AAC Institute Update!

*** The AAC Institute is a 501c3 not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to the most effective communication for people who rely on AAC (augmentative and alternative communication). One service of the AAC Institute is to provide periodic announcements of interest to those involved in the field of AAC. Approximate average frequency of messages is one per one to two months. If you wish to be removed from the AAC Institute announcement list, simply reply with a message to that effect. ***

This update has eight (8) items. Please forward to others with an interest in AAC. Others can register for email updates at the AAC Institute web site.

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1) Best wishes for a wonderful New Year!
Your friends at AAC Institute wish you the best for a happy, healthy and glorious 2006. Please consider adding to your New Year's Resolutions a periodic reminder to yourself to review the many resources available at the AAC Institute web site. Many resources were added in 2005 and additional resources are in the works for 2006.

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2) ATIA Pre-Conference Seminars
Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Pre-Conference Seminars will be held January 18 in Orlando, FL. They are being offered for ASHA CEUs: up to 0.6, intermediate level, professional area. CEUs are offered without charge.* For additional information, visit the ATIA web site at http://www.atia.org.

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3) ATIA Conference
Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference will be held January 19-21 in Orlando, FL. The conference is being offered for ASHA CEUs: up to 1.6, intermediate level, professional area. CEUs are offered without charge.* For additional information, visit the ATIA web site at http://www.atia.org.

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4) AAC Keys for Macintosh
Beginning with Macintosh OS-X, the serial keys function is not included in the operating system. Thanks again to Blaise Liffick and the computer science students at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, AAC Institute is able to provide a free download, AAC Keys for Macintosh. This program allows AAC devices to be able to emulate the Macintosh keyboard and mouse. To learn more or to download the program, go to the AAC Institute web site. Under Products and Services, click on AAC Keys.

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5) 2006 ASHA AAC Student Paper Awards reminder
Now is the time to consider submitting a paper for the ASHA AAC Student Scientific Paper competition. Selection of recipients is made by a committee of the ASHA Division on Augmentative Communication. Information on the awards program is available at http://www.aacinstitute.org/Resources/ASHAStudentAwards/ashastudentawards.html. The awards are sponsored by AAC Institute.

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6) 2006 ASHA Prentke Lecture nominations
Nominations are being accepted for the 2006 Edwin and Esther Prentke AAC Distinguished Lecture. This lecture, generally presented by a person who uses AAC, is a highlight of the annual ASHA Convention AAC program. Selection of the lecturer is made by a committee of the ASHA members and previous recipients. An honorarium of $1000 is provided in addition to travel expense reimbursement. Information on the awards program is available at http://www.aacinstitute.org/ashaprentkelecture.html.

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7) ASHA AAC Conference
The topic of the 7th annual conference of the ASHA division on AAC is "Evidence Based Practice and Augmentative & Alternative Communication". It is scheduled for January 27-29, 2006 in San Antonio, TX. For additional information, contact Richard Lytton, M.A., CCC-SLP, 302-651-5621 or rlytton@nemours.org.

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8) 2006 Corporate Sponsors
Many organizations, including AAC manufacturers, advocacy organizations and publishers, are providing support to the AAC Institute. Gold level sponsors include Prentke Romich Company and Semantic Compaction Systems. Silver level sponsors include The ALS Association, Elsevier, Madentec, and Mayer-Johnson, Inc. For a complete list of corporate sponsors, including links to their web sites, click on the "Corporate Sponsors" link on the AAC Institute home page.

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An annual ASHA CE Registry fee is required to register ASHA CEUs. ASHA CE Registry fees are paid by the participant directly to the ASHA National Office. The annual ASHA CE Registry fee allows registration of an unlimited number of ASHA CEUs for the calendar year. Contact the ASHA CE staff at 800-498-2071 ext. 4219 for CE Registry fee subscription information.