Challenging False Beliefs About AAC Use with Children and Adults

DESCRIPTION:

Myths are widely held but false beliefs. This seminar will provide an overview of myths that have hampered the use of AAC with children and adults with disabilities. These are myths about funding, beginning services, the development of speech, technology, and the use of speech-generating devices, to name a few. We will provide evidence from the AAC literature to refute the appropriateness of these myths. We will also discuss strategies to debunk the myths when confronted with them.

PRESENTED BY: MaryAnn Romski, Ph.D., and Rose A. Sevcik, Ph.D.

MODERATED BY: Betsy Caporale, M.S., CCC-SLP, AAC/AT Specialist

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

MaryAnn Romski, Ph.D. is Regents Professor of Communication, Psychology, and Communication Sciences & Disorders at Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Romski is a Fellow of ISAAC, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), and the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). She received the Honors of ASHA in 2015, the AAIDD Leadership Award in 2019, and the AAIDD President’s Award in 2021. Her research program focuses on the communication development of children and adults with developmental disorders who encounter difficulty speaking, particularly developing computerized communication interventions including a self-guided app to teach parents communication strategies to use with their children at home. Dr. Romski has published 3 books, more than 150 articles, and chapters, and has given numerous national and international presentations. She is the past chair of the National Joint Committee (NJC) on the Communication Needs of Individuals with Severe Disabilities and remains a member. She is the incoming co-editor of AAC.

Rose A. Sevcik, Ph.D. is Regents’ Professor of Psychology at Georgia State University, Atlanta, and Co-Director of the Center for Research on the Challenges of Acquiring Language and Literacy (RCALL). She is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC), the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), and the Association for Psychological Science (APS). She is past President of AAIDD’s Communication Disorders Division and former Coordinator for ASHA’s Special Interest Division 12: AAC. Her funded research program focuses on the language, literacy and communication development of children and youth with significant developmental disabilities. She has an extensive publication record and has given numerous presentations to national and international audiences. She is a member and Co-Chair of the National Joint Committee on the Communication Needs of Individuals with Severe Disabilities and the incoming co-editor of AAC.

PARTICIPANTS WILL:

• Describe myths that hamper AAC service delivery
• Characterize strategies to debunk these myths

TIME ORDERED AGENDA:

• 5 minutes: Introduction of Speakers, USSAAC and topic
• 10 minutes: Myths: What are they and how they affect communication success
• 20 minutes: Myth Busters: Evidence to debunk myths
• 20 minutes: Strategies for debunking myths
• 5 minutes: Q & A

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) CEUs in speech-language pathology and
audiology are awarded by the ASHA CE Registry upon receipt of the CEU Participant Form from the ASHA Approved CE Provider, USSAAC. CEU Participant Forms are available onsite at Registration. ASHA CEUs are provided to full registrations. This program is offered for .1 ASHA CEUs (Introductory Level, Professional Area)

ASHA Disclosures:

• Speakers
  • Financial:
    • Dr. Romski has no financial disclosures to report.
    • Dr. Sevcik has no financial disclosures to report.
  • Nonfinancial:
    • Drs. Sevcik and Romski are members of the National Joint Committee on the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (NJC). They are the authors of two papers on myths and AAC (Romski & Sevcik, 2005; Sevcik et al., 2022). They are also the incoming editors of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication journal.

• Moderator
  • Betsy Caporale has no financial disclosures to report. She serves on the board of USSAAC (nonfinancial).

PLEASE NOTE: Only the first 150 attendees to log into
the webinar will be guaranteed spots.

USSAAC EDUCATION COMMITTEE:

Betsy Caporale, Richard Hurtig, Sharon Redmon, Wendy Quach

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