AAC Disaster Relief Committee, AAC and Disasters: Are You Ready?

All USSAAC stakeholder groups should prepare for disasters. This webinar focuses on actions/ resources key to disaster preparation, response, relief and recovery. We will highlight a family’s perspective and discuss the importance of planning, as well as staying flexible. We will also discuss long term recovery issues and the emotional toll disasters inflict on those impacted. All people who use AAC should have access to their communication tools at all times.

Register for Webinar: September 2019 Webinar Registration

PLEASE NOTE: Only the first 100 attendees to log into the webinar will be guaranteed spots.

Files: ASHA CEU Participant Form, Certificate of Attendance

Please give us your feedback on this webinar by completing the Participant Survey

About the Presenters:

Tina Caswell is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at Ithaca College, teaching and supervising in the area of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She is a member of the Disaster Relief Committee of USSACC and her clinical experience encompasses private practice providing services in early intervention, preschool programs and public schools.

Sobha George is a USSAAC member and the mother of two young adults with autism. She is also a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) and Clinical Measures Nurse at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. In addition she is an active member in the Texas Parent-to-Parent Organization.

Sarah Blackstone currently serves as USSAAC’s past president and co-chair of its Membership and Disaster Relief committees. She remains deeply committed to addressing barriers to communication ACCESS across settings, circumstances and communication partners. She currently serves on the NIDCD Council and the Boards of several non-profits. Publications include Augmentative Communication News; Social Networks: A Communication Inventory for Individuals with CCN and their Communication Partners, and Patient-Provider Communication: Roles of Speech-Language Pathologists and Other Health Professionals. Employment history: Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh, Johns Hopkins/Kennedy Krieger Institute, Augmentative Communication Inc., Berkeley Unified School District and the AAC-RERC.

Moderated By:

Liz Begley, M.A. CCC-SLP, Disaster Relief Committee Member

Participants will be able to:

1.  Describe relevant actions for AAC users across the disaster cycle
2. Determine appropriate strategies for long term recovery.
3. Apply disaster knowledge/skills to individual AAC users, families, and clinicians.

TIME ORDERED AGENDA:

• 5 Minutes: Introduction of Speaker, USSAAC and Topic
• 10 Minutes: First Person Perspective by a Harvey family with two young adult AAC users.
• 15 Minutes: Action and Resources over the disaster cycle
• 15 Minutes: Recovery Strategies for all
• 10 Minutes: Action steps-applying what we know
• 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:

Presenter and moderator have no financial  disclosures to report.  Non-financial disclosure: Members of USSAAC’s Disaster Relief committee

USSAAC EDUCATION COMMITTEE:

Sarah Blackstone, Betsy Caporale, Gretchen Cole-Lade, Amy Goldman, Amanda
Hettenhausen, Mike Hipple, Richard Hurtig, Stephanie Meehan, Wendy Quach,
Lisa Timm