#TalkingAAC 2026: Full Schedule

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

8:30am EST

Step Inside the Classroom: An Immersive, Fast-Paced Journey Through Emergent Literacy and AAC

Friday November 6, 2026 8:30am - 9:45am EST

104/105 A & B

Limited Capacity seats available

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.

Presenters

Molly Wrzesinski

SLP, Northwest Education Services

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 →

Amy Devin

ASD Teacher, Royal Oak Schools

I am a teacher who has a passion for teaching literacy and communication to students who use AAC and require language support to learn.

Jaime Oppenlander

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 →

Lauren Pawlowski

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

General Session

12:15pm EST

Step Inside the Classroom: An Immersive, Fast-Paced Journey Through Emergent Literacy and AAC

Friday November 6, 2026 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST

104/105 A & B

Limited Capacity seats available

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.