human Services, Tech Owl Institute on Disabilities at Temple University

Description:  

The AAC Essential Courses are designed to increase understanding of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for particular roles. There are four different courses, including an AAC Essentials for Support Coordinators, Family, Friends & Supporters, AAC users, and Administrators & Leaders. The lessons are short within each course.  Each course takes 2 to 3 hours to complete.  A certificate of completion is available upon finishing.

Focus:  Roles Surrounding AAC

Format: Website

Audience:  AAC Professionals & AAC Users

Population: All ages

AAC Girls Blog

Author: Caroline Musselwhite, Ed.D., CCC-SLP and Deanna Wagner, MS CCC-SLP

Description:  A companion blog to Dr. Musselwhite's website, this blog offers posts and tips regarding assistive technology, AAC and literacy.

Focus:  Broad Range of AAC Topics

Format: Website

Audience:  AAC Professionals

Population: All ages

AAC Institute

Author: Barry Romich, registered Professional Engineer & Katya Hill, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Description: AAC Institute provides CEUs for many different continuing education activities, including conferences, workshops, symposia, and Self-Study Program courses. Individual elements of an activity, such as sessions at a conference, must be attended in full to earn CEU credit.

Focus:  Broad Range of AAC Topics

Format: Website

Audience:  AAC Professionals

Population:  All ages

Center for AAC & Autism 

Author: Prentke-Romich Company (PRC)

Description:  Resource for those working to improve the language and communication skills of kids with autism.  Mission is "to improve awareness of the power of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices to change the lives of children who are nonverbal or have limited verbal abilities due to autism and other developmental disabilities."

Focus:  AAC & Autism

Format:  Website

Audience:  AAC Professionals

Population:   Children

PrAACtical AAC

Author: Carole Zangari, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Description: PrAACtical AAC provides weekly tips for a community of professionals and families who are determined to improve the communication and literacy abilities of people with significant communication difficulties. It was founded in 2011 by two SLP professors, Carole Zangari and the late Robin Parker, around a shared passion for AAC. 

Focus:  Broad Range of AAC & Literacy Topics

Format: Blog

Audience: AAC  Professionals & Families

Population:  Children & young adults

USSAAC

Author: National Chapter of ISAAC

Description: AAC information; including AAC device, awareness, policy laws affecting AAC community, and funding for AAC devices and support

Focus:  Broad Range of AAC & Literacy Topics

Format: Blog

Audience: AAC  Professionals 

Population:  All ages

Suggestions or Comments?  Please email the MNSHA AAC Committee at mnshaaac@gmail.com.