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Act now! We reach capacity and sell out every year. Registration closes Wednesday, October 28, 2026 — or sooner if capacity is reached.

Ticket Options

  • #TalkingAAC: Pre-Conference Workshop
    Wednesday, November 4, 2026 | 12:00–4:00 PM
    Kellogg Center, East Lansing, MI

    • Choose one 4-hour workshop

    • Cost: $100

    • Full details click here

  • #TalkingAAC: Two-Day Conference
    Thursday & Friday, November 5-6, 2026

    • Build your schedule for this two-day event

    • Cost: $300

    • Price includes breakfast, lunch, & parking

    • Full details click here

NOTE: To attend all 3 days, you must purchase both a Pre-Conference Workshop ticket and a Two-Day Conference ticket.

Registration & Session Planning

All registration and session planning will be handled via Sched:

  • Click the green Log In or Sign Up button below to access Sched.

  • Then proceed to purchase your ticket(s).

  • After you’ve purchased your ticket(s), you can plan which sessions you’d like to attend.

  • New to using the Sched app? To take a tour click here
  • Need to update your app to this year’s conference? In the Sched app, go to My Account > Change Events> type in the name of the event #TalkingAAC 2026
  • A new Guest Buyer option lets you purchase tickets for others without creating a SCHED account. Once ticket(s) are selected, choose Continue as Guest.

Ticket Purchase - Error Message

  • If you receive an error message when purchasing your ticket, please contact TalkingAAC at [email protected] or 517-299-5200 for assistance.

    •     ⚠️ Please do not attempt to purchase again, as this may result in duplicate tickets.

Refunds & Ticket Transfers

  • Refunds available up to 10 days before the event. Sched & Stripe fees are non-refundable.

  • Ticket transfers (e.g., to a coworker) may be approved before October 28, 2026.

Stay Informed

Watch for updates from #TalkingAAC and Sched with session details and reminders as the event approaches.

Questions?

www.talkingaac.org

[email protected]

517-299-5200 
← Back to schedule
United for AAC: Law, Advocacy, and Action
Friday November 6, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am EST
Auditorium
Limited Capacity seats available
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.
Presenters
avatar for Ashley Robinson, M.S., CCC-SLP

Ashley Robinson, M.S., CCC-SLP

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 →
avatar for Brittany Shupe-Sawyer, LMSW

Brittany Shupe-Sawyer, LMSW

Social Worker, Advocate, ABility Consulting
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
  General Session

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