Date: 09/23/2025 Time: 12:00-1:00 Location: internet Type: Webinar
Price: FREE
Description
Join us for Alternative Access Office Hours—a collaborative, drop-in style space led by an experienced Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and Occupational Therapist (OT) specializing in alternative access methods. These monthly sessions are open to SLPs, OTs, teachers, and families supporting students with complex communication and physical needs. Whether you’re just beginning to explore access options or are navigating next steps, this is a space to bring your questions, challenges, and successes as you support students.
We’ll begin with a brief welcome and a student story, highlighting an access methods like switches, headpointing, eye gaze or even direct touch with keyguards or access settings. From there, the session is shaped by you—share student stories, pose questions, and engage in collaborative dialogue. If you have parent/guardian permission, you’re welcome to bring short videos of students or even invite students to join the session live for real-time problem-solving and support. Together, we’ll explore case studies, troubleshoot barriers, celebrate progress, and offer actionable strategies and tools. We’ll close with key takeaways, shared resources, and a look ahead to next month’s topic. Come as you are—this is your space to learn, reflect, and grow with others who care deeply about meaningful access and inclusion.
Alternative Access Office Hours: Switch Use Across Play, Learning, and Communication
In this session, we’ll explore how one student used switches to participate in play, learning, and communication activities throughout the day. We’ll discuss tools, positioning, and strategies to build consistent switch use across environments.
Alternative Access Office Hours: Mounting Options for Switch Access
Discover how thoughtful mounting and positioning can empower students to use switches with greater independence. We’ll highlight a student example and explore practical considerations for finding the right mount.
Alternative Access Office Hours: Mounting Solutions for AAC
This session will spotlight how the right mounting solution gave one student reliable, consistent access to their AAC device. We’ll discuss positioning strategies that promote independence, access, and inclusion.
Alternative Access Office Hours: Exploring Eye Gaze Access
Join us as we explore eye gaze as an access method for communication and learning. We’ll examine tools, setup considerations, and student-specific strategies that support successful implementation.
Alternative Access Office Hours: Making the Most of Keyguards
Learn how keyguards can support direct access for students with motor challenges. We’ll share a student story and explore options for customizing keyguards to meet individual needs.
Alternative Access Office Hours: Customizing Settings for Better Motor Access
Built-in accessibility settings can make a big difference for students who need motor supports for direct touch. In this session, we’ll explore one student’s success and share quick tips you can apply right away.
Alternative Access Office Hours: Headpointing in Action
Explore how head tracking technology enabled a student with limited hand use to communicate and engage. We’ll cover tools, calibration tips, and lessons learned from real-world use.
Alternative Access Office Hours: Multi-Modal Access Paths
Some students benefit from using more than one access method depending on the task or environment. We’ll highlight a student who successfully combines tools and discuss how to support flexible, individualized access.
Fall Series
9/23/2025 – Switch use across play, learning, and communication
10/28/2025 – Mounting Options for Switch Access
11/18/2025 – Mounting Solutions for AAC
12/16/2025 – Exploring Eye Gaze Access to AAC
Winter-Spring Series
1/20/2026 – Making the Most of Keyguards
2/17/2026 – Customizing Settings within AAC for Better Motor Access
3/17/2026 – Headpointing in Action
4/21/2026 – Multi-Modal Access Paths to AAC
Learning Objectives
- Discover new tools, techniques, and evidence-based practices to enhance communication access for all learners, while building confidence in supporting AAC users.
- Engage in discussions to troubleshoot challenges, share experiences, and exchange ideas, creating a supportive learning community for AAC users and professionals.
- Explore best practices, strategies, and real-world applications of AAC in educational settings, gaining insights tailored to student and school-specific needs.
Presenters
Kristin Leslie, ATP, MAT, OTR/L
Kristin Leslie is the Director of the Special Education Technology Center (SETC), a statewide program supporting educators and parents of special education students, ages 3 to 22, in Washington State. With over 26 years of experience as an occupational therapist, Kristin has presented statewide and nationally on topics such as alternative access to AAC, built-in accessibility features, Accessible Educational Material, and Universal Design for Learning. In her current role, she collaborates with school districts to integrate assistive technology, artificial intelligence, and culturally responsive practices within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. Under her leadership, SETC addresses systemic barriers to learning, focusing on students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. As she partners with state and national leaders to transform education, Kristin values creativity and flexibility, recognizing that there are multiple pathways to fostering authentically inclusive learning environments.
Brenda Del Monte, MA, SLP-CCC
Brenda Del Monte is a speech language pathologist and an assistive technology evaluator and facilitator. She worked as an SLP in Washington State public schools and is currently a private practitioner in Arizona, where she does AAC evaluations and trainings. Brenda has presented her knowledge at Closing the Gap and her collaborative research on accessing AAC at ATIA. Brenda Del Monte is a co-founder of Believe Beyond Ability, a non-profit organization that evaluates, determines, provides and trains those with multiple disabilities on assistive technology to increase independence. Brenda is also an author of the newly published book, “I See You In There,” a collection of stories from her 20+ years of experience working with children and adults with disabilities. She is currently a co-host of the Awe and Wonder Podcast hosted by the Special Ed Tech Center.
Contact
Email Sue Wright at the SETC office
Zoom Link
Clock hours for this webinar and others in this series are available from ESD105 for a small fee. The following Professional Development Enroller link provides more information about clock hours: pending