This week, we share Part 2 of Chris’s conversation with Kristina Edie (SLP), Erica Sauer (Director of Special Programs), Joy Mockbee (OT), and Bernadette Wiley (PT/AAC) with Hancock County Schools in West Virginia. They continue to talk with Chris about the Specific Language System First approach and how it might work for their district, including how to choose the “tier 1/2” device that you give every AAC user.
 
Before the interview, Rachel shares about working with a new client who has had some difficulty with implementation over the last 5 years with other therapists. Her client’s school-based SLP recently recommended that the AAC User should go to a paper based book to communicate. The SLP said Rachel’s client wasn’t using the device “functionally” because he sometimes hit different buttons and treated the device like a “toy”. When Rachel got a chance to work with the student, she was blown away by all of the ways that this AAC User can communicate, and Rachel was frustrated that he was being denied robust AAC when the problem is poor implementation.
 
Key Ideas This Week:
 
? The Hancock team asks Chris about choosing an AAC device for the district that uses Symbol Stix, like TouchChat or Proloquo2Go, because they often use those symbols in class as part of Unique Learning Systems. Chris notes that, in his experience, if we are good at modeling and descriptive teaching, then we can teach any robust system to AAC Users, regardless of how familiar they already are with the pictures.
 
? One benefit of learning how to model really well on one AAC system is you are able to learn your next AAC system faster, because you already understand the key functions of AAC software in general.
 
? Chris shares that, with AAC, you need to hit the “sweet spot” that includes an appropriate AAC tool, training for the circle of support on modeling/descriptive teaching, and hands on coaching on how to model effectively.
 
Links from this Episode:
 
Continuum of Language Expression (http://bit.ly/colegooglesheets & http://bit.ly/lcpscolepiktochart) 
 
Chris and Rachel discuss the Continuum of Language Expression (COLE) during the banter of this episode of Talking with Tech: https://www.talkingwithtech.org/episodes/julie-freed