#TalkingAAC 2024: Full Schedule

NEW FOR 2024!

Pre-Conference Workshops - Select ONE 4-hour Pre-Conference workshop that will be held IN-PERSON on Wed, November 6th, 2024 from 12 pm - 4 pm at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing, MI. To attend all 3 days of the conference, you must purchase BOTH one Pre-Conference Workshop ticket and one IN-PERSON 2-day conference ticket. (Please note Pre-Conference Workshops will not begin until 12 Noon on Wednesday, November 6th to provide out-of-areas additional travel time to East Lansing.) Pre-Conference Workshop Registration $80
Networking Event - For those attending a Pre-Conference Workshop or arriving in East Lansing early, please join us on Wednesday, November 6th, at 7 pm EST in the auditorium at the Kellogg Center for a free viewing party of the film This is Not About Me sponsored by AssistiveWare. This documentary follows the story of Jordyn Zimmerman who shares what it is to be autistic and non-speaking. Light snacks will be provided with time to connect with the #TalkingAAC community.
ON-DEMAND Content - A new, separate asynchronous learning option has been added this year with FOUR (4) ON-DEMAND 75-minute, pre-recorded sessions. BONUS: All IN-PERSON attendees will also receive access to this recorded content included with their 2-day conference registration! The ON-DEMAND sessions will be accessed through the Sched registration portal. Recordings will be available beginning at the end of the conference on November 8, 2024 through December 31, 2024. There will be NO live-streaming of sessions in 2024. On Demand Content Registration $60
Swag - #TalkingAAC merchandise will be available on-site for purchase.
Streamlined Registration - Conference registration, ticket sales, and your in-person 2-day conference session planning guide will all occur in one platform this year - Sched. Below, click the green "log in" box if you have a Sched account already or click the green "sign up" box to create a new Sched account, then proceed to purchase ticket(s). 2-Day In Person Conference Registration $265

MEALS, PARKING, & LODGING FOR 2024!
1. Breakfast - a light continental breakfast will be available on Thursday and Friday at no additional charge.
2. Lunch - participants will receive a lunch and drink on Thursday and Friday at no additional charge.
3. Parking - is expedited and included with your registration fees.
4. Lodging - for lodging information, view the 2024 #TalkingAAC lodging options document for a list of hotels with blocks reserved and discount lodging codes for this conference. For those attending a Pre-Conference Workshop, please note sessions will not begin until noon on Wednesday, November 6th to provide out-of-town/state attendees additional travel time to East Lansing.

As the date for this conference approaches, you will receive updates from #TalkingAAC and SCHED. Stay tuned for additional session information!

In late October, you will select your sessions and plan your conference agenda.

Questions? Check out www.talkingaac.org or email info@talkingaac.org

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8:15am EST

Confessions of an Over Prompter: How to Stop Prompting and Start Fostering Autonomous Communication

Friday November 8, 2024 8:15am - 9:30am EST

Early in my career supporting emergent communicators, I relied on the prompt hierarchy to guide me. Unfortunately, the outcome was often students who were completely dependent upon me to show or tell them what to say. What I was doing wasn’t resulting in autonomous communication, which I knew was the goal, and I needed to change. In this session we will explore the reasons why we rely on prompts when teaching AAC and how prompting can interfere with autonomous communication. We will also apply basic knowledge of prelinguistic skills (engagement, joint attention, motivation, etc.) and expressive language development to determine appropriate goals and strategies for emergent communicators. Finally we will discuss strategies to assist prompt dependent AAC users to reduce their reliance on prompts and begin to generate their own messages by choosing motivating, open ended, student led activities.

Presenters

Kristin Strong

AAC Consultant, Oakland Schools

Friday November 8, 2024 8:15am - 9:30am EST

Mindset

9:45am EST

Looking to the True Experts in AAC to Enhance Professional Learning and Student Growth

Friday November 8, 2024 9:45am - 11:00am EST

Providing professional development and community engagement opportunities related to AAC centered around real-life experiences and neurodiversity affirming practices in the school setting fosters engagement, belonging, and inclusion. This presentation is created to provide ideas for building capacity, challenging limiting beliefs, and creating meaningful relationships by collaborating with AAC users to share real-life AAC experiences with staff, students, and families with a goal to increase communication partner competency and capability. This presentation will discuss incorporating AAC user perspectives when developing evidenced-based professional development opportunities for professional and paraprofessional staff. We will discuss the impact we’ve seen, shifting the perspective of “Speech-Language Pathologist as the expert on AAC” to acknowledging that the true experts are AAC users themselves. Mateo Moreno, an AAC user since the age of 4, in collaboration with Bre Hof and Jordan Murray, school-based speech-language pathologists and AAC consultants, will discuss the why. Mateo will share his perspective on why AAC users should play a big role in the conversations. As the only AAC user growing up in his school district, he knows how important it is for learners to meet mentors and for peers to learn how to communicate with their friends who just happen to talk differently. His presentations serve as a springboard and help make the professional advice stick. Plus, educators see what’s possible when the entire team works together to support emergent AAC users. Bre and Jordan will outline the impact collaboration with Mateo has made on staff mindsets and the data we’ve seen as part of an ongoing journey to build an AAC community that supports each other in our rural setting.

Presenters

Breanna Hof

Speech Language Pathologist, Gratiot-Isabella RESD

Bre Hof is a school-based speech language pathologist and AAC consultant for the Gratiot Isabella RESD here in Mid-Michigan. Her special interests in the field include AAC assessment, inclusion, literacy access for all, and child-led play based therapy. While not working, Bre enjoys... Read More →

Jordan Murray

AAC Consultant, Gratiot-Isabella RESD

Jordan Murray is an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) consultant with Gratiot-Isabella RESD. Most of her experience includes working with students who have complex communication needs in the school setting. Her experience includes evaluations, therapy, family coaching... Read More →

Mateo Moreno

Mateo Moreno: Mateo Moreno has used AAC since the age of 4. Today, he’s a confident young adult eager to talk with new people and spread awareness about AAC. He enjoys talking with families and professionals about his experiences. He served as keynote speaker for the #TalkingAAC... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2024 9:45am - 11:00am EST

Mindset

12:15pm EST

AdvocAACy

Friday November 8, 2024 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST

First written in 1995, revised in 2016, the Communication Bill of Rights is an important document created by the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities (NJC), that outlines 15 fundamental rights for all communicators. While many professionals who support complex communicators, are familiar with these rights, how many AAC communicators are aware of the rights afforded them along with the teams making decisions that impact them? How do we empower AAC users to self-advocate and AAC professionals to advocate for those who use AAC?
Let’s take the Communication Bill of Rights off the wall and put it into practice.
Initial results for those who use AAC were increased:

Participation in social settings
Engagement in the classroom
Asking more questions to gain information
Frequency and use of a variety of communicative functions
Opportunities to develop meaningful skills and
Happiness, joy, and connectedness.

Professionals who support those who may benefit from AAC carry the power to influence others. We will discuss the many ways they can create change within their spheres of influence. Participants will be encouraged to identify their advocacy style and explore practical and promising ideas to use as they better the experience of the communicators they support.

Presenters

Deidre Dobbels

M.S. CCC-SLP/L

Deidre Dobbels is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Speech Language Pathologist at Northern Illinois University where she guides Graduate Students through clinical experiences with clients who have Complex Communication Needs and use AAC. Prior to her appointment at NIU, Deidre... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2024 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST

Mindset

#TalkingAAC 2024

From $60.00