TRANSCRIPT: 3 Strategies for Using AAC to Foster Student Authenticity and Self-Advocacy (feat. Rachael Langley from Eaton RESA)
KKristen CrainMar 15, 2022 at 3:16 pm51min
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00:01Rachael
The Disability Rights Movement is kind of one of the last human rights movements to really push forward. But it does sound so obvious that we have to believe at our core that everyone has thoughts and feelings regardless of their perceived abilities or their disability. But for so long, we've kind of looked at a certain segment of the population said, Well, they're not talking. And they get segmented into a separate program, a separate classroom, a separate group. And oftentimes, they're not given those same opportunities. So in this, this movement that really has gained some speed with reset technology development that we can now provide technology much more affordably and easily. I hope we're giving a lot more kids that opportunity to have that access, and have the same opportunities as their peers.
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00:49Nikki
I'm Nikki Herta and this is bright stories of hope and innovation in Michigan classrooms, a podcast where we celebrate our state's educators and explore the future of learning. Bright is brought to you in part by Meemic insurance company, insuring the educational community for more than 70 years. teachers and school employees visit meemic.com/quote to see how much you can save. In today's episode of bright a chat with Rachel Langley, a speech language pathologist and an AAC consultant for Eaton Risa. Rachel breaks down what AAC are augmentative and alternative communication is and why it's so important for students if don't have enough words, but their natural speech to express all of their thoughts. She eloquently argues for why communication is a fundamental human right. Particularly the ability to express our feelings or wants or needs, perhaps most crucially, a refusal. And of course, Rachel offers three strategies for using AAC to foster authenticity and self advocacy among students. All right, Rachel, it's a pleasure to have you on the right podcast today. Thank you so much for joining me.
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02:10Rachael
Thanks for having me. Yeah,
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02:12Nikki
we're starting off the season asking everybody can you tell me about the most interesting project that you're working on right
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02:19Rachael
now? Sure, I have an opportunity through my role within the schools to support professional learning for teachers, therapists and other people who support students who have real intense communication difficulties. And I know we'll talk a lot more about AAC as we go. But the conference is called Talking AAC or hashtag talking AAC is that if you see it online or around, but the purpose of that conference is to provide best practice information to people who are really new to the field of AAC and supporting students in the classroom, in therapy sessions. And while it might seem like a small need, or a small field that really is has a lot of depth to it, when you talk about the different types of ways we use, communication supports, how it ties into literacy, and kids learning to read and write, when they're not able to speak. There's a lot of topics. So we offer a really rich kind of menu of professional development, and topics and it happens every year. In the fall, usually October or November, would you
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03:38Nikki
want to give us just a brief just in case somebody listening doesn't know what AAC is. I want to just break that down for us. And really briefly, we'll dig into it more later. But
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