Welcome to the Spring WI AAC Network Newsletter.
Click here to view the newsletter in Google Docs: Wisconsin AAC Network – Spring 2025 – Newsletter
Spring means one thing in schools around Wisconsin, planning for next school year. No matter if you are a director of special education, principal, [if we have a principal or principals reading the newsletter, that is awesome and thank you for caring for students who use AAC], teacher, and or occupational, physical, or speech therapist, you are planning for next school year. You might be looking for some assistive technology tools and programs to have for your students to use so they can be more efficient in school. You might be exploring communication devices for someone. You might be interviewing new professionals and you would like to know how much they know about this topic? You might be adding someone that uses a device, but you don’t know anything about AAC and you are wondering where to start? You might be moving a student who uses AAC to a different school or into the community and you are wondering what to share with the next team?
These discussions are important and throughout this newsletter we are going to talk about it and more. But I think that not many professionals are aware that the students and family members are planning too for next school year, but in a different way. When I was in school these were some of my planning questions that I asked to myself. Where will I go to get my therapies? Where is the bathroom that I use and how long will it take me to get to it from each of my classrooms? Do they know that I am smart? Will anyone talk to me? And the last question is how much do I want to share about myself to my classmates on the first day of school? That question was always hard to answer for me, because I didn’t want to scare off them but I felt that it was important to talk about my disability.
You might like to help your students plan for next school year so it will be a successful year.
By Mike
Planning for Transitions
Some AAC interview questions to ask new professionals (by Mike)
Okay, I want to make something clear. I’m not a school principal or special education director and I don’t want to be in the role someday, because I don’t want the headaches. But I am in assistive technology community and I thought it might be good to list the questions that I would ask and members of the leadership team if we would be interviewing someone for a job. Please use the questions and feel free to share with your boss or colleagues to use in the interview.
- Question one, Where did they go to college and did they have a class on AAC? How long was the class? Sadly, some of the classes that I hear of are only a couple of weeks long and they move quickly through it so students get some knowledge but not a lot. When I am speaking to a college class, I speak on a variety of topics such as the history of AAC and the importance of teaching reading. I could easily do an hour on each topic, but I don’t have time to do that and professors don’t have time to do that. Asking this question you will know what they know and what they need to still learn about.
- Question two, what communication devices, communication apps, and communication systems do you know? As you know we have a lot of terrific tools out there these days, we can’t expect classes to teach everyone. If they know three programs or more that will be an awesome start.
- Question three, tell me about your childhood. Did you know anyone who used AAC? If they say yes bingo, you have someone special there. Because they know or know someone who is using a communication device they will have first hand knowledge of how to include a student who uses AAC.
- Question four: what is your plan for PD for yourself and to start your assistive technology professional network? Being a new professional is always hard, but doing assistive technology can be challenging. You may want to hear their plan to educate themselves. During the interview you might like to tell them about the Wisconsin AAC Network and Forward Assistive Technology project for them to look around and start learning about things. You need to support young professionals by sending them to a conference on assistive technology and or special education for them and to begin their networking with others who work in the field. I hope you find this article helpful in your hiring of new professionals. By Mike
What I needed to know at a new school
I remember going to my middle school for a visit like it was yesterday, not 18 years ago. My sixth grade class was going to be on a field trip that I couldn’t go on, so my caseworker and my parents needed to come up with things for me to do. They said you can visit your new school one day, would that be fun or what? I said sure. I came in to meet the principal and the vice-principal in the office. They were nice to me and my aide who came with me. We chatted for around ten minutes then the principal handed me a schedule for the rest of my day, my caseworker went over the schedule with me a lot of times before so I knew it. My first class was reading and language arts. I remember feeling nervous sitting in these classes, but this helped me with knowing the classrooms and how the teachers teach the class. I learned that the bathroom that I will use is downstairs and most of the classrooms that I will have to go to were upstairs, so my aide said we need to work on timing for the bathroom. That was so important for me and my team to know, because I didn’t want to have accidents all of the time. I got to meet some of the school aides who might be working with me there, which was excellent because I didn’t like working with new aides. It turned out one of the aides was sick that day, guess who was my one on one for the next six years, yep the one who was out. It is funny how life turns out sometimes. I got to meet the physical therapist who was working at that school that day, she was phenomenal!! All in all my visit was awesome and worked out for me, it helped calm me about changing school. I hope your child or students can visit their new school. It is important for them to see their new environment. Please look at this document that I did for the Forward AT project to know what information to share with the new team. By Mike Changing school from grade school to middle school
Supports for Transition Planning including Assistive Technology
Education Tech Points are guides to support family and staff in the integration of assistive technologies into school. One of the points covers Transition and includes examples, questions to consider, and creating plans.
https://educationtechpoints.org/wp-content/uploads/13ETP7_TRANSITION-11-2023.pdf
Created by WATI: Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative are 2 FREE resources for supporting students in transition
- Teacher Resource and Transition Portfolios
- Student Resources and Transition Portfolios
Both can be found at this link https://www.wati.org/free-publications/other-materials/
Dr. Penny Reed (former director of the WATI project) along with her colleague Gayl Bowser, have created guides to help parents and staff discuss student interest and need for assistive technology. These include:
- Hey Can I Try That is a guide to discussing assistive technology directly with those who might need to use it. https://educationtechpoints.org/cato-publications/
- That Could Work for Me! Is a free handbook for adults with disabilities who want to explore the use of assistive technology. It contains stories and questions related to work and independent living. Appropriate for adults with disabilities, their families and their support team https://educationtechpoints.org/cato-publications/
Online Training for Supporting AAC with Young Adults
Make a Difference: Support Adults with Developmental Disabilities Using Speech-Generating Devices
This FREE training is being offered to caregivers and support staff by Instructor: Gail Van Tatenhove, P.A., M.S., CCC-SLP through the PRC/Satillo company. You do NOT need to have a PRC/Saltillo product to attend. This course has been written for caregivers and staff supporting adults with developmental disabilities who use speech-generating devices. You play a vital role in the daily lives of adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Many of these individuals depend on you to meet their daily needs. By taking this free course, you will learn simple steps you can take to make sure your clients using AAC have it available and in good working order. For more information and to register for FREE – https://www.aaclearningjourney.com/learn/courses/675/make-a-difference-support-adults-with-developmental-disabilities-using-speech-generating-devices
The Institute for Matching Person & Technology (MPT) was formed to better match users of technologies with the most appropriate devices for their use. The Institute works to enhance the situation of technology users through research, assessment, training and consultation. Do you know people who avoid the use of technology? Persons who have abandoned them? Do you want to prevent or minimize this in the future?
The MPT process is a person-centered resource used to foster user engagement and guide a person-provider team in the selection of the most appropriate assistive technology or “support solution” for that individual’s functional gain and life quality. It addresses assistive and educational technologies as well as those used in the workplace, school, and home. It includes devices for mobility and for performing daily activities. Specialized devices for hearing loss, speech, eyesight and cognition as well as general or everyday technologies are also included.
They have several forms to use including a Predisposition to Using technology. Their strategies are supported by research that you can find at the website. https://sites.google.com/view/matchingpersontechnology/
Upcoming Events:
AAC Talks – AAC Without Limits: Voices, Stories & Possibilities
an internet conference – Friday, May 9th 9:45am CT – 2:45pm CT
Join our friends in Pennsylvania for this free conference. Presenters from Pennsylvania and nationally. You might have heard of someone who is doing a workshop. Yes she is everywhere because she is amazing!! AAC Talks 2025 Program
Conference Program: https://bit.ly/AACtalks2025 Registration: click here to register
CAMA – Communication Always Matters All Ways – Saturday, May 17th an internet conference for AAC Communicators, Families and Educators
This online event is presented by AAC Communicators and those who support them. Speakers include Carole Zangari, Chris Wenger, Kelly Fonner, Judy Lariviere, Lori Geist, Froma Jacobson, Karen Arribas, Amy Roman, Beth Speaker-Christensen, Kari Rosenleaf, Tim Jin, Otto Lana, Ryan Honick Santa Perez, Pixie Sky, Lance McLemore, Alicia Alverson, Shannon Lalonde, Amanda Grabiner, Jason Smith, Keith Jackson, Erik Larson & more!! Find out more and register at https://www.educate4.com/conferences . There are free options and a VIP option that includes special access to the keynote speaker.
ALS Youth Education Day – May 31, 2025
Join us for the ALS Youth Education Day on Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 9 am to 3 pm at UW Health Eastpark Medical Center, 4621 Eastpark Blvd, Madison, WI. This event, developed through research with over 60 youth, offers an opportunity for children and teens (ages 9-18) who have a family member with ALS to learn vital caregiving skills in a fun, supportive environment. Participants will receive hands-on education in areas such as basic care, speech and communication strategies, and assistive devices from ALS expert health professionals. Youth will also connect with others facing similar challenges, making new friends along the way. The program is open to all, whether or not the youth’s loved one is currently living with ALS. For more information or to register, contact Angie Pereira at pereiraa@uwm.edu or (414) 251-8347.
USSAAC Webinar – June 4, 2025 Wednesday, 7:00-8:00 p.m. EDT
Challenges to Gestalt Language Processing and Considerations for AAC
Presented by: Cheryl Fletcher, M.A., CCC-SLP, BCBA and Tiffany L. Hutchins, PhD –
Registration link: https://isaac-online.org/english/webinars/archived-webinars/
AAC in the Cloud – Free Webinars Watch Live or Recorded
June 24 & 25, 2025
Register at https://www.aacconference.com/
Summer Camp in Wisconsin
The Children’s Resource Center North in Marathon County has released a list of camps for day, summer and respite that serve families with children with special health needs. https://northernregionalcenter.org/camp-list/ or call at 1-866-640-4106
Chatter Matters Camp – For children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in Wisconsin, consider the Chatter Matters Camp at UW Whitewater, tentatively scheduled for June 19-22, 2025. https://www.varietywi.org/programs/chatter-matters-308/
- Location: UW Whitewater
- Target Audience: Children ages 5-15 who use AAC and their families.
- Tentative Dates: June 19-22, 2025.
- Cost: $100, with costs offset by donations.
- Camp Focus: This camp is designed to provide a fun and supportive environment for children who use AAC to practice their communication skills and connect with others.
- Contact Dua Vang-Ramirez at dua@varietywi.org or call 262-777-2092 for more information.Registration is done this year. They need to have volunteers to help at the camp. Speech therapists or students that might be interested in helping you can email the network and we will forward that on to the camp director.
2025 WisTech Virtual Training Sessions Announced
WisTech is available to provide assistive technology (AT) training for service providers, partners, and the community in general. Each year WisTech hosts a variety of free training sessions on different topics related to AT. All training sessions are two hours in length and both Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) hours are provided. These trainings are free but do require registration. All training sessions are recorded and are available to view on the WisTech YouTube Channel. See the complete 2025 training schedule, registration links, and recordings from 2024 trainings at WisTech’s website: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wistech/wistech-assistive-technology-trainings.htm
AI and Aphasia Survey
If you have Aphasia or you work with these people please take or please share this survey on AI. AI can be use for so many opportunities for people who have communication needs, please help the National Aphasia Association to learn what is working.