SCAAC-N Spring Meeting Notes - 4/20/10

On April 20, 2010, the inaugural meeting of the Southern California AAC Network (SCAAC-N) was held at Villa Esperanza Services in Pasadena, CA.  The 24 participants discussed their involvement and interests in AAC, possible learning paths for the group, as well as topics and content for future meetings.  A quarterly meeting schedule was agreed upon.  Meeting notes follow.
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Welcome to SCAAC-N

Southern California AAC Network

Spring Meeting - April 20, 2010

Hosted by DynaVox Technologies & Villa Esperanza Services

 

SCAAC-Network Contacts

• Anne Davis (Pasadena Child Development Associates) annevdavis@gmail.com
• Gwendolyn Meier (Villa Esperanza Services) gmeier@villaesperanzaservices.org
• Sharon Rogers (Cal State Fullerton) smrsp@aol.com

6:30-7:00 Meet & Eat

7:00-7:40 Roundtable on needs, goals, mission

7:40-8:00 Interface with colleagues and devices

SCAAC-N Mission

• We are a Special Interest Group (SIG) initiative of CSHA District 7. Our objective is to establish a network and support group for professional development, problem solving, and training in the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to develop communication in non-speaking individuals

Possible Learning Path for SCAAC-N: Implementation across environments

How do I get teachers, parents, nannies to value, use, and love the system??

• Organizational chart for teachers – giving explicit direction (scripts?) for one (or more) daily classroom activities to guide educators and classroom staff to ask and/or do with each student via their device
• Technical difficulties might be the place people get stuck, and can’t get past
• Empowering ourselves and others giving us tools to get the educational teams on board
• Trying to combat the likelihood that we will ever again find the device in the box, in the closet, or unable to be located. 
• Hoping we never again hear, “Oh great! Its time for Speech. Now you can use the device.”

SCAAC-N Request of Vendors (web-based) &/or Meeting Topic

“How did they get there?” video examples of success stories and their process

• Showing Day 1 with the device
• Then walking though training and stages toward communicative competence
• Website of success stories with these steps included
• Make it personal, contact information for the treating therapist

Additional Potential Topics, Content, Activities for Future SCAAC-N Meetings

• ASSMT:  Mary Ann Abbott & LAUSD’s AAC assessment process
• Includes a ‘pre-interview’ packet to all teachers to cut down on assessment time
• Does not require technology to conduct
• Implementation
• It’s tougher than assessment
• Make & Take Implementation Day, AAC & literacy
• Danberry School: SLP-run language classroom AAC with OH students

§  High School students earning credits to aid in this classroom during language time

§  Open to observation (some)

(CONT.) Additional Potential Topics…

• Conservation of effort – tap the brain of an expert on your specific issues           
• Case study presentation, break into groups by topic

Online Training, Skills Development in AAC

• speechpathology.com ($99/year)
• AACinstitute.org
• Self study courses
• Funding info
• Vendor sites
• Language lab - PRC
• Implementation Toolkit –Dynavox
• AAC-RERC.com
• ALS
• Web casts

CAUTION: If it’s not live you’re only allowed 4 independent study CE units per year

Staying Connected – Making the Network accessible to SLPs

• Web X
• Dynavox might be able to set this up
• A controlled ListServ
• Ventura County SELPA has a great one
• would CSHA put one up for us?  And manage it?
• Facebook
• post a question
• take a poll on topics (for large or break-out groups) for future meetings

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Southern California Diagnostic Center is developing and will host an AAC certification program in the 2011-2012 school year (from Leslie Comstock)