We are happy to announce another guest webinar, "Communication Partner Instruction in AAC", presented by Jill E. Senner, PhD, CCC-SLP and Matt Baud, M.S., CCC-SLP.
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) can be invaluable in helping children with complex communication needs express themselves at home and in the classroom. However, providing the appropriate piece of technology alone does not ensure successful communication (Douglas, 2012). Rather, the success of a communication interaction between an AAC user and a communication partner will depend heavily on the skills of the communication partner (Kent-Walsh & McNaughton, 2005). Recent analyses of communication partner training programs suggest that there is consistent evidence that communication partner instruction not only improves the skills of communication partners but also has a positive impact on the communication of people who use AAC (Douglas, 2012; Kent-Walsh, Murza, Malani, & Binger, 2015; Shire & Jones, 2015). This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the importance of communication partner instruction, review training elements found in successful communication partner training programs, and discuss research regarding the effectiveness of school staff and family instruction in partner-augmented input.
The webinar will take place on April 5, 2018 at 1pm ET. You can register here
Jill E. Senner, PhD, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist with 20 years of experience working with children with complex communication needs. She is the owner/director of Technology and Language Center where she specializes in providing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) services including assessment, consultation and training, and workshops/lectures. Dr. Senner has presented at numerous national assistive technology conferences and has taught graduate courses in AAC and swallowing disorders. She has published research in the areas of AAC, siblings and disability, and swallowing disorders in cerebral palsy. talcaac@gmail.com
Matthew R. Baud, MS, CCC-SLP, has been working with AAC for the past 14 years. He currently is the Assistive Technology Coordinator at Niles Township District for Special Education (NTDSE) performing evaluations, trainings and coaching communication partners. Matthew also has his own AAC private practice working with individuals with complex communication needs from birth through adulthood. He is an adjunct professor at Saint Xavier University where he teaches a graduate course in AAC and has presented at national and state conferences. Matthew has published research in the areas of AAC mbaud@ntdse.org
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