Make plans to be part of the 6th Northeast AAC Summit: Worcester, Massachusetts! Gather with other AAC professionals like you this Spring for collaboration, community, and capacity strengthening. Teachers, speech-language pathologists (SLPs), occupational therapists (OTs), and anyone who is curious about AAC are encouraged to attend.
“The Summit supports every facet of the AAC field and it’s an opportunity to meet others with similar commitment and passion,” said local PRC-Saltillo Consultant for Massachusetts Jennifer Edge-Savage, M.S., EdS, OTR/L. “The highlight of the event is seeing the safe space for sharing and learning unfold through the course of the day.”
“Those who use AAC are most successful when the people around them are hopeful, positive, and skilled,” David Kay, M.Ed., OTR, local PRC-Saltillo Consultant in New York. “The Summit endeavors to bring those who support AAC users together in a spirit of community and sharing, as well as skill building in the field of AAC.”
9:00 - 9:45 a.m.
Welcome and AAC Town Hall Discussion
Consultants and Ambassadors
9:45 - 10:30 a.m.
Partners in Communication: Strategies for Engaging and Empowering Families and Care Teams
Kristi Peak-Oliveira, Zoie Vieira-Perry, Lianna Friedman, Catherine Kingman, Easter Seals SLPs
10:30 - 10:45 a.m. | Break
10:45 -11:15 a.m.
Using Virtual Check-Ins to Support Caregivers of School-Age AAC Users
Melissa Mulvey, SLP, Cotting School/Consulting
11:15 - 11:40 a.m.
AAC Implementation and the Systems First Model in a Multilingual School PK-12 (TouchChat®)
Laura McGloine, SLP and guest(s), Waltham Public Schools
11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
AAC Implementation and the Systems First Model (LAMP Words For Life®)
Lori McCarthy, SLP and guest(s), Lowell Public Schools
12:00 - 1:15 p.m. | Lunch and Networking
Resource Walls, Vocabulary System Wall, Ambassador Chats, AAC out of the Box, Villages, Hands-on Device Exploration
1:15 - 1:45 p.m.
AI, Accessibility, & Authenticity in Education
Leila Denna, SLP, Cotting School/Consulting
1:45 - 2:15 p.m.
Mentoring Our AAC Village
Kim Ho, Northeastern, Nicole Williams, Emerson, Kristi Peak-Oliveira, Easter Seals, Melissa Mulvey, Fitchburg State, and others
2:30 - 2:45 p.m. | Break
2:45 - 3:25 p.m. | Circling Back Q & A and Sharing
3:25 - 3:30 p.m. | Wrap-up and Next Steps, Feedback forms, and Group Photo
Northeast Regional Team (left to right): David Kay, M.Ed., OTR, Emily Benza, M.S., CCC-SLP, Carly Feiner, M.S., CCC-SLP, Catherine Brumback, M.A., CCC-SLP, Gina Sparrow, M.A., CCC-SLP, Jennifer Edge-Savage, M.S., EdS, OTR/L
PRC-Saltillo’s Northeast regional consultants organize the biannual Northeast AAC Summit with town hall meeting and learning sessions to support AAC capacity building along with the genuine joy in collaboration. This one-day gathering grew out of a desire to stay connected to the professional AAC community during the coronavirus pandemic. “The event gives everyone a chance to be heard about their experiences and grow in a nonjudgmental environment of mentors and mentees,” said local PRC-Saltillo Consultant for Connecticut Carly Feiner, M.S., CCC-SLP. The location rotates throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Read about our Spring 2024 event in NYC.
Each summit gets better and builds on the next. Worcester promises to be a full day of learning, sharing, and connecting on a variety of topics that have lifespan impact. If you’re curious about growing in AAC, we hope you will join us!
As we eagerly await the next Summit event, join us for topical sessions to help you expand your knowledge of AAC. Video recaps will be highlighted below.
Comparing Unity® and LAMP Words for Life®: There are many questions about the subtle differences between these two vocabularies. Explore the differences between both Unity and Words for Life at the 1-hit and full levels. 
LAMP Words for Life Customizations: The LAMP Words for Life vocabulary file is designed for quick access to core words. Learn where to store personal core words such as important foods, items, and people. 
AAC Funding Quick Tutorial: Here’s a quick explanation of how to use aacfunding.com to start a funded device request for trial, purchase, or repair. Use of the AAC Funding portal is the most secure and expedient way to share documents and information with our funding specialists. 
Motor Planning CoreScanner™: CoreScanner is an innovative vocabulary designed for switch scanners who need to learn vocabulary through listening to auditory prompts and motor planning. Learn the basic structure of CoreScanner and how to grow language using a systematic approach.