Reducing Device Abandonment: A Team Approach to AAC Evaluations

Presenter(s)

Event Details

Topic:

augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)

Format:

lecture

Subject Level:

intermediate

Age Span:

kindergarten - grade 6
grades 7-12
adult

Target Audience:

AT specialist
deaf / hard of hearing
K-12 administration
occupational therapist
physical therapist
special educator
speech language pathologist
vision impairment specialist

Professional Development Credits

IACET CEUs:

0.01

ACVREP CEs:

1

Presentation Length: 1 hour

Location:

Verandas 2, 4

Description:

This session prepares speech-language pathologists to conduct student-centered AAC evaluations and lead collaborative, interdisciplinary teams. Participants will learn how to identify essential components of a tailored AAC evaluation while balancing research-based practices with individual student needs. Emphasis will be placed on reducing device abandonment through a “tool last” approach and proactive team decision-making. Key frameworks, including the SETT Framework, will be introduced to support alignment between the student, environments, and communication demands. Through two case studies, attendees will see how evaluation principles are applied in real-world contexts. Participants will leave with practical strategies to guide AAC evaluations and confidently facilitate team-based processes that support meaningful, functional communication outcomes.

Learning Outcomes:

As a result of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Identify factors known to contribute to device abandonment

• Define “tool last approach”

• Determine the necessary elements for a student-tailored AAC evaluation, using two case studies

Disclosures:

Financial Disclosures:
• Salaried employee of Lane Education Service District

Non-Financial Disclosures:
• None