Kathryn Helland

AAC speech bar with message: I should be seen and heard. African American symbol Stix.

AAC Awareness Month: Diversity, Access, and Representation

This year, October feels especially important. The US is getting ready for the presidential election and people with disabilities are looking for ways to vote safely during a pandemic. We continue to grapple with the challenges posed by racial inequity.…

October is AAC Awareness Month Hey, Check Out These AAC App Sales! • Assistiveware: for Mac and iOS all ON SALE October 12-16 o Proloquo2Govwas $249.00 –sale price $125.00 o Proloquo4Text was $119.99 –sale price $60.00 o Gateway Vocabulary set was $149.99 – sale price $75.00 • Predictable: for iOS Android, and Windows. Was $159.00 –sale price $130.00 ON SALE October 12-16 • LAMP Words For Life: for iOS. Was $299.99 –sale price $150.00 ON SALE October 14-18 • TouchChat HD with WordPower: for iOS. Was $299.99 – sale price $150.00 ON SALE October 14-18 • Avaz AAC Lifetime Edition: for iOS and Android. Was $199.99– sale price $100.00 ON SALE October 1-15 • CoughDrop: for Windows, iOS, and Android. Was $249.99– sale price $125.00 ON SALE October 5-9 • Speak For Yourself!: for iOS was $299.99– sale price$150.00 on sale October 1-8 • Alexicom AAC All Elements Vocabulary Sets: for Mac and iOS. o App is FREE o Vocabulary sets 50% off ON SALE October 11-18

October Means AAC App Sales

Twice a year, AAC apps go on sale. They are typically 50% off, so it is a great time to buy. October is International AAC Awareness Month. This commemoration was established in 2007 by ISAAC; the International Society for Augmentative…

A Cartoon of an elephant with descriptive words around it; "Big, smart, heavy, gray animal."

AAC and Descriptive Teaching: Let Me Show You What I Know

During the pandemic, speech therapists and teachers have understandably focused more on the HOW of teaching than the WHAT. They have been challenged like never before. Google Classroom, Whiteboard, Jamboard, screen mirroring, document cameras…. Who would have imagined that these…

Image of Red Cross ambulance and text, "Disaster during the pandemic"

AAC and Emergency Preparation: Disasters During the Pandemic

Hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes, oh my. Emergency Preparation has usually been focused on disasters that cause people to leave their homes and seek shelter. However, “E Prep” too often leaves out people with disabilities. Shelters may not be accessible, and…

Campus building on a brick background with text: College and AAC.

College & AAC

AAC users can be found in many professional fields. They may be writers, physicists, computer scientists, or social workers. Some of these areas require a college education. We invited Mark Steidl to share with us some of the strategies he…

Complex Communication Needs and Safety

The world feels very unpredictable these days. It is urgent, especially under the current circumstances, that we keep our non-speaking adults from having adverse interactions out in the community. Ongoing unrest may combine with ableist assumptions to make adults with…