B5 - Supporting Educational Participation in Regular Classrooms for Students who Use AAC

Presenter:
Pat Mirenda, Ph.D., Professor and ASHA Fellow in the Department of Special Education, University of British Columbia, Canada

Abstract:
This workshop is designed for individuals who are interested in improving the quality of inclusive education available to students who use alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) across the age range. First, we will define inclusive education and review the purposes of inclusion for students who use AAC. Next, we will examine four components needed for successful educational inclusion of students who use AAC: building supportive classroom communities; collaborative teaming; arranging for AAC system maintenance and operation; and providing meaningful access to the general education curriculum. We will also examine a planning process that incorporates the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), as well as strategies for adapting and modifying curricula across subject areas. Videotaped examples of students of all ages and ability levels will be used to illustrate concepts and strategies throughout.

Workshop Level:
Introductory/intermediate

Learners Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:

1. Identify the key components of Universal Design for Learning and how they apply to student who use AAC
2. Identify four levels of educational participation and give examples of each
3. Identify eight types of adaptations/modifications that are appropriate for students who use AAC

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