Date: 03/26/2027 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST Location: Online
Price: $60 | Make a Payment
Description
An AAC-affirming school is rooted in inclusive beliefs, communication access, and shared responsibility. This training explores practical strategies for embedding Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) schoolwide to support participation, belonging, and communication for all students. Participants will learn approaches for creating affirming environments through classroom integration, collaboration, and sustainable systems change.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Describe two leadership strategies that promote sustainable, schoolwide AAC practices through policy, funding, and role designation.
- Demonstrate three practical ways to embed AAC into classroom environments and daily routines to support communication access for all students.
- Develop an action plan for strengthening AAC implementation through collaboration, tiered professional development, and sustainable schoolwide systems that support meaningful student participation.
Agenda
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM (15 min)
- Introductions and community agreements
- Course overview and learning outcomes
- Framing AAC-affirming schools
9:15 AM – 9:40 AM (25 min)
- Deficit-based vs. inclusionary approaches
- Common AAC myths and misconceptions
- Discussion: Barriers currently present in schools
- What “communication-rich” environments look and feel like
- “Pulling the Weeds” reflection and discussion: Identify barriers, misconceptions, or systems challenges within participants’ own settings
9:40 AM – 10:10 AM (30 min)
- The role of administrators and multidisciplinary collaboration
- Embedding AAC into: policies, routines, schedules & collaborative planning
- Tiered professional learning models
- Interactive Activity: “What would an AAC-affirming version of this school/classroom look like?”
10:10 AM – 10:20 AM (10 min)
- Questions and reflections
10:20 AM – 11:00 AM (40 min)
- AAC in the environment
- Embedding AAC into:
- literacy instruction
- classroom routines
- behavior support
- multilingual learner supports
- receptive language supports
- Modeling strategies and communication partner techniques
- Interactive Activity: Identify one upcoming classroom activity and brainstorm ways AAC could be naturally embedded
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM (30 min)
- Teaching peers about AAC
- Peer support arrangements
- Social inclusion and extracurricular participation
- Stories and examples from real schools
- Interactive Reflection: Identifying natural allies and collaborative partners
11:30 AM – 11:50 AM (20 min)
- Coaching and job-embedded support
- Building internal AAC champions
- Creating momentum through visible wins
- Reflection Activity: Participants identify one small next step
11:50 AM – 12:00 PM (10 min)
- Final thoughts and takeaways
- “Growth happens below the soil first”
- Questions and discussion
- Resources and next steps
Course Completion Requirements:
Completion requires learners to (1) view/attend the instructional presentation in full; (2) complete informal learning assessment/reflection. Attendance will be monitored through Zoom. Partial credit will not be offered. Course requirements must be submitted no later than March 30th 2027.
Audience
SLPs in K-12 schools working with students who use AAC.
SLP, OT, PT, COTA, Paraeducator, Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Parents, TVI
No prerequisite learning or materials needed.
Presenters
Instructor Disclosure: Sara Ayars is employed by and receives compensation from the Special Education Technology Center; she has no relevant non-financial disclosures.
Policies
For all of our policies, including accommodations, refunds, and complaints, please refer to the SETC Website Help Page.
Contact
Email Sue Wright at the SETC office.
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