aac institute update

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www.aacinstitute.org

AAC Institute Update!

*** The AAC Institute is a 501c3 not-for-profit charitable organization

dedicated to the most effective communication for people who rely on AAC

(augmentative and alternative communication). One service of the AAC

Institute is to provide periodic announcements of interest to those involved

in the field of AAC. Approximate average frequency of messages is one per

one to two months. If you wish to be removed from the AAC Institute

announcement list, simply reply with a message to that effect. ***

This update has eleven (11) items. Please forward to others with an interest

in AAC. Others can register for email updates at the AAC Institute web site.

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1) RESNA Conference

The annual RESNA conference is next month (June 22-26) in Atlanta, Georgia .

RESNA has many sessions on assistive technology and augmentative

communication. The conference program includes workshops, technical

sessions, and poster session tracks on research, practice, and policy.

Check out the RESNA Annual Conference information at http ://www.resna.org .

ASHA CEUs are available to attendees through the AAC Institute at no cost.*

Please, stop by the AAC Institute exhibit in the RESNA exhibit hall to

obtain your ASHA CEU packet.

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2) Fourth International Symposium on AAC Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

This Fourth Symposium will be held on September 15 & 16, 2006 and hosted by

the University of Pittsburgh. This year's theme is on AAC Preferred

Practice Patterns and EBP. The Charge to the Symposium is being given by

Colin Portnuff, an individual with ALS who relies on an AAC system.

Individuals who rely on AAC and family members are involved in the various

sessions including Snoopi Botten, Chapple, Lowe, and Robin

Hurd. Presentations and concurrent sessions have been arranged for families

and consumers, clinical practitioners, researchers, and university faculty

teaching AAC courses. The agenda and registration form are at

http://www.aacinstitute.org/Resources/Symposium/2006/symposiumannouncement.html

..

ASHA CEUs are available to attendees through the AAC Institute at no cost.**

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3) ISAAC Conference

The biennial conference of the International Society for Augmentative and

Alternative Communication (ISAAC) will be held in Dusseldorf, Germany from

July 29 to August 5, 2006. For additional information visit the ISAAC web

site at http://www.isaac-online.org. Please stop by the AAC Institute

exhibit.

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4) University and Research Directory

If you are involved in university or research activity that is not

represented in this joint project between ISAAC and the AAC Institute,

please consider completing the process before the ISAAC Conference. The

following session at the conference will be presenting information about

this resource: University and Research Directory for AAC Activity by K.

Hill, R. Koul, L. Lloyd, & F. Loncke. At the conference, please talk with

any of the authors about this resource.

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5) State of the Science: Assistive Technology Devices

Walter Army Medical Center

Friday, May 26, 2006

This workshop provides participants with an overview of current research

findings in the area of assistive technology devices. Katya Hill, Ph.D.

from the University of Pittsburgh will be presenting on " A Global

Perspective on AAC Research. " To register visit www.herlpitt.org.

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6) ALS Survey Respondents Recruitment

Kari Blaesing of Our Lady of the Lake University in San , Texas is

conducting a research project investigating the provision of augmentative

and alternative communication (AAC) equipment for individuals with ALS.

Primarily, the study is concerned with the critical issue of timeliness of

acquisition of AAC equipment. People with ALS are invited to complete a

survey. Please contact:

Kari Blaesing, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Associate Professor

blaek@...

210-431-3938, ext. 2400

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7) Bent

Mick Joyce, who uses AAC, offers 53 pages of powerful, pungent poetry with

an icy-hot, cutting edge style and sweet and sour delights.

Cost: $12.75 plus .45 Cents state tax. Purchase directly from the author

by check. Further Information: e-mail ezgo.joyce@...

Mick Joyce,

4 North St.

Madison, Wisconsin 53705

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8) Wheelchair camping

The camping season is here. Blue Sky Designs has developed a tent that

accommodates people who use wheelchairs. For more information, visit:

http://www.blueskydesigns.us/freedomtent.htm.

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9) AAC camps

One of the public service roles of AAC Institute is the promotion of

activities and opportunities in the AAC field. If you are organizing an

event such as an AAC camp and would like a local email announcement to be

distributed, just contact us at support@... . Also, consider

entering " AAC Camp " into a search engine and see what comes up.

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10) Compass

Compass has been added to the AAC Institute product line. Compass software

is a tool for clinical professionals who perform computer access and

augmentative communication evaluations. The software measures user

performance in skills needed for computer interaction, such as keyboard and

mouse use, navigating through menus, and switch use. Compass is the product

of years of NIH and other grant supported research. For additional

information on Compass , visit the AAC Institute home page and under

Products and Services click on Compass. Compass complements the other

performance measurement tools available from AAC Institute.

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11) 2006 Corporate Sponsors

Daedalus Technologies has joined the many AAC manufacturers, advocacy

organizations, publishers and others providing support to the AAC Institute.

Gold level sponsors include Prentke Romich Company and Semantic Compaction

Systems. Silver level sponsors include The ALS Association, Elsevier,

Madentec, and Mayer-, Inc. For a complete list of corporate sponsors,

including links to their web sites, click on the " Corporate Sponsors " link

on the AAC Institute home page.

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*

**

An annual ASHA CE Registry fee is required to register ASHA CEUs. ASHA CE

Registry fees are paid by the participant directly to the ASHA National

Office. The annual ASHA CE Registry fee allows registration of an unlimited

number of ASHA CEUs for the calendar year. Contact the ASHA CE staff at

800-498-2071 ext. 4219 for CE Registry fee subscription information.