Skip to main content

Building Blocks to Autonomous Communication (Including Emergent Literacy)

Building Blocks to Autonomous Communication (Including Emergent Literacy)

February 6 - 8, 2024

Event Setting

In person

Communication is a prerequisite for teaching and learning. Building Blocks to Autonomous Communication focuses on the what, why, and how of supporting learners with Complex Communication Needs (CCN). The overarching goal is that individuals with CCN leave their educational programming as autonomous communicators - in other words, that they can say what they want to say, when they want to say it, how they want to say it, and with whom they wish to communicate.

Participants enrolled in this training will receive the full Emergent Literacy training. Autonomous communication requires literacy. Our goal must be to allow all learners to express what they want to communicate. This course is offered in Michigan through collaboration with the course authors, Dr. Karen Erickson and Dr. David Koppenhaver. To learn more about Emergent Literacy, please visit the Comprehensive Literacy for Autonomous Communication section of our website.

Speakers

carolyn parker profile
Carolyn Parker
Carolyn is an Assistive Technology/Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AT/AAC) Specialist with Alt+Shift.

In her role with Alt+Shift, she provides training and technical assistance in the areas of assistive technology (AT), including augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and literacy for learners with significant disabilities and complex communication needs. Prior to joining Alt+Shift, Carolyn served as a school-based speech-language pathologist for ten years, primarily working with students using augmentative and alternative communication.
Sara Pericolosi profile
Sara Pericolosi
Sara is an Assistive Technology/Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AT/AAC) Specialist with Alt+Shift.

In her role with Alt+Shift, she provides training and technical assistance in the areas of assistive technology (AT), including augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and literacy for learners with significant disabilities and complex communication needs. Prior to joining Alt+Shift, Sara provided speech and language services to learners with complex communication needs from birth to 26 for twelve years.
Megan Hojnacki profile
Megan Hojnacki
Megan has been a public school speech-language pathologist and AAC extraordinaire for 18 years. She has worked with students of all ages with complex communication needs. Megan joined Alt+Shift as a literacy consultant in 2018. Her passion is to build capacity in the area of AAC and literacy so all students can be autonomous communicators.

Event time

8:00 a.m. (check-in) - 3:30 p.m.

Event fee

$50 for Michigan residents; $125 for out-of-state residents

Registration deadline

Monday, February 02, 2024

Event location

Boyd Arthur Auditorium at Wayne RESA

33500 Van Born Rd.
Wayne, MI 48184
United States

42.268962564434, -83.370477

Stay In Touch

The Alt+Shift newsletter provides updates on our professional learning opportunities, informs readers of upcoming events, and highlights resources for people who work with students with disabilities.