AAC Institute Update!
19
January 2010
*** 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 AAC Institute is to provide periodic announcements of interest to those involved in the field of AAC. Approximate average frequency of messages is one every two months. Archived past announcements can be found at the web site.
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This update has
eleven (11) items. Please forward to others with an interest in AAC. Others can
register for email updates at http://www.aacinstitute.org/lists.
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1) Celebrating
20 years of service!
Twenty years ago the AAC Institute (AACI) was incorporated as a 501c3
not-for-profit organization with the major goals to provide clinical,
scientific, research, and educational services to the AAC community. Ten years ago, the AACI started a
re-organization process as a primary internet-based organization with a
volunteer Board of Trustees and officers in order to provide resources and
services that would be accessible to a wider number of individuals striving to
achieve the most effective communication using AAC. With the help of our sponsors, donors,
and volunteers we have grown to a world-wide community of over
12,000.
As we enter a
new decade, the AACI has several initiatives that will support efforts to
improve the quality of life for individuals who use AAC. Whether you’re a person who uses AAC, a
family member, or a professional, you can keep informed through our updates and
website. Look for announcements of
our new resources and tools this year in future updates and conference.
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2)
Eighth International Symposium: AAC funding,
evidence, and empowering teams
Join us Friday and Saturday, 16-17 April, 2010 for two days of information, discussion and networking on AAC funding issues! The focus of the 2010 Symposium is to review funding practices and policies that are creating a paperwork burden and an increase in denials and appeals of Speech Generating Device (SGD) funding requests. This year’s Symposium is about empowering teams to get the results they expect when seeking AAC funding. Speakers will present the basic evidence related to funding for AAC systems and services. You’ll receive tips from AAC manufacturers’ funding departments as well as others who have successfully received the AAC systems they selected. Specifics about working through the SGD appeal process and building the case for medical necessity will be presented. Case study examples will be reviewed for everyone’s benefit. You’ll leave with identified steps for action to make funding change happen. Come prepare with questions and examples of issues you face.
Don’t miss this important symposium and
opportunity to network with families, friends, and colleagues from past
symposia. Register now – seating is
limited!
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3)
Stand up for fair funding
practices!
Continue to be a part of the grassroots movement to fight AAC funding unfairness. We are entering the fourth year that AACI officers and volunteers have been attempting to get leading AAC membership organizations to adopt a policy against exclusive preferred provider agreements. Such arrangements between insurance companies and an AAC manufacturer create the situation that requires an individual to switch the selected AAC system for another device and violates the results of a comprehensive AAC evaluation conducted by a professional. Hundred of conference attendees have signed a petition against exclusive preferred provider agreements. Why the delay, especially when petitions have been presented to various organizations involved with AAC?
You can read more about exclusive preferred provider agreements by clicking on the AAC funding link at our homepage. However, now is the time to email or speak to the leaderships of various membership organizations about adopting a resolution against this funding practice.
You can
make a difference:
- If you’re a member of ASHA, USSAAC, RESNA, or ATIA please consider speaking out against unfair funding practices and policies and making funding reform happen in 2010.
- Check your
health care policy and ask whether your insurance company has any SGD funding
policies in place that will prevent you or a family member from receiving the
AAC system of choice.
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4)
2010 International Symposium
Scholarships!
A limited number of scholarships for the
symposium are available. Professional scholarships will cover the registration
costs of the professional. Family
scholarships will cover the cost of registration for up to 3 family
members. Scholarship application
forms are available on the web site. Apply now! Deadline to apply is February 15,
2010.
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5)
Researchers
wanted – Clinical AAC Research Conference 2010!
Proposals are being accepted now with the deadline May 1, 2010. For more information, go to: www.aacinstitute.org/CAAC. The 2010 Conference Chair is Richard Hurtig, and the Program Chair is Lyle Lloyd. The CAAC Research Conference Steering Committee members are: Lyle Lloyd, Ann Beck, Gilson Capilouto, Katya Hill, and Filip Loncke.
The 2010 Clinical AAC (CAAC) Research Conference on
September 17 – 19, 2010, (Friday-
Encourage your
students to submit to the Student
Scientific Paper Award with student recipients receiving a certificate and a
$400 honorarium for first place and $200 for second place.
A special student seminar is coordinated
by Lyle Lloyd on Sunday morning at CAAC. This is an opportunity for students to
interact informally on a variety of clinical research topics with researchers in
the field. http://www.aacinstitute.org/CAAC
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6)
Introducing
the Pixon Project Kit
The Pixon Project Kit is an early language development program built around the use of low-tech manual communication boards. The program provides materials and strategies needed to support effective early AAC interventions using core vocabulary. The kit a joint venture led by Gail Van Tatenhove and combining the efforts of a group of speech-language therapists, educators, and occupational therapists from around the world along with the linguistic knowledge and skills of the renown Bruce Baker.
The curriculum provided in the Pixon Project Kit focuses on
teaching a small set of high frequency, re-useable core vocabulary words. The
goal of the curriculum is to provide individuals with complex communication
needs with the same words used by typically developing children. The Pixon Project Kit is a fantastic
communication and language curriculum and much more. To order the kit for $149.95 go to: http://www.aacinstitute.org/Resources/ProductsandServices/Pixons/index.html
Special benefit: Ordering the
Pixon Project Kit through the AAC Institute guarantees that a part of your
purchase will help to support sending an individual who uses AAC to the biennial
ISAAC conference.
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7)
Introducing
KeyLAM
Evidence-based practice includes measurement of performance. The AAC Institute now offers a new
product for collecting performance samples on the use of software running in the
Windows environment. KeyLAM is a
program that runs in the background and records the time and content of keyboard
activity. The time of mouse clicks
is also recorded.
The KeyLAM
recording format is compatible with PeRT, allowing the generation of the AAC
Performance Report which provides many performance summary
measures.
http://www.aacinstitute.org/Resources/ProductsandServices/KeyLAM/index.html
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8)
See
you at ATIA!
Make a New Year’s resolution to attend the ATIA
conference taking place January 27-30, 2010 at the Caribe Royale All-Suite Hotel
& Convention Center, Orlando, Florida.
AACI will be processing the CEUs for your conference
attendance. Please, stop by the
booth to talk about your professional development and clarify any question you
have regarding CEU requirements for various membership organizations
Mark your
conference schedule to attend session AAC 28 on Friday 29 January at 1:30 on Matching Children and AAC: Collecting evidence on language
competence presented by Dr. Katya Hill, University of Pittsburgh and AAC
Institute.
See our new
products and materials available at our ATIA booth, including KeyLAM
and the
Pixon Project
Kit. Dr. Donald Spaeth, Project Manager and
KeyLAM programmer will be demonstrating our newest LAM data logging software
program. Dr. Katya Hill, Speech-Language
Pathologist, will be answering questions about the ICan Talk Clinics of the AAC
Institute and our training and professional development programs. Morgan Ball, CEU administrator, will be
available to answer your questions on CEU management and offering possibilities.
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9)
i-CREATe 2010 – The Premier Asian-Pacific AAC/AT
Event
i-CREATe 2010 is proud to announce the 4th premier convention which will
be held in Shanghai, China on July 21-23, 2010. The convention is
dedicated to promote assistive technologies to improve the lives of the elderly
and people with disabilities and provide a platform to address current and
future development in these areas.
Learn more at http://www.icreateasia.org/.
The Call for Contributions is now active
and you can submit a proposal until 5 March 2010. Acceptances will be received by 15 April
2010. Leading institutions,
manufacturers and distributors will find the conference an excellent platform to
gain access to the Asian market.
The AAC Institute is the
technical supporter of
i-CREATe and will be handling the CEUs for the conference.
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10) Thanks to a Gold
Sponsor
Valued sponsors help to support
the various initiatives of AAC Institute.
AAC Institute would like to express our gratitude to EP Global Communications, Inc. home of
Exceptional Parent Magazine in being
a gold level sponsor. Go to
http://www.eparent.com/ and learn more about this trusted
resource for the special needs community and the expanded online
information.
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11) 2010 Sponsors
Forty-seven (47)
organizations are now AAC Institute sponsors. They
include AAC manufacturers, continuing education activity organizers, publishers
and others. Gold level sponsors include Assistive Technology Industry
Association (ATIA), California State
University – Northridge (CSUN), Closing
The Gap, Exceptional Parent, i-CREATe, Max
International, Pass It On Center, Tools for
Life, Prentke Romich
Company, Semantic Compaction Systems,
Spectrum Training systems, Inc.. Silver level
sponsors include Arizona Department of Education & Arizona Technology
Access Program, Awakening Technologies of the
Pacific and Indiana Assistive
Technology Act. For a complete list of sponsors, including links to
their web sites, click on the "
Sponsors" link on the AAC Institute home page.
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