Free Member Webinars

21 November 2024 (62 min)

This webinar addresses the role and impact of communication approaches for people who may become dysregulated, with reference to an adult person with communication access needs and ways of expressing their needs that present as a concern to others.

1. We discuss the need for an approach led by neurobiological, behavioural and social science-based lenses that seek to understand the experiences of people in response to unmet needs, to reduce their experience of anxiety and stress.

2. We present how one practitioner/Speech Pathologist utilised this knowledge and approach as a case study, discussing the integral role and skills of communication partners in supporting a person to regain a sense of regulation when aspects of their life result in a significant impact on their well-being. 

3. We reflect on the case study and the impact of three communication approaches as applied to a support worker setting that led to an increase in a person’s experience of safety, connection and regulation.

10 October 2024 (54 min)

Our research was about how adolescents with cerebral palsy who use alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), communicate about sexuality. The research was participatory, meaning that AAC users with cerebral palsy drove the research. For us, this meant making sure the research with the adolescents followed their lead and that they could tell us what their priorities for the research were. This also meant involving AAC users with cerebral palsy as “consumer research partners” through the whole research process. In this webinar, a clinician-researcher and an AAC user consumer research partner will share how this participatory approach impacted us and the research. We will also discuss how we evaluated our collaboration. 

Throughout the webinar, we will make practical recommendations that will be useful for anyone working with AAC users, whether that be in research, clinically, or on a project.

This research was supported by the AGOSCI 2023 Annual Research Grant.

10 October 2024 (37 min)

This research considered how adolescents with cerebral palsy who use alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), communicate about sexuality. The research was participatory, meaning AAC users with cerebral palsy drove the research. For us, this meant ensuring the research with the adolescents followed their lead and that they could tell us what their priorities for the research were. This also meant involving AAC users with cerebral palsy as “consumer research partners” throughout the process. In this webinar, a clinician-researcher and an AAC user consumer research partner will share how this participatory approach impacted us and the research. We also discuss how we evaluated our collaboration. 

Throughout the webinar, we make practical recommendations useful for anyone working with AAC users, whether that be in research, clinically, or on a project.

The AGOSCI 2023 Annual Research Grant supported this research.

8 April 2024

There are many genetic conditions with paediatric and adult-onset that cause loss of communication skills.

Changes in speech and language, as well as augmentative and alternative communication skills, are important for identifying regression. Speech and language features are often the very first signs of a genetic condition.

Changes in speech, language and augmentative and alternative communication skills can be sensitive markers of progression and response to treatment.

Join this webinar to consider how speech pathologists and other clinicians can work with families to support communication and plan for future communication needs for an individual experiencing a loss of skills.

26 March 2024 (SLIDES ONLY)

For people with complex communication needs who are recommended alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), getting the “right” device is an investment of time and money. However, device abandonment remains common, and researchers have attempted to investigate the causes of people abandoning devices. An alternate approach to AAC device prescription is the Communication Capability Approach (CCA) which uses the capability approach from Amartya Sen. This framework supports clinicians to view AAC users choosing how to communicate according to context and environment as a valid choice of the individual, rather than viewing this as abandonment. In this workshop, we unpack the Capability Approach and support attendees to consider the factors needed to create acceptance of AAC and success in communication.

22 February 2024

Avaz is a picture and text-based AAC app that empowers children and adults with complex communication needs to express themselves and learn.

Join this webinar to learn more about the Avaz AAC app, and where it might fit in your AAC toolkit.

31 January 2024

In this webinar, the research team share findings from their recent study about the experiences of people with cerebral palsy and their communication partners with eye-gaze control technology.

The research team asked about assessment, trials, ongoing use of the technology, goals, and the range of things people do with their technology. The 2023 AGOSCI Research Grant supported the study.

With consumer research partner Avril Parry, the research team discuss participant perspectives on what works well and what does not, and considerations about how to improve eye-gaze technology service provision. 

Join the conversation to optimise the eye-gaze control technology journey for people with cerebral palsy.

8 November 2023 

Many in the AGOSCI community prefer communicating with natural speech rather than using speech-generating devices. For those with 'non-standard' speech, it can be difficult for unfamiliar communication partners to understand their message. Speech support might include communication partners and AAC systems to supplement natural speech. Recently, voice-to-text technologies have become more accessible as an assistive technology for 'revoicing' natural speech.

AGOSCI and Voiceitt have partnered to provide members with an update on the Voiceitt spontaneous speech-to-text technologies.

In this webinar designed for health professionals, Rachel explains how individuals with 'non-standard' speech can use this communication tool as a support.

Following this webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Describe the communicative functions of the Voiceitt spontaneous speech web app 

• Understand the individuals this software is designed to support

• Access information about getting started with the Voiceitt technology.

24 October 2023

Everyone’s AAC journey is unique, as was Joseph's who has used various systems from low-tech paper-based options to electronic devices. Over the years, he has faced some challenges with implementing AAC in schools and the community, and he now shares anecdotes and some tips and tricks for the implementation of AAC into everyday life.

This webinar is Joseph's first public event as an AGOSCI AAC Mentor. 

Joseph lives with his parents and two siblings in Hobart, Tasmania. He uses an iPad to do everyday tasks such as communicating with people around him, writing emails and working on projects that interest him. Joseph has Cerebral Palsy, affecting him physically but not intellectually. 

Joseph is active in the AAC space, having presented as one of the keynote speakers at the AGOSCI conference in Hobart in 2022 and working as an AAC mentor with the Variety Motor Mouth Camps in Tasmania. He has recently been employed as a casual Teacher Assistant in the local support school, specifically for his AAC skill set.

Joseph has a keen interest in photo manipulation and creating digital art. He likes comedy shows such as Brooklyn Nine Nine and enjoys the occasional Boost Juice.

18 October 2023

In this webinar, Sid discusses his discovery of an alternative communication system that worked for him. He speaks about how AAC has helped him to access the community and advocate for 'non-speakers' to participate in the community. We also explore topics from Sid's book about his lived experience of Autism and his use of AAC. 

This webinar was Sid's first public event as an AGOSCI AAC Mentor. 

Sid is an autistic man who spent his early years without a formal means of communication. During his early school years, he attended autistic schools and completed his schooling at special schools.

He has a great curiosity about the nature of autism and the way it affects him. His recently published book 'An Unspoken Story' documents his struggles with the severe communication and sensory challenges of autism. It also deals with his discovery of an alternative system of communication that worked for him. He discusses this at length in his book and in this webinar. He states that AAC made a positive difference to his life. It helped him to connect with the world. Sid is learning to advocate for himself and access the wider world outside his inner circle through AAC.

Sidharth grew up in Sydney where he has spent all of his life. He loves the outdoors and music, and sports such as skating, swimming and biking. He also enjoys and considers writing to be his vocation. Sidharth has a website at Unspokenstory.com.au 

10 October 2023

Nell is an artist, children's author, ABC writer, and advocate , and she also has an Order of Australia for her fundraising work for charities such as Breast Cancer.

Nell lives in a crazy body that has a mind of its own due to Cerebral Palsy. She has never used any communication device in her adult life, instead using partner-assisted communication to get her messages and thoughts across in "World Normal".

In this webinar Nell shares her life tales of her guts and fighting against the odds to make an impact in the world.

By creating artwork and storytelling, Nell can show what non-verbal people can do. She hopes this will shift perspectives, change attitudes and contribute to more inclusive practices in businesses and the community. Nell aims to help people with disabilities overcome their limitations and achieve what they want to in life.

Nell has recently begun as the AGOSCI AAC Communicator Co-Rep and the Coordinator for the AGOSCI Mentors Program. She is looking forward to her roles. She hopes that she will be able to grow the AGOSCI vision with her knowledge and help the community to live in a more inclusive world.

6 October 2023 (30 min)

In this webinar Dale shares his lived experience of using AAC, including funny stories and his 10 tips on what he's learnt over the years from other people. 

Dale wants to present this webinar because he sees that people have ideas about best ways to teach AAC. Speech-language Pathologists are fantastic but they don’t live with the communication device.

Dale Gonelli is a communication device owner / communicator. He always loves to do drama and putting on plays. Since the age of 8 he has used a communication device in drama activities. He has performed at the Brisbane Powerhouse, with Contact Inc, and has been a mentor at 'Camp Have a Chat' for many years.

In 2021 Dale started working as a Liberator Ambassador, modelling use of the Minspeak Unity program on the Accent 1400 by using a switch at his knee with a scanning program on the communication device. In 2022, Dale was accepted and completed the Queensland Disability Network (QDN) – Emerging Leaders Program and currently volunteers as a local co-peer group convenor.

Dale has been involved with, attended and given presentations at AGOSCI conferences since 2005. In 2022, Dale joined AGOSCI as an AAC mentor and this is his first public presentation in that role.

3 October 2023 (60 minutes)

Join Sheree Henley, founder of The Good Life Builders and mother to Isaac, a 26-year-old who uses alternative communication, alongside Harriet Korner, a speech therapist with over 30 years of experience, for this insightful webinar.

When someone doesn’t use spoken words to communicate, building meaningful relationships can be a challenge. Support workers play a key role in creating environments that foster communication but often lack experience in alternative communication or relationship-building.

This webinar explores how families can help support workers take on this role more effectively. Sheree and Harriet will share:

• Mindsets for Success: Key beliefs support workers need to encourage communication.
• Overcoming AAC Objections: How to address common concerns about Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
• Building AAC Fluency: Practical steps to use alternative communication methods confidently.
• Fostering Conversations: Techniques to help people with disabilities engage meaningfully in their communities.

16 August 2023

The ISAAC International Conference helps bring the international AAC community together. In July 2023, the ISAAC conference was held in Cancun Mexico.

In this webinar we hear from the Aussies who attended and their reflections and learning. 

10 July 2023

What happens when you introduce a 77-cell core board with fringe vocabulary for pre-school children with complex communication needs and then provide truly comprehensive support to the family?

Over the past 4 years, Sam has designed and carried out a year-long intervention as part of a multiple case study, with the intention to provide some evidence towards the use of core boards as an AAC tool.

Once Sam had started this research, she realised that no AAC system could be successful without communication partner support. Part of her study involved creating a training and coaching package for parents to ensure they knew how to support their child to become a successful AAC user.

Sam continued to collect maintenance data for a year. The results are now in, the data has been analysed, and Sam is keen to share them with a broader audience! 

This presentation includes an overview of the research, details about the training and coaching package, and the results obtained for both children and parents, including some great videos.

13 June 2023

'Tools2Talk Now' is an app to create printable communication aids easily and on the go! It allows users to create customised communication resources using their own photos from their camera roll or choose from over 35,000 images including Tobii Dynavox Picture Communication Symbols® (PCS) and full Compic image library.

This online workshop shows you key features of the app, including how to make communication aids, use the calendar function and the pre-designed templates for the quick creation of a range of communication boards.

30 March 2023

In this workshop we consider how to leverage Apple accessibility tools to create the best user experience with the Hiru eye tracker. 

We explore what’s possible with eye gaze in the iPad, tips for fast success, and apps designed with eye gaze in mind.  Discover the possibilities available to rule the world around you with just your gaze and your iPad!

27 February 2023 (60 min)

This webinar covers a range of concepts and ideas related to creativity and how it can foster connection to self, others, and the world around us.

It explores how the creative arts can form an environment that promotes communication and relationships for people with complex communication needs.

20 January 2023

Words are the building blocks of language, and language is how we tell stories and how we tell each other who we are. Words can shape perceptions—calling AAC a “clinical practice” paints a very different picture from saying AAC is “all the ways we communicate.”

In early 2022, AssistiveWare ran an online survey, asking people with various relationships to AAC what they thought about 119 different words and phrases. The first research of its kind, the AssistiveWare survey resonated deeply with the community— with  556 participants. One out of every three people who took the survey uses AAC, with nearly a fifth of these (18%) not using spoken words.

Hear about the outcomes of that survey from lead researcher Alyssa Hillary Zisk, and receive an update on the Communication Access and Inclusion Project still underway in Australia from project lead Dr Meredith Prain.

16 October 2022

Join Noah, creator of the website AAC Space, a free platform that allows the community to find AAC device providers and speech pathologists. Learn how the website was developed, what it aims to achieve, and how you may get the best use from it, whether you're a provider wanting to list your services or a person looking for AAC support!

Noah is an AAC user. One of his greatest passions is the excitement of discovering new technology and its incredible impact on dramatically improving the quality of his and others lives. He has helped change the angles of accessibility in Apple operating systems and a strong belief that he has a voice and can create change and advocate for it.

Noah is the AAC and Technology Coordinator at Kids Plus, a children’s therapy hub in Geelong, and an Associate for Get Skilled Access, which Dylan Alcott founded. He has launched three platforms, AAC Space, Occupational Therapy Space and Physiotherapy Space, which is effectively yellow pages for AAC device providers, Speech Pathologists, Occupational therapists, and Physiotherapists.

26 September 2022

The ability to speak and speak well has been subsumed into our ideas of what it means to be a human being. Ableist norms of coherence and competence govern speech, and these norms decide who can be considered a good speaker. Conversely, speakers who fail to conform to these norms are, by some, treated as pathological and broken. Within this environment, disabled speakers experience stigma and discrimination.  Their experience of an ableist world effects their self-identity, and they can internalise the low expectations of an ableist world.

Despite these insights, there is a paucity of research that looks specifically at how disabled people think about their speech (and themselves). We invited people with a life-long experience of being a disabled speaker to respond to an online survey. This presentation draws on data from this research to explore how ableist norms of coherence and competence are reflected in the ways that impaired speakers talk about themselves, and the ways that these norms, and our failure to live up to them, can result in breaks to our voices. Only after understanding the ways that disabled speakers interact with the often damaging norms that surround them can we attempt to resist them, resistance which is critical for improving practice, policy and inclusion for those with impaired speech.

22 August 2022

This webinar has three parts. Jacqui will discuss the current evidence and context for a relationship-focused approach. She will then present a case study to demonstrate the application of a relationship-focused approach before talking through the Connect Play Learn packages and resources.

Connect Play Learn is an online training package developed by Mamre Association and Occupational Therapists Dr Jacqui Barfoot and Lachlan Kerley.

8 August 2022

Young people with complex communication needs (CCN) face barriers in accessing services to address mental health concerns.

Access to valid and reliable tools for measuring mental well-being and mental health problems is critical for understanding the experiences of people with CCN, as well as for the identification and management of mental health concerns.

This webinar:

a) explores barriers to accessing tools that measure mental health and

b) describe the presenter's PhD plan which works towards addressing these barriers.

Consumer involvement is a major component of Jacinta's work. Throughout her PhD, consumers may be involved in any aspect, including identifying research priorities, influencing study design, planning recruitment and other implementation strategies, interpreting the findings, and integrated knowledge translation whereby consumers support the dissemination of findings to research end-users. Jacinta has been supported by the AGOSCI Annual Research Grant to fund consumer involvement in her PhD research.

5 July 2022

Each child with ASD presents with a unique constellation of strengths and needs, resulting in substantial heterogeneity and variability in response to therapy. Thus, AAC needs to be tailored to meet the individual needs and skills of the user. However, research evidence is scant on what components of AAC therapy are most effective, for whom, and under what conditions. This paucity of research makes evidence-based decisions challenging. There is a need for a deeper understanding of the active ingredients that drive effective AAC interventions to inform clinicians.

The focus of this webinar is on improving AAC outcomes for children with ASD who are minimally verbal — the emerging research on factors that predict, moderate, and mediate AAC outcomes. Exploring factors under these terms is an important step to making evidence-based decisions on individualising AAC interventions for a specific subgroup of children with ASD who are minimally verbal. Topics discussed include a review of ASD communication development, AAC terminology, barriers to AAC evidence-based practice, summary of research on factors that explain variability and clinical implications. 

20 June 2022

This online presentation introduces AAC users and therapists to COSMOS Connect, the latest development from Control Bionics. This allows users to interact with their environment, play video games, activate switch toys, dine independently, check text messages, and more, using a single NeuroNode or eye gaze camera and the Cosmos Connect.

30 May 2022

This presentation introduces AAC users, therapists and caregivers to EMG and Spatial technology, the latest development by Control Bionics, designed to reduce user fatigue while increasing communication speed.

By the end of the presentation, participants will:

• Understand when and how to implement EMG and Spatial technology for AAC users

• Benefits and the future of EMG and Spatial technology

9 May 2022

In this webinar, Abi and Phoebe talk about perceptions, attitudes and beliefs around inclusive education for people with complex communication needs, and the use of inclusive research principles in conducting research with people with complex communication needs.

20 April 2022

Dr. Amarie Carnett is a Senior Lecturer in Educational Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas San Antonio.

Prior to pursuing her advanced degrees, Dr. Carnett worked as a special education teacher and behaviour specialist in public schools in Texas. She has over 10 years of experience working in the field of Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

Her research interest can be classified into two overlapping categories (1) communication interventions, and (2) adaptive functioning. She has 37 peer reviewed articles related to communication interventions, and adaptive functioning.

14 April 2022

Do you want to support your autistic child or student to be their best selves? Of course you do, but what exactly does that look like?

Katrina Martin and Kat Harhai consider what autistic well-being looks like (spoiler, it’s not what some textbooks might have you believe!) We unpack the medical model of Autism and dive into how you can reframe your thinking to be a true ally to autistic children.

11 October 2021

My name is Noah, and I am an AAC user. One of my greatest passions is the excitement of discovering new technology and the incredible impact dramatically improving the quality of my life. I have helped change the angles of accessibility in Apple operating systems, and from that point, I started realising I have a voice. I can create change and advocate for it. I have always been interested in technology and the power it generates for someone with a disability. AAC is essential as it gives me a voice I never had. If AAC were not a thing, many of the incredible opportunities that have come my way so far in my life would not have been possible.

Join Noah as he educates and shares his wisdom from the view of an AAC user!

27 September 2021

Kids Plus is passionate about delivering targeted interventions to support clients in achieving the most effective communication to maximise potential and enhance their quality of life.  In some cases, this involves using high-tech Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) options. 

But maybe there's another piece to the puzzle; the real transformation for these clients comes when you inform and influence their unique environments. We will explore the impact of education and training, changing attitudes, and developing advocacy skills in the important people around the client through our AAConnect™ program.

16 August 2021

Edith Cowan University implemented a new unit in 2020 focused on developing speech pathology students’ competencies for working with clients who have complex communication needs. This unit was developed in consultation with key stakeholders such as therapists, clients participating in the NDIS, and equipment suppliers. Data was collected at several time points, including after placements, to evaluate the unit and understand its impact on students’ practice.

This webinar describes the process of developing industry-informed content and presents the preliminary findings from the student evaluations of this new unit. Recommendations for preparing students for practice with clients with complex communication needs are discussed. 

28 July 2021

In 2018, speech pathologists Megan Walsh and Caitie Mitchell developed a year-long series of workshops for parents and carers of children who used AAC.  They have run the program yearly since then, including during the COVID-19 lockdown. Megan and Caitie developed short “masterclasses” on specific topics based on participant feedback. In this workshop, Megan and Caitie share:

• The clinical observations and AAC evidence used to build the course content

• The pre and post-assessment tools used and the clinical reasoning behind those

• The revisions made along the way, including ongoing incorporation of evidence

• Lessons learnt about carer capacity building in AAC

• Practical tips for starting and running AAC workshops, including within NDIA funding structures

• Ideas for short courses and “masterclasses”

21 June 2021

This webinar summarises a 2019/20 project aimed at improving students' participation in complex communication needs in daily decision-making. When it comes to providing students with opportunities to learn and practice self-determination to make meaningful contributions to their future, there is a significant burden on teachers to adapt the curriculum to meet the individual needs of students and a disconnect between best practice and everyday practice, which many educators feel unsupported to bridge.

The project outcome resulted in a pack of resources targeting some early barriers to participation. The resources developed resulted from visits to different schools that identified students who they felt could benefit from increased participation in decision-making. The resources target two key areas:

1. Communication partner skills

2. Individualised planning: A common base of understanding about how students can be supported to participate in decision-making.

The project confirmed many larger research studies that one of the primary barriers to participation in decision-making is the perception of capacity, which, in turn, affects the provision of opportunity.

13 April 2021

COVID-19 brought about an unprecedented focus on mental health support in Australia. However, how accessible are the existing mental health supports for people with communication support needs? This webinar looks at the current research around communication access in mental health support and identifies strategies to promote communication about mental health and well-being.

12 October 2020

In this webinar, Hannah, a parent and educator, shares with pride her experiences as a parent to Claire, who is learning to communicate with AAC. She discusses embedding AAC into daily life, improving her own skills as an effective communication partner, and building wider networks of communication partners for her daughter.

Developing peer relationships has become a key element in supporting Claire to become an effective communicator and reach the ultimate goal of communication autonomy. Hannah explains some of the steps that led to the initiation of a communication club for Claire and recounts highlights of these connections. She also shares ideas that have worked for her family to promote a wonderful, inclusive life for Claire where she is valued and can add value.

Siobhan Daley is a 20-year-old living alone in Newcastle and has been using AAC her entire life. She currently works for Liberator as their New South Wales AAC Ambassador. She is an elite boccia athlete in the Australian High-Performance Squad and represented Australia in Dubai last December. She enjoys listening to music, playing video games and watching TV.

In this presentation, Siobhan discusses the time she has already spent in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving tips on how she has kept herself and her team happy, healthy and (reasonably) sane, as well as discussing how to maintain relationships while in such close quarters for extended periods of time.

12 August 2020

This presentation considers the language development of children on the autism spectrum who enter formal schooling with minimal verbal language skills. This includes possible methods for assessing the social-communication and language skills of these children to determine profiles of strengths, needs and language emergence over time, as well as identification of potential differences in the personal, family, and environmental factors in children who do or do not go on to develop spoken language skills during the formal school years.

This has important implications for clinicians working with this unique group of children on the autism spectrum, with practical implications for assessment and intervention planning discussed in light of the research study findings and clinical experience.

2020

Accessible written information has been developed in Australia and internationally for over 20 years. Various labels are used, including Easy English, Easy Read, and Easy to Read in the English-speaking world. 

This webinar presents a review of national and international perspectives on developing accessible written content with and for people with literacy that does not meet day-to-day reading needs. A review of current practices and recently published research with content and discussion from - IASSIDD 2019 (August 2019), PLAIN International 2019 (September), and Clear (KLAARA) International (September 2019) will be presented. 

This webinar considers what we need to know to advocate and develop quality, accessible written information in Australia. 

20 November 2019

This webinar presents the key findings from Kristy’s PhD research, which explored how AAC interventions are used to develop symbolic communication for functions other than making object requests in children with ASD. The webinar focuses on three main areas:

1. AAC intervention ingredients according to research: creating communication environments, evidence-based teaching strategies, reinforcing communication, and identifying the dosage of therapy required

2. Aided enhanced milieu teaching (AEMT) as a naturalistic intervention to develop symbolic and social communication skills in children with ASD

3. Strategies for supporting parents to implement AEMT with their child with ASD

October 2019

Joey Harrall is 19 years old and he has cerebral palsy. Because of that, he can’t walk or speak, but he doesn’t think that he is unlucky with having a disability. He lives with his lovely brother, beautiful sister-in-law and five bright and funny nephews in Western Australia. He presented for the first time at ISAAC in 2018, and he started to help the Variety Motor Mouth camp by giving speeches and mentoring the parents and the kids. He has a dream to own his own mentoring business someday to help people to find their voice in this fast-paced world. In his downtime, he likes trying to fix computers, playing with his family and, of course, sleeping.

25 September 2019

This webinar explores factors that may influence outcomes of AAC interventions over time by drawing on principles from social identity theory.

Key learning outcomes

1) Understand social identity theory and how it may provide a framework for designing AAC interventions.

2) Identify different AAC intervention outcomes that may promote and limit long-term AAC use.

3) Understand different ways of empowering new and existing AAC users to use AAC longitudinally.

7 August 2019 

In research and practice, a crisis in companionship is being recognised for adults with profound intellectual disabilities (PIMD). For many people, engagement with another person throughout the day, outside their needs-based care, can be measured in seconds or minutes. Rarely is this companionship measured in hours.

Many academics, practitioners, and parents now recognise that what is needed for adults with PIMD is not being treated just like everyone else, but being engaged in a way that meets that individual’s needs. Changing a culture that constantly falls back on “just talking” to the person, missing the mark of the multisensory modalities needed for expression and the deep attentiveness required to understand and scaffold the communication of a person with PIMD, is a massive challenge.

In this podcast, Sheridan will introduce research that describes the communicative environments of people with PIMD, the strategies that are growing to be best practices and acknowledge the complex issues of ethics and practice when a shared language may not currently be verbal or visual.

31 July 2019 

Up to 90% of students with complex communication needs (CCN) enter adulthood without functional literacy skills. This contributes to less than 5% of those people being employed. Literacy is a critical skill that allows us to participate and contribute to our literate society. At the DSF conference, Ashley recently presented on the unique challenges experienced by people with complex communication needs (CCN). Within the context of considering AAC and literacy, this presentation will discuss the unique barriers and risks experienced by individuals with CCN, the impact of our presumptions, and how we can support development.

5 June 2019 

The webinar presents some of the evidence for individualised and family-centred online therapy, including the perspectives and experiences of families, AAC users, and people with CCN who have accessed online therapy. Case studies walk participants through the process of delivering best practice online therapy.

8 May 2019

Kylie Hinde and Farhin Chowdhury share their unique experience of teacher and parent training at the Foundation for Autism Research and Education (FARE) in Bangladesh (February 2019). This involved providing workshops combining music therapy and aided language input. Kylie and Farhin explore how they adapted their own practices and clinical skills, navigating the Bangladeshi cultural context.

10 April 2019

This webinar focuses on using AAC to give evidence in court and tribunal hearings.

Fiona Given uses AAC and is a general member of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. She has heard a number of cases involving people who used AAC and has published in the area. The aim of this webinar is to demonstrate that AAC is a legitimate way to give evidence in courts and tribunals. 

14 March 2019 (60 min)

In this webinar, participants are provided an overview of the research evidence for why AAC systems are rejected or abandoned by parents of children with complex communication needs. Participants will also learn evidence-based strategies that, when incorporated into clinical practice, may support parents in accepting and using the AAC systems they introduce. 

11 December 2018

Our voices are intrinsically linked to our identity. Many individuals are born without the ability to harness their voice, whilst others may lose their voice for numerous reasons, including degenerative conditions (e.g. MND) or as the result of surgery (e.g. Laryngectomy). Message banking is an increasingly known strategy to help people to record ‘legacy messages’ which can be integrated into their speech-generating devices. Voice Banking is an ever-emerging technology that enables people to create bespoke synthetic voices that closely represent an individual’s vocal characteristics. 

4 September 2018

We know that people supporting individuals with complex communication needs (CCN) play an invaluable role in enabling them to communicate and have their voices heard. However, conversation is more than just communicating and often elusive to people with CCN. 

In my PhD study, Conversations Without Speech: A Qualitative Investigation of the Strategies Used by Adult Communication Assistants in Queensland, the person without a reported disability was the focal point. In the peer-reviewed literature, this person is referred to as a communication partner irrespective of their knowledge and skills in AAC and is noted to be ‘often unrecognised and/or unsupported’ (Kent-Walsh et al., 2015). In my research, I sought participation from adults in Queensland who had some knowledge and skill in AAC, and I referred to these people as communication assistants. Participants supported individuals with Down syndrome, Rett syndrome or Cerebral Palsy. This enables a broad spectrum of strategies to be identified across the sensory, motor and cognitive-linguistic domains. Data was collected from a survey, written narrative analysis, and observational analysis of filmed dyadic conversations. 

In the webinar, I share some of the findings of this research. In particular, the glossary of seventy-three conversation strategies and seven styles of conversation. 

22 May 2018 

Where do we start when it comes to assessing people with Complex Communication Needs for the most appropriate AAC solution?

Janelle Sampson has over 25 years of experience as a Speech Pathologist and runs Two Way Street, a busy private practice in South Australia. She will present considerations for assessment regarding client/family centred practice and also within the context of AAC requirements. Participants will learn about the assessment process and outcome measurement approaches.

15 March 2018

Siobhan Daley is a boccia athlete, an aspiring speech pathology student and an AAC user. She shares with us her journey in learning Minspeak and discusses the successes, challenges and technical aspects of how this method has worked for her and what has helped her in becoming proficient in this language.

16 November 2017

With the NDIS in full swing across Australia, we are seeing change not only to the way things in disability are being done but also changes within the way the scheme itself is run.

Gail Bennell is a speech pathologist, private practice coach and video podcaster who has worked with participants within the NDIS rollout in 3 states since 2013. She discusses the NDIS Assistive Technology (including AAC) framework, the challenges of providing services in a rapidly changing environment, and how participants and providers can survive (and thrive) in the waves of change. 

October 2017

Scope Australia promotes communication access for people with complex communication needs.

Barbara Solarsh (Communication Access Coordinator) and Georgia Burn (Communication Access Consultant) speak to us about the work Scope’s Communication and Inclusion Resource Centre and the Victorian Communication Access Network (CAN) have done over the last 8 years, including the Communication Access Symbol accreditation process which has now been awarded to over 200 Victorian businesses. With ambitions to spread these initiatives throughout Australia, Barb and Georgia discuss the process of awarding the Communication Access Symbol, how people with complex communication needs can get involved, and what the future holds for communication access in Australia.

September 2017

Nick Bradbury, now in his 30s, started his AAC journey as a child. He has established himself as an independent communicator through switch scanning (via his right knee). Nick shares his progression with communication devices and talks about his struggles and triumphs and what it means to achieve communicative competence.

July 2017

Fiona Given shares her keynote address from the AGOSCI 2017 conference about her experience as an AAC user. She speaks frankly of the barriers experienced by multi-modal communicators in Australian society, as well as insight into what the future holds for AAC communicators.

July 2017

This is a live recording of Cathy's keynote address at the 2017 AGOSCI conference.

Viewing tip - easiest to view on a large screen and with good speakers.

17 February 2017

It’s important to know what real and functional communication with AAC and what it does and does not look like. Without knowing where you are heading, it’s often hard to prioritise the many individualised considerations you will need to make as you start or continue along the learning curve.

This seminar provides participants with examples and stories highlighting augmentative and/or alternative modes for interaction, conversation, learning and participation. It introduces participants to how messages can be conveyed from different types of technology or non-technology to various access methods and environments. 

The seminar will also discuss some simple strategies to get started and the role of various players in that process, i.e. The person using AAC, family, educators, peers and other service providers.