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Episode Summary
What is harder (and even more rewarding, I might add) than supporting the communication development of tiny humans?  Well, providing early intervention to tiny humans with complex communication needs, of course.  Graduate training certainly doesn’t prepare us for everything and most SLP’s get minimal to no didactic or clinical exposure to early intervention OR supporting complex communicators, making this mash-up a true head scratcher for many of us.  I had the pleasure of joining Kate and Amy this week to geek out on AAC and try my best to demystify some of the barriers that SLP’s in the early intervention setting encounter when trying their darndest to serve complex communicators and their families.  Tune in for some validation, some practical advice, and hopefully some reassurance as you navigate this complicated territory, given minimal resources across the board.  We’ll chat about coaching, teaming, and joy, and offer some myth-busting insights to help you stop chasing those “unicorns” that often result in delayed introduction of AAC tools and strategies to children under the age of three years.  Hang in there EI SLP-you got this, and your Nerds have your back!

Learn more about Tanna here.

Course Accommodations

The transcript for this course is provided below. You can also email us at ceu@slpnerdcast.com

Learning Outcomes

Identify at least two barriers to AAC implementation in an early intervention setting

Identify at least 5 strategies to overcome barriers to AAC implementation in an early intervention setting

Identify at least 2 resources for expanding scope of competence in AAC for early intervention clinicians

References

Light, J., & Mcnaughton, D. (2015). Designing AAC Research and Intervention to Improve Outcomes for Individuals with Complex Communication Needs. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 31(2), 85-96. doi:10.3109/07434618.2015.1036458

During this episode a stack of literature was references on AACcessible.org. You can access that stack here.

Online Resources

AAC Early Starts Conference: https://www.theaacacademy.org/course/aac-early-starts-conference

AAC Early Starts Call for Papers: https://www.aaccessible.org/call-for-papers

Perkins School for the Blind: https://www.perkins.org/

DIR / Floortime: https://www.icdl.com/

The Hanen Center: http://www.hanen.org/Home.aspx

Speaker Disclosures:

Tanna Neufeld financial disclosures: Tanna receives a salary from the University of Washington, and receives donations for consultation services, mentoring services, course offerings, and products on AACcessible.org. A portion of these donations is used to subsidize overhead costs for an organization which she founded and directs. Tanna receives honorariums for speaking at conferences and workshops in the Seattle Community. She is a paid advisor and consultant for Goally, an assistive technology company. She is also a seller on Teachers Pay Teachers and Boom Learning, for which she receives funds for her products.Tanna Neufeld non-financial disclosures: Tanna is a member of ASHA and ASHA SIG 1, 11, and 12.  She is president on the board of AACcessible Foundation and a volunteer, contributing editor for SLP Nerdcast.  

Kate Grandbois financial disclosures: Kate is the owner / founder of Grandbois Therapy + Consulting, LLC and co-founder of SLP Nerdcast.  Kate Grandbois non-financial disclosures: Kate is a member of ASHA, SIG 12, and serves on the AAC Advisory Group for Massachusetts Advocates for Children. She is also a member of the Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy (BABAT), MassABA, the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and the corresponding Speech Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis SIG. 

Amy Wonkka financial disclosures: Amy is an employee of a public school system and co-founder for SLP Nerdcast. Amy Wonkka non-financial disclosures: Amy is a member of ASHA, SIG 12, and serves on the AAC Advisory Group for Massachusetts Advocates for Children.

Course Disclosure - Financial and In-Kind

Funding for this course was provided by one of our Corporate Sponsors, Medtravelers.

Time Ordered Agenda:

15 minutes: Introduction, Disclaimers and Disclosures

25 minutes: Descriptions of barriers to AAC implementation in an early intervention setting

15 minutes: Descriptions of strategies to overcome barriers to AAC implementation in an early intervention setting 

10 minutes: Descriptions of resources for expanding scope of competence in AAC for early intervention clinicians

5 minutes: Summary and Closing

A big THANK YOU to our Corporate Sponsor, Med Travelers for the financial support to make this course possible! To learn more about Med Travelers visit https://www.medtravelers.com/

Disclaimer

The contents of this episode are not meant to replace clinical advice.  SLP Nerdcast, its hosts and guests do not represent or endorse specific products or procedures mentioned during our episodes unless otherwise stated.  We are NOT PhDs, but we do research our material.  We do our best to provide a thorough review and fair representation of each topic that we tackle.  That being said, it is always likely that there is an article we’ve missed, or another perspective that isn’t shared.  If you have something to add to the conversation, please email us! Wed love to hear from you!

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