#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.
Parking - Overnight Guests-: Upon checking into your hotel, you will receive a parking pass. Please display this pass on your dashboard.
Parking - Non-Overnight Guests: You will not need to use the parking kiosks. Instead, you will find signage at and near the registration table with a QR code to register your vehicle. Please have your license plate number ready for this process.
VERY IMPORTANT: All attendees driving to the Kellogg Center will need their license plate number. Please consider carpooling to reduce the number of vehicles on campus. Please be mindful of this process and do not register your vehicle more than once per day. We appreciate your cooperation in following these parking guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact info@talkingaac.org. The #TalkingAAC Team will be available during registration to assist you in this process.
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.

Event Instructions or Terms and Conditions

#TalkingAAC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established for continued education.

5. REFUNDS & TICKET TRANSFERS

Refunds are available up to 10 days before the event. SCHED & STRIPE fees are non-refundable.
Registration transfers (changing the name on the registration to a coworker, for example) may be considered before October 28, 2024.

6. CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS & HOURS

SCECH will be offered for educators licensed in Michigan.
While ASHA CEU’s are not provided to SLPs for this course, participants will be given an ASHA "Verification of Attendance" form to self-track these hours.
Every attendee will receive a certificate of attendance.

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

8:30am EST

Welcome & Opening Keynote: She's an AAC Success Story! How Do We Define "Success"?

Thursday November 7, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am EST

Big Ten A

My daughter Maggie has finished school and transitioned to life in the community. But I was taken aback when she was described as a “success story”, because she is still an emergent AAC user. This session will ask you to challenge the definition of “AAC success” in the context of academic learning, friendships, autonomy, and being understood.

Presenters

Erin Sheldon

M Ed, AssistiveWare

Erin specializes in supporting students with complex needs to access the regular curriculum. She is an AT and AAC specialist who has presented professional development for educators and speech language pathologists in over a dozen countries. Erin has published articles, online learning... Read More →

Thursday November 7, 2024 8:30am - 9:30am EST
Big Ten A

All Attendees

1:45pm EST

Closing Keynote: "AAC Growing Pains"

Friday November 8, 2024 1:45pm - 2:30pm EST

Big Ten A

In this session, I will discuss my lived experience growing up with cerebral palsy and learning disabilities, including dyslexia and dyscalculia. This presentation has a triumphant note where the underdog overcomes ableism and discrimination during my High School years. I will explain having deep depression when I felt no one believed in me anymore. I will describe rising from the ashes of ableism and misdiagnosis of an intellectual disability based on a standardized test, to graduating Cum Laude from Whitewater University. I will also describe my journey of accepting my augmentative and alternative communication device as my voice. I will also talk about my other primary form of communication and my journey to become a professional artist with the encouragement and support of my art professors. I will discuss how I do my art-making and describe my creative process while making the art installment, My Augmented and Alternative Voice. I will explain how my father invented my adaptive tools for art-making. I will discuss being the first AAC user to participate fully in the Wisconsin LEND program. I will share my joy of discovering a secret skill of mentoring children with communication devices. I will close on getting hired as a peer mentor at WI LEND and becoming a University of Wisconsin, Madison employee. The audience will learn from the experience of a successful AAC user and gain insights into having Cerebral Palsy with learning disabilities, including dyslexia and dyscalculia. They will leave with understanding about the impact of standardized testing on the conversation surrounding disability rights. They will learn more about alternative forms of communication including AAC and art, which can open up the world for anyone struggling to express who they are.

Presenters

Anastasia Wilson

I am a Cum Laude graduate from the University of Whitewater with a Bachelor's in Fine Art and a minor in English. I am a Wisconsin artist. I'm staff in LEND, a grad-level program that trains professionals to improve their services to children with disabilities in their field.

Friday November 8, 2024 1:45pm - 2:30pm EST
Big Ten A

All Attendees

2:30pm EST

Closing Comments & Door Prize Drawings

Friday November 8, 2024 2:30pm - 2:45pm EST

Big Ten A

Friday November 8, 2024 2:30pm - 2:45pm EST
Big Ten A

All Attendees