A Better Way

Out of my ten years thus far as an SLP, I spent seven of them working as an AAC/AT Specialist in public school districts. Along the way, I encountered all kinds of problems. See if any of these sound familiar to you: 

• Very few people know what AAC is, or why it matters. 

• It’s really hard to get devices, and getting harder. 

• Very few people understand the importance of a language-based and developmental/relationship-based approach, or how to implement one. 

• Even if you can get a device, people don’t know how to implement it correctly. 

• Even if they are modeling consistently, it’s very unlikely that the teacher has access to a curriculum that was actually designed to work for AAC users. 

• Funding is perpetually short, and that forces districts to act shortsightedly. 

In an environment where SLPs cannot do what they know to be best practice, the risk of moral injury is high. Been there, felt that! I have spent the last two months in my garden every day, off social media, and avoiding anything to do with AAC, because that’s how badly I was burned out over the last few years.

And yet...

My passion for public education is undiminished because it is, in my opinion, the institution which is best positioned to provide equitable access to speech therapy and AAC services. 

Basically, I’m saying that I think it’s more fixable than our healthcare system in the US. 

(This is not a high bar, I know.)

Outside of my work in public schools, I also have a small business providing AAC coaching, courses, and other content. You might know me, for example, as one of the authors of AAC Screening. 

There is a theme to my work:

I want to show people that systemic change is possible, and empower them to make it happen. 

In a lot of cases, the knowledge and tools already exist, somewhere. It’s just really hard to find. I try to make otherwise “un-google-able” information more accessible to the public. 

So, that is the purpose of this series: to list the things that work for AAC users, and that I wish every school would understand and adopt. 

I’ve described the problems, but from here on out, we’re going to talk about solutions, and I’ll also point you to places in the world where these things are already happening.

Maybe not all of them are happening in the same place at the same time, but... what if we could take all the best ideas and put them together?

I’ll tell you what my dream public school district would do for AAC users. I’ve even decided to name it: “Lift Up Voices Unified School District”, or LUVUSD for short.

Solutions exist for AAC users. 

If more of us knew about these solutions, maybe we could bring them to more kids. And if we knew all of them, then maybe we could bring them all together in one place.

Next month, I’ll start by telling you about ways we can create an overall culture of AAC awareness. But in the meantime, if you’re an SLP or an AAC Specialist trying to lead this change, I have resources to help you including: 

• AAC Program Development 101 

• AAC Advocacy for Professionals

And if you’re a school administrator (or a parent leading your IEP team!), I’ve got resources for you, too: 

• How to Hire (and Keep!) an AAC Specialist Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

• AAC/AT Myths & Facts

Thanks for reading!