Augmenting communication interactions for
 early communicators of all ages

AGOSCI Proudly Presents

The 2023 National Tour: Day 1 workshop

with international guest presenter

Dr Cynthia Cress

Workshop Overview

It can be difficult to plan Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) interventions for early communication interactions. Switches or symbols can be introduced into interactions for the earliest communicators, if they are used in ways that support and enhance the child’s or adult’s existing interaction strategies.

This 1-day workshop will present a variety of strategies for assessing and facilitating augmented communication in children and adults, from partner-based strategies to symbolic skills. This will include specific strategies for getting past situations where we may feel stuck or experience unexpected difficulties in meeting communication goals of early communicators and their partners.

The focus will be on multimodal interaction and meeting the communicative goals of the communicator and partner, rather than on matching specific modalities to people or purposes. Participants will apply information from the handouts and presentation to live demonstrations and videotaped samples of communication in a variety of children and adults with diverse communication needs.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify common sources of difficulty for AAC intervention with early communicators
  
  

• Assess communication addressing a variety of functions, even among very early communicators
  
  

• Plan communication goals in small and achievable steps for early communicators
  
  

• Identify complications introduced for individuals who rely on AAC and their partners that differ from individuals who are primarily vocal communicators
  
  

• Apply intervention strategies for planned early communication and symbolic goals including multiple behavioral and augmented modes

Workshop Details

• This is a 1-day, in-person workshop. A recording will not be available.
  
  
• The AGOSCI 2023 National Tour offers two full-day workshops in your capital city, and one live-streamed online workshop. Each workshop is independent of the other, and can be attended in isolation as a 1-day event. 
  
  
• Discounts are available for those who wish to attend both days. 
  
  
• This workshop is fully catered with morning tea, lunch, and afternoon. Please ensure any special dietary requirements are listed in your registration.