Michigan AAC Meeting

Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well. It has been a while since our last event, our MAAC Awareness Day on October 16, 2010. We had a very good turn out and met many new friends and families.

It is time to get things planned for MAAC for this year! We are going to have an informal meeting this Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 6:15 pm at Children's Hospital of Michigan, Novi Center. This will be a time to talk about plans for this year, ideas, and suggestions.

Since this is short notice, if you can't make it, but would like to add your input and suggestions, we will have SKYPE available and we can also do a conference call.

If you are able to attend or are interested in SKYPE or the conference call, please send me a quick e-mail, then we can send out the details.

As always, thank you for your interest,

Pat
Patricia Nizio, CCC-SLP
Speech/Language Pathologist
Children's Hospital of Michigan
Novi Rehab Center
42005 West 12 Mile Road
Novi, MI 48377
(ph) 248-305-7534
(fax) 248-305-7557

MAAC AAC Awareness Day

Help us Celebrate AAC Awareness Day!

Everyone is invited: those who use AAC, families, friends, caregivers, students, those who work with AAC, and anyone interested in learning more about AAC!

Saturday, October 16, 2010 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Children's Hospital of Michigan, Novi Center 42005 West 12 Mile Road Novi, MI 48377

Featured Speakers:

• 10:15 a.m. Chris Grubbs, CCC-SLP, from the Center for Autism and AAC, will present, "Promoting Communication Using AAC and Core Vocabulary"
• 1:00 p.m. Chris Klein, founder of www.clayvesselinc.org, lecturer, and AAC user, will present, "Words of Wisdom for Teen and Adult AAC USers and Their Caregivers"
• 2:00 p.m. Chris Klein will present, "Words of Wisdom for Parents of Young Teens and Children Who Need AAC"

Vendor Displays and information from DynaVox, Prentke-Romich, Saltillo and Tobii/ATI

Items designed and made by individuals who use AAC on display and available for sale

Art Show featuring work, in any medium, designed and made by those who use AAC; AAC users may still bring a work for display!

Socializing, networking and more!

Hope to see you there!

AAC Teen Chat Group

The first AAC teen chat group; this will be held on Wednesday, June 30 at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Novi Center at 1pm.

Latest MAAC Meeting Minutes

Michigan Augmentative and Alternative Communication (MAAC) Meeting

Saturday, May 15, 2010 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

A brief review of MAAC and its transition from MiSAAC was provided.

Goals of MAAC were reviewed as follows:
1. Develop and implement help and supports for those who use AAC, their families, caregivers, etc
2. Improve informational, community and social supports for all augmentative and alternative communication users, families and caregivers, across the lifespan.
3. Create and maintain social networks for augmentative and alternative communication users of all ages, as well as for family members and caregivers.
4. Develop resources and an information network for those who use AAC, families, caregivers, professionals across disciplines and service environments and for university students in training programs.
5. Strengthen an augmentative and alternative communication presence throughout all of Michigan.


Ideas were generated and recorded for the 3 areas felt to be important at this time:

1. Brainstorming Ideas for Social Events for AAC Users and Families

Bowling
Greenfield Village
Drive in movie night (summer time, early evening, outside lot area…Does anyone have experience with neighborhood events or parties where something similar was done? We need information related to equipment.
Zoo
Detroit Science Center
Sensory Friendly Movies
Drama Club (Chenille Sisters) Tina P to investigate this further
More Capoeira
Musical events with musicians representing different types of music/instruments
Invite Chris Klein, AAC user and lecturer to present to parents, teen and adult AAC users, possibly in October for AAC Awareness Month. Chris uses direct selection with a Pathfinder. Investigate the possibility of an additional speaker, possibly someone using a different access method such as Sara Pyszka (Website…www.sara-sings.com) who uses scanning with a DynaVox V. Investigate any possibilities for presenting as well.

2. Social Supports
Develop a Teen Talk or chat group for teens who use AAC. This would be a peer based group with one or two facilitators, to encourage any and all communication and interaction. Gina Cunnngham and Pat Nizio to coordinate. The first Teen Talk was set up for Wednesday, June 30 at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Novi Center, and exact time to be determined. Anyone who wants to assist with planning and executing this, contact Gina at ginainholland@aol.com or Pat at pnizio@dmc.org.


3. Information Supports
Many ideas were generated related to this topic.

Inclusion of AAC devices into the curriculum and making the curriculum accessible to AAC users

Supporting parents of AAC users with IEPs ….how to create an accurate, adequately detailed plan that can be implemented. Investigate whether people could present who have experience with developing and editing AAC goals/AT goals.

Everyone’s favorite resources, websites, apps, etc. whether they are free, involve a minimal fee or are subscription based. It was suggested that a variety or people could present their top 5-10 resources. These could be specifically related to AAC or to other pertinent areas, such as adapted learning, literacy, etc. Please contact Pat at pnizio@dmc.org if you would like to present the great resources you have. Date and location to be determined.

Understanding Bookshare, books on line, and how to access them.

Making the internet and e-mail accessible for scanners or non- readers.

Sibling support group, similar to Sib Shops, but with an emphasis on positive factors, or even just social events for the siblings, possibly during the time chat groups are scheduled, or when parent information events are held.

Organizing social events, for adults who use AAC, such as a book club, movie club, video game club, etc.

Extra Information to Explore:
Wild Swan Theater in Ann Arbor: always presents with a sign language interpreter

PEP Camp: Livonia….. Cindy Scaglione: Events Extraordinaire

Summary: What’s Next?
We selected the following activities to plan and implement

· Social Supports: Teen Chat Group

· Informational Support: for parents and those involved with AAC: What are your top 5-10 favorite AAC or related resources

· Informational Support: a panel presentation for parents to discuss ideas for successful ways to integrate the student who uses AAC into classroom activities and content information. “Providing Scaffolding Strategies for Parents for classroom Success for AAC Users”. Date and location to be determined. There will be a planning meeting for anyone interested in helping to present or prepare for this. It is scheduled for Tuesday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Novi Center 42005 W 12 Mile Road, Novi, 48377

Late morning, Saturday meeting times seemed to be popular date/time suggestion for future meetings.

Please RSVP to pnizio@dmc.org if interested in attending a planning meeting for the Scaffolding Strategies….. panel presentation. It is scheduled for Tuesday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Novi Center 42005 W 12 Mile Road, Novi, 48377

Please e-mail Gina Cunningham at or Pat Nizio at if interested in helping prepare or take part in our first AAC teen chat group; this will be held on Wednesday, June 30 at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Novi Center. Time to be determined.

Would you like to present your resources, websites, apps, software that you find valuable? Please contact Wendy Gach Owen (wowen@dmc.org)

Remember, you can also send e-mails to MAAC’s e-mail at michiganaac@gmail.com

Post or find information on http://www.michigan-aac.blogspot.com/ or on our FaceBook Group Page: MAAC- Michigan AAC

Four Interventions in Augmentative/ Alternative Communication

Four Interventions in Augmentative/
Alternative Communication
Michigan's Integrated Technology Supports (MITS) is offering a workshop in augmentative and alternative communication interventions on Wed., May 12, 2010 in Novi. The event is available to educators at no cost.

Event details and online registration is available by selecting the link below.

* Four Interventions in Augmentative/Alternative Communication
May 12, 2010 | 1-5 pm - Children's Hosptial of Michigan Specialty Center - Novi, MI
* Four Interventions in Augmentative/Alternative Communication
May 13, 2010 | Noon-4:00 pm - CMU - Mt. Pleasant, MI
* Four Interventions in Augmentative/Alternative Communication
May 14, 2010 | 9-3:00 pm - St. Clair County RESA - Port Huron, MI

These workshops details four AAC interventions using Minspeak and Semantic Compaction.

Please share this information with others who might have an interest in these events.

The Language Stealers

MITS Offers AAC Devices Training Opportunities

MITS Offers AAC Devices Training Opportunities
Michigan's Integrated Technology Supports (MITS) is teaming with the Prentke Romich Company to offer trainings on augmentative and alternative communication devices. The trainings are available to educators at no cost.

Event details and online registration is available by selecting the links below.

* Back to School with AAC
March 12, 2010 | 9:00 am-3:00 pm - Eagle Eye Banquet Facility - East Lansing, MI
This session will feature an overview of AAC products and how to pick the one that is best for your students. The afternoon will be filled with ideas and hands-on time related to implementing high-tech devices into the classroom.
* Vantage Lite with Unity
April 14, 2010 | 9:00 am-3:00 pm - Eagle Eye Banquet Facility - East Lansing, MI
This course will focus on the Unity software program available in the Vantage Lite. Participants will be given an overview of the vocabulary options available and will learn how to use those vocabulary programs to create spontaneous novel utterances. Participants will be given teaching strategies to support Unity.


Please share this information with others who might have an interest in these events.


Michigan Department of Education
Michigan's Integrated Technology Supports
6500 Centurion Drive, Suite 220 | Lansing, MI 48917 | (517) 908-3930 | mits.email@gmail.com | www.cenmi.org/mits