#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

4:00pm EST

ON DEMAND thru 12/31/2024: Linguistic & Cultural Considerations for AAC Implementation

Friday November 8, 2024 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST

ON DEMAND ASYNCHRONOUS

Presenters: Melissa Tapia, MS, CCC-SLP and Maria De Leon, MS, CCC-SLP
Understanding an individual's culture benefits language acquisition and other cognitive skills (Restrepo, Morgan, & Thompson, 2013; Soto & Yu, 2014; Gay, 2002). Realistically, most SLPs will not know all of their clients' languages and cultures on their caseload. However, as clinical providers, we can choose therapy approaches and tools appropriate for our multilingual AAC users. Language learning outcomes have less to do with the number of languages an individual learns. Instead, it is about the conditions under which language is learned; this includes the level of support for bilingualism/multilingualism in all environments, the quality of exposure to multiple languages, and the types of measures used to monitor language growth (Soto & Yu, 2014). The support for bilingualism in AAC is best practice and, more importantly, essential to equitable communication access for people with complex communication needs (CCN) (Mcnamara, 2018). It has been shown that forced monolingualism may lead to poor communication between the AAC user, their families, and their community. It can impede learning opportunities and socialization that arises from family, community, and cultural exchanges (Kremer-Sadlik, 2005; Peña, 2016). Therefore, this session describes current issues, myths, and considerations for culturally affirming AAC service provision. We will highlight resources that are readily available through reputable AAC sources. It will consider evidence-based practices for Spanish-bilingual AAC intervention and describe Latinx cultural perspectives. This session will outline AAC intervention tools for supporting Spanish-bilingual communicators and their families. Participants will be able to reflect on their current service delivery of AAC and add appropriate tools to enhance their execution of culturally affirming practices.

Presenters

Maria De Leon

M.S., CCC-SLP

Maria De Leon is a bicultural and bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who specializes in Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC). She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and her Master’s degree in Speech-Language... Read More →

Melissa Tapia

MS, CCC-SLP, Hablame Speech Therapy

Melissa Tapia is a bicultural/bilingual Spanish certified speech-language pathologist in the state of Illinois. She attended Illinois State University for both her undergraduate and graduate studies where she majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Spanish Language, Literature... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2024 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
ON DEMAND ASYNCHRONOUS

ON DEMAND For Ticketed Attendees Only, TO BE VIEWED BY TICKETED ATTENDEES ONLY

4:00pm EST

ON DEMAND thru 12/31/2024: See Your Way to Robust AAC for Children with CVI

Friday November 8, 2024 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST

ON DEMAND ASYNCHRONOUS

Presenter: Amanda Soper
All non-speaking students deserve access to a robust augmentative alternative communication device. By its definition, robust refers to a system with hundreds, if not thousands, of words, flexibility in word forms (e.g., plural “s,” tense endings), access to the alphabet (i.e., a keyboard), and a thoughtful organization/ structure that supports growth and motor plans. The field of speech-language pathology has made strides in “presuming competence” and removing barriers such as “prerequisites for AAC” for many students. However, for students with vision impairments, particularly brain-based vision impairments such as Cerebral Vision Impairment (CVI), many barriers exist due to misconceptions and well-intentioned but misguided recommendations.

Every individual with CVI has a unique visual profile. Understanding how visual behaviors and characteristics affect learning will help speech language pathologists (SLPs) better support their students who use AAC. There are many buzzwords in the field about CVI but many don’t truly help SLPs and educators understand how CVI is impacting their particular student(s). It is essential that they understand how the location, extent, and timing of the brain-based vision impairment helps us understand an individual’s CVI and how we can better support them.

In addition, it is imperative that everyone understand that the purpose of AAC is to provide individuals with a way to communicate using language. Current buzzwords surrounding CVI have seemingly reinstated a visual symbol hierarchy for children with CVI. Romski and Sevcik (2005) referred to the visual representation hierarchy as a myth that has limited individual's access to AAC. It is essential that SLPs understand that to support linguistic competence, students do not need to master steps on a visual hierarchy before accessing abstract symbols on an AAC device. Instead, specific intervention strategies can be used to support language learning with a robust vocabulary on an AAC device.

This presentation will focus on building a common language that SLPs and other educators can use to discuss their students’ visual behaviors and how they may impact language learning and AAC use. This session aims to provide SLPs with language they can use to help others understand how expressive language learning with AAC works, why abstract symbols are a necessary component of AAC systems, and why it is imperative that students with CVI are provided with access to a robust AAC system.

Presenters

Amanda Soper

SLP & TCVI, AACreATively Communicating

Amanda Soper (she/her) is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) based in Washington, DC. Amanda owns a private practice, AACreATively Communicating and recently co-founded a nonprofit organization, The Infinite Learning Foundation, where she... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2024 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
ON DEMAND ASYNCHRONOUS

ON DEMAND For Ticketed Attendees Only

4:00pm EST

ON DEMAND thru 12/31/2024: Student-Centered Coaching: Targeting Agency in AAC as Endgame

Friday November 8, 2024 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST

ON DEMAND ASYNCHRONOUS

Presenter: Jaimie Fons, M.S., CCC-SLP

Unlock the potential of student-centered coaching to foster agency in students using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). In this 75-minute session, we will explore how student-centered coaching provides the game plan for teams working on robust AAC implementation, both in schools and beyond. We will employ practical strategies to keep the game in motion—prioritizing student learning, building rapport and collaboration among team members, and using data to guide students toward their endgame: taking charge of their communication journey. As with Michigan’s Essential Coaching Practices for Literacy, you’ll learn how to craft individualized coaching cycles that meet the diverse needs of the students through the use of guiding principles, best practices, and strong partnerships. Join us to sharpen your coaching skills and create more inclusive, learner-driven environments where every learner finds their voice and thrives!

Presenters

Jaimie Fons

AT Consultant, Macomb ISD

Jaimie Fons began her professional career as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) working in a collaborative outpatient clinic with children, teens, and their families to meet their goals for communication. She then worked in center-based programs for 12 years, partnering with educators... Read More →

Friday November 8, 2024 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
ON DEMAND ASYNCHRONOUS

ON DEMAND For Ticketed Attendees Only

4:00pm EST

ON DEMAND thru 12/31/2024: Ten Ideas for Your AAC Toolbelt: featuring the #TalkingAAC Team

Friday November 8, 2024 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST

ON DEMAND ASYNCHRONOUS

Presenters: #Talking AAC SLP Board Members
Ten talented speech-language pathologists share their innovative strategies and engaging ideas for working with students who use AAC. As each professional brings a unique perspective and experience, this session will offer a diverse range of practical tools, strategies, and insights that you can immediately apply in your practice. Whether you’re looking to enrich your therapy sessions, boost student engagement, or discover fresh ideas for AAC implementation, this session provides a treasure trove of actionable advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your skills and transform your AAC therapy sessions! Watch any time before January 1, 2025 and start making a meaningful impact today.

Friday November 8, 2024 4:00pm - 5:15pm EST
ON DEMAND ASYNCHRONOUS

ON DEMAND For Ticketed Attendees Only