Date: 09/25/2026 Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM PST
Location: Renton School District
Price: $125 | Make a Payment
Description
6 Clock hours and .60 ASHA CEUs pending.
Discover how thoughtful positioning transforms communication for students using switches, eye gaze, or other access methods. You’ll identify key access variables, evaluate mounting and seating choices, and apply a practical framework with OT/PT partners to create consistent, comfortable setups that support meaningful communication.
Learning Objectives
As a result of participating in this class participants will:
- Identify common alternative access methods (e.g., switch, eye gaze, head tracking) and describe how positioning impacts accuracy and endurance.
- Evaluate mounting and seating configurations to determine optimal device placement for consistent, efficient access.
- Apply a structured problem-solving framework to collaborate with OT/PT partners and adapt setups to maintain communication as the primary goal.
Agenda
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM | Welcome and Course Overview (30 min)
- Introductions and Course objectives
- The relationship between access and communication participation
- Overview of access pathways: direct select, switch scanning, eye gaze, head tracking
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM | Understanding Access Variables (75 min)
- Cognitive Load
- Review of positioning principles: stability, alignment, and repeatability
- Impact of posture and tone on accuracy and endurance
- Video and live demonstration of alternative access in action
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM | Break (15 min)
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Hands-On: Positioning and Mounting Fundamentals (90 min)
- Exploring mounting systems, brackets, and adjustments
- Seating and positioning tools: wedges, lateral supports, and harnesses
- Guided lab rotations with real devices and mounting hardware
- Troubleshooting common access inconsistencies
- Objective Alignment: Evaluate mounting and seating configurations for optimal access
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch provided (60 min)
1:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Case Studies: From Access Barriers to Communication Breakthroughs (75 min)
- Real-world examples of students using switch and eye gaze systems
- Identifying the “tipping point” between physical effort and communication success
- Objective Alignment: Apply structured framework for team collaboration and adaptation
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM | Break (15 min)
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM | Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Troubleshooting Framework (75 min)
- Communication-centered teaming with OT/PT
- What trial and error looks like
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM | Final Reflection/Informal Assessment (15 min)
- Review of key takeaways
- Q&A and participant informal assessment
- Feedback Survey, Certificates and CEU completion
We want to thank the following AAC and AT vendors who will be available during the day to meet with attendees: Smartbox, PRC-Saltillo, CJT-Mounting, Tobii Dynavox.
ASHA credit pending approval:
Course Completion Requirements
Completion requires learners to (1) attend the instructional presentation in full; (2) complete the final reflection/informal assessment; (3) submit a course evaluation. Attendance will be monitored by a sign-in sheet.
Course requirements must be submitted no later than September 26, 2026.
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.
Completion Requirements:
Completion requires learners to (1) view/attend the instructional presentation in full; (2) complete an informal learning assessment/reflection/survey. Attendance will be monitored through sign-in.
Presenters
Brenda Del Monte. MA, CCC-SLP| New Window| Opens PDF
Instructor Disclosure: Brenda Del Monte receives payment from the Special Education Technology Center. She owns a company called Technically Speaking AAC and co-hosts and develops content for “Awe and Wonder AAC & AT Podcast”. She receives royalties from Amazon for the sale of her book “I See You In There”.
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 event are available from ESD105 for a small fee. The following Professional Development Enroller link provides more information about clock hours: pending