Issues in Autism 2024

Date: April 6, 2024

Time: 9:00-2:00

Location: Online (Zoom link to be sent following registration)

Join us for a day of learning to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month! This virtual conference addresses two topics that enhance the quality of life in individuals with autism and related disabilities who have significant communication challenges.

“Nothing about me without me:” Build your supported decision-making toolbox! Supported decision-making is the commitment to involve someone as much as possible in the big decisions about their own life. Professionals and families of any student with developmental or intellectual disabilities, of any age, will leave with new ideas about maximizing every student's voice in their own planning.

Ready, Set, Communicate: AACtion steps to AAC Implementation

This session begins with foundational concepts in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including robust AAC tools, keys to effective implementation, and the power of motivation and relatedness. We will then dive into strategies to make space for AAC, so it can be effectively and meaningfully embedded across AAC learners' interactions and activities.

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PRESENTERS

Erin Sheldon earned her graduate degree studying the needs of students with signiﬁcant disabilities included in regular classrooms. Erin is Director of Learning Design at AssistiveWare, where her work focuses on AAC vocabulary, teacher professional learning, and literacy instruction. She has authored multiple book chapters, articles, and internet modules on AAC implementation. She has presented at conferences in over a dozen countries. Erin applied the framework and tools in this session in her own family's successful legal case to protect their

adult daughter's right to supported-decision making as an alternative to guardianship. Maggie and her family challenged the Ontario government before its Human Rights Tribunal and successfully changed government regulations that required guardianship for adults who could not demonstrate decision-making capacity.

Tabi Jones-Wohleber is an AAC-focused SLP working with families through WV Birth to Three. For 16 years she was a Team leader on the Assistive Technology Team for a Maryland Public School System. Tabi is a contributor to the PrAACtical AAC Blog, created the widely shared Model as a MASTER PAL training series, and co-developed Stepping Into AAC. She has authored chapters on AAC implementations in various texts. Tabi has worked with Angelman Syndrome family organizations in multiple countries and presents on AAC-related topics at local, state, national, and international conferences.

Agenda

Welcome and Introduction
Session 1 (Erin Sheldon): “Nothing about me without me” Build your supported decision-making toolbox!
Session 2 (Tabi Jones Wohleber): Ready, Set, Communicate: AACtion steps to AAC Implementation, Part 1
Session 3 (Tabi Jones Wohleber): Ready, Set, Communicate: AACtion steps to AAC Implementation, Part 2
Wrap-up