Purpose:
To provide equitable access to best-practice knowledge through professional development, forums of collaboration and a supported learning community to those who support Oregon learners with complex communication needs. The sessions are designed to increase the capacity of educators, therapists and families for effective Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems selection and strategies for integration into learner goals.
ECHO Voices sessions will be held the first and third Wednesdays of each month, from 8 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. Pacific. Advance registration is not required. All sessions will be recorded and archived on this newsletter, for future viewing.
Each session begins with a 30 minute topic presentation plus Q&A time, followed by a case study/didactic of an unidentified student. Contact us if you would like to present a case.
Zoom Join URL for all ECHO Voices sessions: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89312436522?pwd=WkxldG1FMUZTOUtLckpFcU1tWHBFUT09
More about ECHO https://echo.unm.edu/about-echo/ (Extension of Community Health Outcomes)
Information about using Zoom Joining a Zoom webinar
Kelly Fonner, MS
Educational/Assistive Technology Consultant
Kelly sets up the ECHO Voices year with the considerations, roles, and points of view of those who are the known and unknown communication partners to individuals who have complex communication needs. You will have an opportunity to share your ideas, concerns and questions that will impact the presentations for the entire year of ECHO voices.
Tanna (Tannalynn) Neufield, MS, CCC-SLP
Founder & Director of AACcessible & The AAC Academy
Click here for more info on Tanna
Are you looking for down home strategies to weave language learning into the daily grind? This session aims to meet you and your child where you are and give the tools to make magic language building moments a part of your everyday family life.
Speech Language Pathologist
Click here for more on Carolyn
As educators and therapists, many of us know that push-in services can be a home-run for our young AAC users! However, many of us still struggle to implement this service delivery model due to logistics, schedules, and the fear of the unknown. According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, therapists typically spend over 19 hours a week in pull-out service delivery, and only 6 hours in push-in services on average. In this session, we will discuss the many benefits of push-in therapy for our AAC users, as well as strategies and activities to implement this service delivery model with confidence and ease!
Authentic Expression, LLC
When you hear the word coach, what do you think of? There are many different types of coaching models and styles. During this presentation, relationship-driven, stakeholder-centered, and client-centered models will be discussed, including the pros and cons of each and how they can be used in assistive technology or AAC coaching.
Sarah Weber
Speech Language Pathologist
Click here for more about Sarah
When it comes to new skills, practice is necessary for proficiency, and consent is no different. This need is amplified when supporting students with multiple disabilities and/or complex communication needs who may not have bodily autonomy. This presentation will discuss how to teach consent across educational settings.
AAC Mentor
Krista Howard is a single mom in her 30s pursuing her career with fervor and dedication. What you don’t know about Krista, without meeting her in person, is that she has a disability affecting her speech and the use of her left arm. In this ECHO Voices session, Krista, will share her lived experiences with AAC and her focus on AAC Advocacy.
Assistive Technology Coordinator
Do you feel your staff does an excellent job implementing AAC at school, but would like to provide more resources for parents at home? Come learn about how this unit school district provides coaching, training, and resources for families of children at the early childhood level to help them gain comfort and confidence with supporting their young child who uses AAC. Parent involvement begins before device implementation in an effort to empower them and create a partnership. The SETT Framework for AAC consideration (modified from Dr. Joy Zabala’ SETT Framework) is utilized as a springboard for ongoing collaboration. Many of the activity ideas, resources, and tips that we provide for families (both in person and virtual options) will be presented.
AAC Specialist/Speech Language Pathologist
The National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities (NJC) developed a Communication Bill of Rights citing 15 fundamental rights that allow people to participate fully in their relationships and their communities. This presentation will describe how one SLP/AAC Specialist took the Bill of Rights "off the wall" and put it into practice, in helping 18-22 year old post High School Transition students to develop communicative advocacy and autonomy skills.
Paige Buckingham, MS, CCC-SLP
Owner, Buckingham Educational Services & Training, LLC
Executive Function Skills are the foundational skills we use daily to perform our lives
independently. What do these skills look like for a person who uses AAC? Do they have these
skills, and how do we teach these skills? Together we will look at executive function skills and
how they impact language and individuals who use AAC. Strategies to focus on building skills
will be shared along with examples of what this can look like in the classroom or home setting.
Educational/Assistive Technology Consultant
Kelly wraps up the year with the OTAP Team by reviewing the major takeaways from the year of ECHO Voices presentations. You will have an opportunity to share your takeaways and accomplishments from this 2022-23 school year.
