Education

The First Word in Accessibility is ACCESS (Regan, 2024)

November 16, 2024 by David McNaughton

by Patrick Regan

Patrick Regan

Patrick Regan has been an AAC user for more than 27 years. He experiences Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2, and he received his first speech-generating device a few months after his second birthday. Patrick is USSAAC’s President Elect. He is also a member of ISAAC’s LEAD committee. He is employed as a Media Tech Coordinator, and a Senior Media Tech for St. John United Methodist Church in Anchorage, Alaska. And he serves as the Coordinator of Activities and Events, and Co-President for Bridging Communities Through Alternative Communication (“BCTAC”), an adult outreach program of The Bridge School, in Hillsborough, California.

Webcast Description

Patrick describes his experiences in acquiring and using AAC technology. This presentation was first made at the Future of AAC Research Summit on May 14, 2024.

Cite as

Regan, P. (2024, May 14). The first word in accessibility is ACCESS [Video recording]. Future of AAC Research Summit, Arlington, VA. https://tinyurl.com/AAC-Regan-2024

(Transcript as pdf)

Video production by Patrick Regan

Additional Resources

Regan, P. (2023, June 6). Introducing Speak Up! and AACT.

Supporting individuals who need AAC in learning language & literacy (Holyfield et al, 2024)

November 16, 2024 by David McNaughton

Presentation Team

Christine Holyfield, Janice Light, David McNaughton, Dana Nieder, and Jamie Preece

Webcast Description

This presentation was first made at the Future of AAC Research Summit on May 14, 2024.

Cite as
Holyfield, C., Light, J., McNaughton, D., Nieder, D., & Preece, J. (2024, May 14). Supporting individuals who need AAC in learning language & literacy: State of the science, emerging technologies, and future research directions [Video recording]. Future of AAC Research Summit, Arlington, VA. https://tinyurl.com/AAC-Holyfield-et-al-2024

(Transcript as pdf)

Video production by Rebecca Wood (Penn State University)

Additional Resources

Light, J., Barwise, A., Gardner, A. M., & Flynn, M. (2021). Personalized early AAC intervention to build language and literacy skills: A case study of a 3-year-old with complex communication needs. Topics in Language Disorders, 41(3), 209-231.

Patenaude, D., McNaughton, D., & Liang, Z. (2024). Using visual scene displays with young children: An evidence-based practice synthesis. Journal of Special Education Technology, Early on-line.

AAC Colloquium – Autumn 2024

September 3, 2024 by Bethany Frick Semmler

AAC Colloquium is a weekly series of informal presentations on AAC by (and for) the Penn State AAC community. Both students and faculty are welcome to organize a session, please contact Beth Frick Semmler (bfs5682@psu.edu) if you would like to lead a session.

Presentations on a range of topics, including planned projects, completed projects, clinical updates, clinical challenges, etc. are all welcome.

AAC Colloquium will be held virtually on Mondays from 12 noon to 1 pm.

September 2, 2024
Labor Day – No Colloquium

September 9, 2024
Courtney Johnson
Use of AAC in Higher Education

September 16, 2024
Leslie Kate
Guest Speaker

September 23, 2024
Mark Steidl
Guest Speaker

September 30, 2024
Tara McCarty
Short mobile training of peers in a strategy for structuring an opportunity to communicate choices for students with multiple disabilities including cortical visual impairment

October 7, 2024
Esther Klang
The loneliness of not being able to communicate

October 14, 2024
Karla Armendariz
Juntos Pudimos, Juntos Podemos: Learning from Hispanic Caregiver Perspectives on AAC Service Delivery

October 21, 2024
Kelsey Steffen
A Scoping Review of AAC User Involvement in Conducting Research Focused on Adults with Cerebral Palsy who use AAC

October 28, 2024
Dawn Sowers
Targeted Motion RERC Project

November 4, 2024
Krista Wilkinson; Syed Billah; Dawn Sowers; Sharon Redmon
AI Solutions for AAC Access

November 18, 2024
Ryan Klingensmith
AAC Clinic Update

November 25, 2024
Thanksgiving Week – No Colloquium

December 2, 2024
ASHA Convention Week – No Colloquium

December 9, 2024
Jess Caron
AAC & Literacy

Literacy and AAC

August 19, 2024 by David McNaughton

Bob Williams

Bob Williams is the Policy Director of CommunicationFIRST, and has advanced the rights and opportunities of children, working age persons and older adults with disabilities for over 40 years by creating community living services, helping to pass the ADA, and administering the federally funded developmental disabilities and independent living networks.

Webcast Description

Bob describes barriers to literacy for people who need and use AAC, and needed actions to address “a nationwide disgrace”.

This presentation was first made at the Future of AAC Research Summit on May 14, 2024.

Please cite as
Williams, B. (2024, May 14). Literacy and AAC. [Webinar]. Future of AAC Research Summit, Arlington, VA. https://tinyurl.com/AAC-Williams-literacy-2024

(Transcript as PDF)

Video production by Dana Patenaude (Penn State University)

Additional Resources

Williams, B. (2024). See us – Hear us. [YouTube video].

Williams, B. (2021). Spelling it out: The ADA and the right to community. [Blogpost]

Williams, B. (2023). Unjustly isolated, silenced, and deprived of literacy and freedom of expression… Remarks to the Office for Civil Rights, US Department of Education by CommunicationFIRST Policy Director Bob Williams.

Bridging Research to Practice with Visual Scene Displays (VSDs)

October 21, 2020 by David McNaughton

Six AAC scholars describe the results of research examining creative uses of a visual scene display (VSD) approach to supporting communication. The webcast was sponsored by the Attainment Company and hosted by the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC). Please click on a link below to watch a specific topic.