Education and Training
This section of the AAC Institute web site offers resources for learning about the methods, tools, and evidence to support clinical practice that are not available in the form of published papers. (For papers, see the sections on Evidence to Support Practice and Methods and Tools to Support Evidence-Based Practice.)
Live and Videoconference Presentations
Presentations on topics related to evidence-based AAC clinical practice are available that are suitable for university AAC classes and/or SLP, AAC, or assistive technology conference sessions and inservice education. The two hour version of the following presentation is available for ASHA CEUs. Contact Katya Hill for additional information.
AAC Evidence-Based Practice in Four Easy Steps
Activity Description:
This presentation covered the evidence-based practice (EBP) steps in providing services to people who use AAC. Participants were provided with EBP background, value-based sample EBP questions, sources for external evidence, and resources for measuring personal communication performance.Learner Outcomes: Participants will be able to:
1. identify and understand basic concepts relating to AAC evidence-based practice (EBP);
2. identify the communication values held by people who use AAC;
3. ask EBP questions that support the above values;
4. locate and evaluate external evidence;
5. locate and use AAC performance measurement tools to create personal evidence.
- Outline:
- I. The Goal of AAC and AAC Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)
- a. The Goal of AAC
- i. ASHA Scope of Practice
- ii. Knowledge and skills
- b. Values expressed by people who use AAC
- i. Saying exactly the right thing
- ii. Communication rate
- c. EBP
- i. Necessary to achieve the Goal of AAC
- ii. Questions being asked of service delivery
- iii. A model for AAC EBP
- d. Discussion
- II. Step 1: Asking Meaningful EBP Questions
- a. Characterizing the client
- b. Identifying and prioritizing values
- c. Forming value-based questions
- d. Examples
- i. Vocabulary and morphology question
- ii. Communication rate question
- e. Discussion
- III. Step 2: Locating and Reviewing the External Evidence
- a. Sources of evidence
- b. Evaluating evidence
- i. Quantitative
- ii. Qualitative
- c. Levels of evidence
- d. Example external evidence
- i. Vocabulary and morphology question
- ii. Communication rate question
- e. Discussion
- IV. Step 3: Collecting and Reviewing the Personal Evidence
- a. Language sample collection
- i. Required for EBP
- ii. Procedures
- iii. Clinical setting vs. natural environment
- b. Language Activity Monitoring (LAM)
- i. Definition
- ii. Example
- iii. Implementation
- iv. Demonstration
- c. Language sample review and analysis
- i. Word processor viewing
- ii. AAC Performance Report
- iii. Performance Report Tool (PeRT)
- iv. Demonstration
- v. Other analysis tools
- d. Example personal evidence
- i. Vocabulary and morphology question
- ii. Communication rate question
- e. Discussion
- V. Step 4: Using the Evidence for Assessment and Intervention
- a. Choosing AAC systems
- b. Funding request enhancement
- c. Setting therapy goals
- d. Measuring outcomes and monitoring changes
- e. Supporting the IEP
- f. Disseminating results
- g. Discussion
- VI. Resources
- a. Handouts
- b. Web sites
- c. Discussion
Introductory information
Language Activity Monitoring (LAM)
What is LAM?
Examples of LAM logfile data
Example of language sample transcript
Example of AAC Performance Report
Example of Alphabetic order word list
Example of Frequency order word list
A series of Internet based self-study courses has been started and the first is now available. Successful completion of one or more of these courses will allow the individual to self register in the Directory of Local Resources.
