Let’s design a keyguard in real time!! Many learners are not able to access more robust vocabularies due to current motoric & visual abilities. Keyguards are a tool that sustains direct access instead of deviating to alternative access methods when fine motor and visual motor coordination are interfering. They support learners to have fewer mis-hits, better confidence, reduced cognitive load, and overall communication success. They allow us to keep a larger vocabulary with a sustained motor plan. 3D designs can even be created for temporary button masking for explicit motor plan teaching within direct instruction moments. These tools have become easier to obtain and trial due to 3D printing. Customizations and individualizations are now easier to design and print on your own. You don’t have to be super techy or know how to code to realize a 3D print keyguard solution
This session will take you from a keyguard idea to a downloadable file for 3D printing. We will walk through using screenshots and measurements to create a design that best fits an AAC user’s needs. A clear introduction to powerful, free tools like Volkswitch, InkScape, OpenSCAD, and MakerWorld will be presented. Follow along to learn the method to print your design on paper before you send it to the printer. We will also consider when to use Gemini AI as a creative partner to co-create and troubleshoot designs and printing.
Don’t have a local 3D or laser printer? No problem - we will end with specific resources for taking your files to get them generated and in student hands. Leave with additional resources to continue advancing your 3D creation and printing skills.
Whether a permanent solution or try before you buy, 3D printing a custom keyguard is a readily available AAC accessory that can dramatically improve an individual’s independent access to a robust dynamic communication system.
Assistive Technology Consultant, Livingston Educational Service Agency and #TalkingAAC Board Member
Tracie is an Assistive Technology Consultant with Livingston ESA in Howell, Michigan. She supports both center-based and county-wide district teams with the AT and AAC consideration process and implementation across ages 0 - 26. She is a registered Occupational Therapist and RESNA... Read More →
Augmentative & Alternative Communication Consultant, Eaton Regional Education Service Agency
Makenzi Farmer is an AAC Consultant with Eaton RESA in Charlotte, Michigan. She supports local districts and the center-based programs with AAC considerations, tool implementation, training, coaching, and more. As a Speech Language Pathologist she has experience with ECSE, K-12, and... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:45am EST Auditorium
For young adults who use AAC, the transition out of school can mean losing access to the very system that supports their ability to communicate. This session addresses that gap and what teams can do to prevent it.
Participants will explore a framework for transition planning that keeps the AAC user’s own communication priorities at the center. Supporting topics include developing a post-graduation plan of care, building team support across school and adult service settings, navigating workplace communication needs, and securing device funding for individuals who do not own their AAC system.
This session is relevant to AAC users, families, SLPs, educators, and others who want practical strategies for ensuring communication independence doesn’t stall at graduation. Attendees will leave with a clearer roadmap for collaboration between school-based and outpatient teams, so that transition becomes a bridge, not a barrier.
Darcy Lees, M.Ed., CCC/SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist with over 30 years of experience supporting individuals with complex communication needs in clinic and school settings. During her career, she has been committed to helping AAC users develop the skills and confidence to communicate... Read More →
Nora Eskin, M.S., CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist with over ten years of experience working with complex communicators and AAC solutions. She has worked in special education schools, outpatient clinics and providing assistive technology services for adults with disabilities... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:45am EST Room 103 A & B
AAC devices are only as effective as the environments in which they are used. While SLPs lead AAC implementation, communication does not happen in isolation—and some powerful opportunities for language learning are happening in music therapy sessions! This session highlights how to harness those moments to support communication.
Despite increased access to AAC systems, many individuals still lack consistent, meaningful opportunities to use them across environments. Music therapy sessions naturally incorporate rhythm, repetition, predictability, and high levels of engagement; elements that align closely with principles of language development and AAC best practice. However, these opportunities are often underutilized or not translated into other therapeutic contexts.
This presentation will demonstrate how AAC is actively used within music therapy sessions to support communication development. Through video examples, participants will observe how aided language modeling, core vocabulary, and communication opportunities are embedded into musical experiences in functional and meaningful ways.
The primary focus of the session is on practical application. Participants will learn specific, transferable strategies that can be used beyond music therapy, including:
Using familiar songs to target core vocabulary
Structuring predictable routines to support participation and initiation
Embedding AAC into highly motivating activities
Increasing opportunities for modeling and communicative attempts
These strategies are designed to be immediately applicable within speech-language therapy sessions, regardless of musical background. No prior musical experience is required, and strategies will be presented in a way that is accessible and achievable for all clinicians.
In addition, the session will address how SLPs and music therapists can collaborate
Assistive Technology Specialist and Music Therapist, Notes 2 live By LLC
Shelley Anderson, a Board-Certified Music Therapist who specializes in AAC and assistive technology. She works with individuals on Indiana’s Medicaid waiver, founding the state’s only waiver-funded AAC parent training program to empower families as confident communication partners... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:45am EST Lincoln
Speech-language pathologists are increasingly called to move beyond pull-out service delivery and consultation models toward meaningful, embedded collaboration in classroom environments. This presentation will explore how SLPs can shift from a role of “supporting” instruction from the outside to becoming true instructional partners through collaborative co-teaching. With a focus on AAC users and students with complex communication needs, participants will examine practical ways to integrate communication supports into daily classroom routines, academic instruction, and peer interactions.
This session will highlight how co-teaching allows SLPs and educators to share responsibility for student access, participation, and communication growth. Rather than viewing AAC as a tool used only during speech sessions or isolated activities, participants will learn how AAC can become part of the classroom culture through modeling, shared planning, environmental supports, and intentional opportunities for authentic communication. The presentation will include examples of collaborative planning, classroom-based language targets, aided language input, and strategies for supporting both educators and students during instruction.
Participants will also consider common barriers to collaboration, including scheduling, role confusion, limited AAC confidence, and differing expectations between professionals. Practical solutions will be shared to help teams build trust, define roles, and create sustainable systems for co-teaching. Emphasis will be placed on strengths-based collaboration, shared problem-solving, and honoring the expertise of both SLPs and classroom educators.
By the end of the session, participants will leave with concrete strategies for developing effective co-teaching partnerships, embedding AAC across the school day, and increasing meaningful communication opportunities for students. This presentation is designed for SLPs, educators, and related service providers who want to move from service delivery that happens near the classroom to communication support that is fully integrated within it.
Carolyn McCoy is an Speech Language Pathologist in the Northshore School District in Suburban King County, WA. Working at Ruby Bridges Elementary School, a model site for inclusive practices within Washington State, has capped a career that includes experience in a co-teaching classroom... Read More →
Nicole (Nicki) Case is an elementary SLP in the Northshore School District. She has expertise in AAC, inclusive practices and supporting students with complex communication needs in the general education setting. Nicole has experience across school and clinical settings, creating... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:45am EST Big Ten C
Experience comprehensive literacy instruction from the user’s perspective in this 75-minute, highly interactive, and immersive training session. Designed for educators seeking actionable strategies for emergent learners who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), this workshop skips the traditional lecture and drops you directly into the student experience. Attendees will assume the roles of students who rely on AAC systems, navigating real-world classroom barriers and breakthroughs while learning exactly how to implement four of the core components of a comprehensive emergent literacy framework.
The heart of the session is a fast-paced, 17-minute rotational circuit. Moving through four distinct instructional modules, participants will actively engage in live, simulated lessons modeled by experienced educators. The four specialized modules include:
Robust Vocabulary Instruction: Learn how to select, introduce, and deeply teach high-utility core and fringe vocabulary words using explicit instruction and multi-modal AAC modeling.
Shared Reading: Experience the "Comment, Ask, Respond" interaction technique to maximize student engagement and language learning during group or one-on-one reading.
Predictable Chart Writing: Participate in a structured, multi-day writing process that teaches emergent communicators sentence structure, print concepts, and the power of their own words.
Alphabet & Phonological Awareness: Discover explicit and accessible methods for teaching letter names, letter sounds, and phonological concepts without requiring spoken responses.
By rotating through every station, attendees will experience literacy instruction through the eyes of a student. You will leave this high-energy session not just with a conceptual understanding of emergent literacy, but with the practical, firsthand insight needed to immediately design and conduct accessible and engaging, comprehensive literacy lessons in your own classroom or district.
This room will have concurrent sessions occurring - please make considerations for hearing needs.
Molly Wrzesinski has worked in center based programming for students with severe multiple impairments at Northwest Education Services for the past seven years. Her caseload consists of students in preschool-12th grade, all of whom have complex communication needs and use some form... Read More →
Instructional Coach, Livingston Education Service Agency
Jaime Oppenlander has been implementing Comprehensive Literacy for All instructional routines for eight years. She brings fourteen years of experience teaching in a SXI/SCI inclusive classroom and is now in her sixth year as an instructional coach, working in both Grand Haven and... Read More →
Special Education Teacher, Lake Fenton Community Schools
Lauren Pawlowski is a passionate special education teacher with 18 years of experience working with students of all abilities. She has had the privilege of teaching in a variety of settings, including resource rooms and self-contained classrooms, with a strong focus on supporting... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:45am EST 104/105 A & B
As our schools continue to focus on literacy development, we still experience gaps for some of our neurodiverse students who may have issues surrounding both areas. Professionals debate the best strategies for support while the outside world focuses on “standardization” and whether tools for support are “cheating.” Ironically, AAC in all forms can be utilized to enhance literacy development and takes into account gaps where even neurotypical students may have difficulty communicating ideas.
This presentation focuses on how the integration of AAC does actually assist students in both literacy and communication. We will spend time with both hardware and software in an effort to add a layer of consistency in how these areas can be reinforced allowing for students of all abilities to engage to the best of their own abilities while understanding the range of abilities in their peers.
We will start by looking at “hardware” on the no-tech, low tech, and mid-tech sides of AAC. Through the use of these tools in a more holistic manner and with a differentiated purpose can augment how all students are developing their skills. By looking at items like static communication boards and platforms as well as both single-message and multi-message communicators, we can begin to redesign how these are being used with the impact of reaching more students. We will also touch upon how various reader pens can move that approach to literacy along as the students develop their core skills.
We will then approach “software” and look at how it can be that support in multiple manners as well. We find that there are a lot of programs that meet specific needs. Those are very effective in the cases of an individual. However, there are also other programs that can be used by larger groups of students with the intent of creating support structures that meet the demands of higher levels of education necessary for life beyond school. We will have time for brainstorming, interacting with devices, and questions so that the attendees can walk out of the session with ideas that can be incorporated immediately.
Special Education Teachers play a critical role in providing AAC supports to students with disabilities in the learning environment. Because most teachers do not possess the skills of a Speech Language Pathologist/Therapist, it is difficult for them to believe that they can, and should, provide AAC supports on a daily basis. Often there is inadequate training on the “how to” and the “why” of providing supports that students require in order to learn and demonstrate their knowledge. When educators begin to think about AAC as a means to talk about the content it can become easier to integrate into the daily instruction. This session will demonstrate how educators can integrate AAC devices into the course of the day: all day, every day, impacting how students who use AAC can see themselves as communicators.
Laura Taylor is a retired Special Education Teacher with a passion for supporting learners who require the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to communicate. Laura is a Certified PODD Presenter and has taught students who use AAC to communicate.
Friday November 6, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am EST Big Ten C
What happens when you walk into a classroom to coach AAC implementation and realize one staff member was hired last week and the other has been there for fifteen years?
This session follows one SLP's journey from well-meaning but directionless classroom visits to a structured, flexible and collaborative coaching model built around a simple but powerful shift: before the AAC learner can build skills, the communication partner has to. At the heart of the model is a defined set of communication partner skills (or competencies) but what makes it work is who gets to choose. When staff can see their own gaps and select their focus area, coaching stops feeling like an observation and starts feeling like ownership.
AT/AAC Teacher Specialist, Canyons School District
Michaela Ball is a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) who works to support teachers and SLPs in the Canyons School District in Sandy, Utah and serves on the district’s Utah Assistive Technology Team. She began her journey working in film as a production sound recordist and now uses... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am EST Lincoln
The transition from "having an AAC tool" to "using it all day" is where implementation often stalls. We frequently encounter device abandonment because it was poorly matched to the task at hand. Let’s move away from a static, one-system-fits-all approach and toward a dynamic, multimodal framework. By matching AAC features to a student's daily tasks instead of relying on a single tool, this session shows how to keep communication functional even in high-stress moments. The session begins by grounding participants in a 'traffic light framework' to navigate decision-making, highlighting the complex interplay between cognitive, physical, and linguistic demands, access challenges, and a student’s engagement or motivation. In this hands-on lab, participants will dive into our onsite AAC library to solve real-world case studies and practice mapping a multimodal toolkit that supports a student’s communication needs across every activity in their day. This session provides a clear rationale for dynamically pivoting between high-tech devices and light-tech systems. When teams adopt this proactive lens, they honor the AAC user's fluctuating energy and effort. This directly supports autonomy by ensuring the individual always has an accessible way to communicate, regardless of the environment. Participants will leave with a practical framework to support student communication throughout the day.
Jarrett Bassett is an SLP with a love for communication in all forms. Currently working with the Young Adult Service of Ottawa Area ISD as an AAC consultant and SLP; he works to find real world solutions for students aged 18-26, as they enter the next stage of their lives. He also... Read More →
Megan Hojnacki is an SLP by training and currently an AT/AAC specialist for Alt+Shift. After a transformative experience at Camp Alec (as seen on Disney+) and 20 years of experience in public education, Megan is a firm believer that literacy and AAC are inseparable rights for all... Read More →
Kelsey Brewer, M.A. is an assistive technology and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) specialist with over nine years of experience in special education. Her primary expertise lies in Early Childhood Special Education, specifically supporting students ages 3–5. Kelsey’s... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am EST Room 103 A & B
The saying, “It takes a village” is a fundamental truth for professionals who are dedicated to supporting individuals with complex communication needs. They must work within multidisciplinary teams, navigate complicated systems, and use advanced clinical expertise to ensure individuals have a voice. Professionals and caregivers bear the full weight of assessing and implementing AAC while also addressing the many advocacy needs around AAC. They are tasked with constantly championing AAC representation in schools, health systems, and in the community. Professionals who support individuals with AAC are constantly faced with systemic barriers that affect access to care, cause ethical dilemmas, and can impact interprofessional care. Hurdles include battling with insurance after multiple denials to have devices approved, facing limitations for funding and staffing within their organizations, and supporting complex family systems. Often, these barriers are related to national and state laws that govern systems that AAC users interact with daily.
This session will empower professionals in understanding the specific special education and health care laws that impact AAC care delivery. Participants will examine common barriers across settings, including schools and medical arenas, and discuss current legal frameworks that should guide decision making regarding access to AAC devices and services. Avenues for advocacy and systems change will be explored during the session. Moving beyond identification, participants will explore collaborative strategies to support interprofessional practice within education, health care, and administration. Finally, participants will evaluate their current service delivery models to identify "friction points" and ways to address these barriers to ensure that, despite different approaches and professional limitations, the advocacy efforts are re-centered on the individual AAC user. The ultimate objective of this presentation is for participants to generate a concrete, actionable roadmap that is informed by current laws and policies to support the provision of best practices in AAC.
Speech Language Pathologist, AAC Consultant, ABility Consulting
Ashley is a speech language pathologist with 15 years of dedicated clinical experience in AAC. Her career has spanned multiple states and the full developmental spectrum—from early intervention through young adulthood—with a specialized focus on supporting students with complex... Read More →
Brittany is a clinical social worker with over a decade of experience with children, adults, and families with disabilities in a variety of settings. She began her career as a medical social worker, where she supported pediatric and adult patients and joined forces with rehabilitation... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am EST Auditorium
For students with complex communication needs in life skills classrooms, AAC is most effective when it is woven throughout the school day, not isolated to therapy sessions. Yet many districts, especially those in rural or underserved areas, struggle to provide consistent, expert-driven AAC support due to staffing shortages, geographic barriers, and limited classroom-based AAC training. The result is too often the same: AAC devices that sit unused outside of therapy time, classroom staff who feel uncertain about how to support communication, and AAC users whose access to a robust language system is limited to a few minutes per week. This session shares a hybrid service delivery model designed to close that gap. Built and refined by Interact Therapy, the model combines virtual SLP expertise with in-person classroom support so that AAC implementation extends across the full school day. Presenters will share findings from a 12-week mixed-methods case study in a rural public school district, including a 42% increase in student AAC usage, 70% of participating students showing more independent communication attempts, and 100% of classroom staff reporting improved confidence in supporting AAC. This work was selected as a 2025 ASHA Convention Centennial Session for its potential to shape future practice in telepractice and AAC service delivery. Beyond the data, attendees will leave with practical tools developed through the project, including a staff competency checklist, a weekly planning template, and a communication opportunity matrix that maps AAC use across classroom routines. The session will include time for small-group discussion of common implementation barriers and table-based work applying the tools to attendees' own settings. This session is especially relevant for school-based SLPs, classroom teachers and paraprofessionals, district administrators, telepractice providers, and AAC specialists. Family members and AAC users are warmly invited; their perspectives on what truly all-day AAC access looks and feels like are central to the work this model supports.
Marleah Herman-Umpleby, MS, CCC-SLP, is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Online Speech-Language Pathology Program at West Virginia University, where she leads online graduate education and teaches courses in AAC, speech sound disorders, and clinical practice. She... Read More →
Stephanie is an SLP with a passion for helping individuals realize their full potential. With over 30 years of experience, Stephanie has provided assessment and treatment for children and adults with complex communication needs. With a specialty in augmentative and alternative... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST Lincoln
What comes first, the chicken or the egg? The same may be said of meaningful goals and skill-building interactions and instruction for early AAC learners. This 2-part session will begin with a deep dive into drafting meaningful goals for early AAC learners, then shift to explore opportunities and examples of skill-building interactions and instructional activities. Early AAC learners who are developing skills related to engaging with their AAC often learn and interact in ways that are dynamic, may be difficult to describe and quantify, and are often on timelines that do not fit neatly into an IEP cycle. This poses a notable challenge for writing IEP goals, that by design, focus on students demonstrating defined skills in identified contexts. Another factor is that there is substantial onus on communication partners to provide ample aided language input, and responsive, skill-building feedback to support learning and foster foundational language development.
This session will look at the components of a goal and outline a framework for drafting goals that reflect the necessary learner + communication partner contributions for learning and engaging with AAC. This framework guides a goal writing process that: 1) describes student skills in nuanced ways, 2) considers a range of goal targets informed by communicative competencies, 3) includes necessary conditions for learning such as partner input and feedback, and 4) formulates goal criteria that reflects increases in consistency over time, and across partners and environments. A link to a workbook will be provided that participants can use and replicate to guide their goal-writing practices, and guide collaborative goal writing in teams. The second part of this session will explore opportunities to develop AAC learner skills across communicative competencies. Through examples and discussion participants will engage in action-planning related to operational competencies. Participant input and contributions will guide conversation and exploration of resources to support social and strategic competencies. Linguistic competence will be discussed with a focus on the descriptive teaching approach. Sample lessons will be shared and developed to systematically identify the “language of the lesson”; purposeful vocabulary selection to shape AAC learning and concept development of key ideas across multiple and varied activities.
Tabi Jones-Wohleber currently works as an AAC-focused SLP supporting families through the WV Birth to Three program. She previously worked as a school-based Assistive Technology Team leader for 17 years. Tabi created the widely shared Model as a MASTER PAL training series, and has authored chapters on AAC implementations in various texts. Tabi has worked with Angelman Syndrome family organizations in multiple countries, and presents on AAC-related topics at local, state, national, and international conferences... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST Big Ten C
When a student "acts out," what are they truly telling us? For students with complex communication needs, behavior is often the most powerful—and sometimes only—tool available to express unmet needs. This interactive session challenges educators to shift their perspective from seeking compliance to fostering connection and understanding.
Participants will begin by reflecting on how their own beliefs, biases, and reactions shape their responses to student behavior. We will explore the neuroscientific link between anxiety and regulation and introduce the concept of interoception—the "eighth sense" that helps students recognize internal body signals like hunger, pain, or distress. By moving toward an interoceptive approach, educators can support a student’s unique inner experience rather than forcing them to mask it. To support this shift, we will discuss a variety of strategies to utilize Augmentative and Alternative Communication to support student regulation, autonomy, and communication needs, especially in moments of communication breakdown. We will explore how robust modeling provides students with the essential vocabulary for self-advocacy and emotional expression before an escalation occurs. Furthermore, we will examine how to use AAC to validate a student's autonomy—honoring "no" or "stop" through their device to reduce the need for physical resistance. By providing a reliable voice during high-stress moments, we can decrease the communicative breakdown that often leads to dysregulation. Through hands-on practice, attendees will learn to use a Communicative Behavior Inventory framework to attribute meaning to specific behaviors and plan adult responses that prioritize co-regulation over control. Together, we will walk away with concrete strategies to support students in communicating even in their toughest moments.
Megan Hojnacki is an SLP by training and currently an AT/AAC specialist for Alt+Shift. After a transformative experience at Camp Alec (as seen on Disney+) and 20 years of experience in public education, Megan is a firm believer that literacy and AAC are inseparable rights for all... Read More →
Kelsey Brewer, M.A. is an assistive technology and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) specialist with over nine years of experience in special education. Her primary expertise lies in Early Childhood Special Education, specifically supporting students ages 3–5. Kelsey’s... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST Auditorium
Experience comprehensive literacy instruction from the user’s perspective in this 75-minute, highly interactive, and immersive training session. Designed for educators seeking actionable strategies for emergent learners who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), this workshop skips the traditional lecture and drops you directly into the student experience. Attendees will assume the roles of students who rely on AAC systems, navigating real-world classroom barriers and breakthroughs while learning exactly how to implement four of the core components of a comprehensive emergent literacy framework. The heart of the session is a fast-paced, 17-minute rotational circuit. Moving through four distinct instructional modules, participants will actively engage in live, simulated lessons modeled by experienced educators. The four specialized modules include:
Robust Vocabulary Instruction: Learn how to select, introduce, and deeply teach high-utility core and fringe vocabulary words using explicit instruction and multi-modal AAC modeling.
Shared Reading: Experience the "Comment, Ask, Respond" interaction technique to maximize student engagement and language learning during group or one-on-one reading.
Predictable Chart Writing: Participate in a structured, multi-day writing process that teaches emergent communicators sentence structure, print concepts, and the power of their own words.
Alphabet & Phonological Awareness: Discover explicit and accessible methods for teaching letter names, letter sounds, and phonological concepts without requiring spoken responses.
By rotating through every station, attendees will experience literacy instruction through the eyes of a student. You will leave this high-energy session not just with a conceptual understanding of emergent literacy, but with the practical, firsthand insight needed to immediately design and conduct accessible and engaging, comprehensive literacy lessons in your own classroom or district.
This room will have concurrent sessions occurring - please make considerations for hearing needs.
Molly Wrzesinski has worked in center based programming for students with severe multiple impairments at Northwest Education Services for the past seven years. Her caseload consists of students in preschool-12th grade, all of whom have complex communication needs and use some form... Read More →
Instructional Coach, Livingston Education Service Agency
Jaime Oppenlander has been implementing Comprehensive Literacy for All instructional routines for eight years. She brings fourteen years of experience teaching in a SXI/SCI inclusive classroom and is now in her sixth year as an instructional coach, working in both Grand Haven and... Read More →
Special Education Teacher, Lake Fenton Community Schools
Lauren Pawlowski is a passionate special education teacher with 18 years of experience working with students of all abilities. She has had the privilege of teaching in a variety of settings, including resource rooms and self-contained classrooms, with a strong focus on supporting... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST 104/105 A & B
A lot of work goes into prescribing and obtaining an AAC device for individuals who cannot rely on speech for effective communication. But putting a device in front of an individual is only the beginning of the journey. Unfortunately, AAC devices are often abandoned (or worse, rejected) by users. Using AAC effectively is a difficult process that involves a variety of motivational factors, including physical access, opportunity for use, acceptance of format and committed communication partners. When one of these elements breaks down, AAC use can decline significantly. This session will address a variety of reasons for AAC device abandonment/rejection/refusal and will propose strategies to rejuvenate and inspire use.
Speech Language Pathologist, North Lawrence Community Schools
Kim Hurley, MA, CCC-SLP, is a dedicated Speech-Language Pathologist with 25 years of experience serving Indiana public schools. She currently works for North Lawrence Community Schools, where she supports students from K-12+ with complex educational and communication needs. A passionate... Read More →
Friday November 6, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST Room 103 A & B
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) applications provide robust instructional tools that can support student access, participation, communication, and independence across academic environments. While AAC systems are often viewed primarily as tools for expressive communication, many also contain built-in features that can be leveraged to support literacy, classroom engagement, organization, and self-advocacy. Understanding how to integrate these tools into daily instruction can help educators and service providers create more inclusive learning opportunities for students who use AAC. This interactive conference session will examine the use of Unity AAC, with emphasis on integrated tools that extend beyond core vocabulary access. A brief introductory review of Unity will be provided for participants who are less familiar with the system; however, the session will not focus on reviewing or practicing Unity vocabulary. Instead, participants will engage in structured small-group exploration of selected Unity features and discuss how these tools can be incorporated into classroom instruction and educational routines. Each small group will examine specific features, identify potential instructional applications, and consider how the tools may support student engagement, academic achievement, and independent participation. Unity tools to be explored include Notepad, Whiteboard, Photo Album, Place Cursor, Share to Apps, and Voice Assistants. Through guided discussion and collaborative problem-solving, participants will analyze how these features may be used to support literacy development, written expression, note-taking, comprehension, classroom participation, organization, social interaction, and student self-advocacy. Groups will also discuss potential barriers to implementation and generate practical strategies for overcoming those challenges in a variety of educational settings.
Following small-group discussions, participants will share their observations, ideas, and implementation strategies with the larger audience. This whole-group debrief will provide an opportunity to learn from multiple perspectives, exchange best practices, and develop a broader understanding of how Unity tools can be used to support students across diverse academic environments. Attendees are encouraged to bring an iPad with the Unity Discover app installed, if possible; a limited number of devices will be available for participant use during the session.
I am starting to using AAC since I was 7 years old. Now I am at East Kentwood High School. I was the first student to use AAC in my district. Join me on November 6th. Thank You
