Transition Strategies for Adolescents and Young Adults Who Use AAC

To make a smooth transition to a fulfilling, self-determined adult life, young people who use AAC need effective services that meet their individual needs and make the most of advances in technology. Professionals will provide these critical supports with the help of this book, the first complete guide to supporting the journey to adulthood for people who use AAC.

Combining the best research-based practices from diverse fields—including special education, vocational rehabilitation, and communication disorders—this essential resource covers every aspect of transition planning for young adults with a wide range of disabilities. Professionals will get the knowledge and strategies they need to help young people who use AAC

• strengthen literacy skills, so they can access educational, vocational, and social opportunities
• succeed in secondary school, participating fully in both academic and social arenas
• make the transition to postsecondary education, advocating for the accommodations and supports they need to access the core curriculum
• achieve self-determination by developing skills such as self-knowledge, decision making, and communication
• secure employment and enjoy a positive workplace experience
• increase autonomy and build friendships through community recreation and leisure activities
• communicate effectively with personal assistants to ensure that their support needs are met
• navigate the complex move from pediatric to adult medical and health services

Throughout the book, guidance from top experts is woven together with the personal stories of young adults who use AAC, shedding light on the challenges of transition and the research-based strategies that lead to positive outcomes. A much-needed resource for transition and employment specialists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and special education teachers, this groundbreaking book will help professionals prepare young people who use AAC for successful adult lives—in school, at work, and in the community. Click here to learn more about Brookes' Augmentative and Alternative Communication Series!

David B. McNaughton, Ph.D., is a professor of education at The Pennsylvania State University. He teaches coursework in augmentative communication and assistive technology and collaboration skills for working with parents and educational team members. Dr. McNaughton's research interests include literacy instruction for individuals who use AAC and supports to employment for individuals with severe disabilities. He is a partner in the Rehabilitation Engineering and Research Center in Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC), funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

David R. Beukelman, Ph.D is the Barkley Professor of Communication Disorders at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Director of Research and Education of the Communication Disorders Division, Munroe/Meyer Institute of Genetics and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, A research partner in the Rehabilitation Engineering and Research Center in Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and a senior researcher in the Institute for Rehabilitation Science and Engineering at the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital. With Pat Mirenda, he co-authored the textbook, Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Management of Severe Communication Disorders in Children and Adults. He served as editor of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication Journal for four years.

Joe Reichle, Ph.D., Professor, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, 115 Shevlin Hall, 164 Pillsbury Drive Southeast, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

Dr. Joe Reichle holds appointments in the Departments of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences and Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. He is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of augmentative communication and communication intervention for persons with significant developmental disabilities and has written over 100 articles and chapters. Dr. Reichle has co-edited 10 books focused on his areas of expertise. He has served as a co-editor of the flagship journal (Journal of Speech-Language-Hearing Research) of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association. Dr. Reichle was a former Associate Chair of the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences. During his 33-year career he has served as a PI, co-PI, and investigator on numerous federally funded projects. Currently, he is the Director of the University of Minnesota's Leadership Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.

Anthony Arnold, is an augmentative and alternative communicator who works in the AAC as a remote troubleshooter/beta tester.

Susan Balandin, Ph.D., professor at Molde University College, is a speech-language pathologist with both a clinical and research background in working with people with lifelong disability and complex communication needs. Her research focus is on inclusion and participation for people with lifelong disability in a range of community contexts including health care.

Laura J. Ball, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at East Carolina University. Dr. Ball completed her doctoral degree at the University of Nebraska with research interests in AAC and motor speech disorders. Dr. Ball has more than 25 years' clinical experience and is the author of numerous publications on topics related to AAC, dysarthria, and apraxia.

Elizabeth Benedek-Wood, M.Ed., is a doctoral candidate in special education at The Pennsylvania State University. Her current research interests include literacy instruction and language development for individuals with disabilities. Before entering her doctoral program, she worked as a special education teacher supporting the participation of students with disabilities in general education classrooms.

Erik Carter, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. His research and teaching focuses on evidence-based strategies for supporting access to the general curriculum and promoting valued roles in school, work, and community settings for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to receiving his doctorate, he worked as a high school teacher and transition specialist with youth with significant disabilities. He has published widely in the areas of educational and transition services for children and youth with significant disabilities. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Early Career Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children and the Early Career Award from the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. His research interests include adolescent transitions from school to adult life; peer relationships and peer support interventions; students with severe disabilities, access to the general curriculum; and religion, congregational supports, and disabilities.

Barbara Collier has worked in the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) field as a speech-language pathologist with The Pediatric Augmentative Communication Service at The Bloorview MacMillan Centre (formerly The Hugh MacMillan Rehabilitation Centre) in Toronto, Canada, and as Director of The Adult Adaptive Communication Service. In 1997, she was Senior Consultant of AAC Service Development and Training with The Ontario Ministry of Health's Assistive Devices Program, Toronto, Canada. She currently is an independent consultant in Toronto, where she provides communication training programs for AAC users, family members, and community agencies. Barbara has presented many papers, courses, and workshops on AAC. She is an invited speaker at national and international conferences and is the recipient of a number of awards for her work in the field. She is also the writer, director, and producer of the videotape Communicating Matters: A Training Guide for Personal Attendants Working with Consumers Who Have Enhanced Communication Needs (available with accompanying guidebook from Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2000).

John Dattilo, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management at The Pennsylvania State University where he teaches courses on inclusive leisure for people with disabilities, therapeutic recreation, leisure education, and issues in higher education. Much of his research examines effects of interventions designed to enhance self-determination of people with disabilities relative to their leisure participation. Dr. Dattilo also solicits input from individuals with disabilities via interviews and observations to better understand their perceptions and to develop services based on their stated and observed interests and needs.

John Draper, is founder of Together We Rock!, a business endeavor that promotes learning and leadership to build communities that are inclusive of and accessible to individuals with disabilities. He is a journalism graduate of Durham College and was honored by his alma mater with the Alumni of Distinction Award. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Possum-ISAAC Aspiration Award, for his efforts to make the vision of creating accessible and inclusive schools a reality.

Beth E. Foley, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Professor and Head of the Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University

For more than 2 decades, Dr. Foley’s career has focused on using assistive technology to improve educational, social, and vocational outcomes for individuals with complex communication needs. Dr. Foley's primary research interests are language and literacy development in children with complex communication needs, and inclusion of students who use AAC in general education settings. Her numerous publications, conference presentations, and workshops on these topics communicate the critical need for integrating best practices in AT/AAC, language, and literacy intervention into educational programming for students with significant disabilities.

Denise Hazelrigg, M.S., B.S., is the assistive technology consultant for Westside Community Schools in Omaha, Nebraska. She serves the augmentative communication and literacy needs of a wide range of students.

Dave Hingsburger, M.Ed., is a well-known author and lecturer and a sexuality counselor for people with developmental disabilities. He has provided direct care to people with intellectual disabilities throughout his career. From working in a group home to providing individual counseling or group training, he continues to have personal contact with people who have disabilities. Dave also provides consultation and training for parents, agencies, schools, and churches regarding support for people who have intellectual disabilities. For 6 years, he was the sex clinic coordinator at York Behavior Management Services in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Since 1991, he has maintained his involvement at the clinic as a consultant and is in private practice. He has been a sessional lecturer in the departments of psychology and education in Bishop's University in Québec. In 1996, he received the Award for Advocacy from the American Association on Mental Retardation Special Interest Group on Social and Sexual Concerns. His published works are extensive, including Finger Tips (2000), Do? Be? Do? (1998), Behaviour Self! (1996), Hand Made Love (1995), and Just Say Know! (1995), all from Diverse City Press. Dave is also a member of the national advisory council of the Sexual Information and Education Council of Canada and is a contributing/reviewing editor for the Mental Health Aspects of Developmental Disabilitiesand for the American Association on Mental Retardation journal Mental Retardation. As a volunteer, Dave is a self-advocacy mentor for people with disabilities and is a regular writer for Mouth magazine. He lives in Eastman, Québec, Canada, where he and Joe Jobes are coordinators of Diverse City Press.

Christy A. Horn, Ph.D., is the ADA/504 Compliance Officer for the University of Nebraska and holds a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology. She has been providing accommodation to individuals with disabilities in higher education for 25 years. Her work has centered on the creation of programs and environments that provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to achieve their goals and realize their potential.

Pamela Kennedy, is an individual with complex communication needs who uses AAC. Pamela Kennedy is a journalist, advocate, and mentor who communicates via speech technology. She teaches journalism online to people with complex communication needs through the AAC-RERC Writers Brigade. Her interests include writing, research, assistive technology, and psychology.

Randy Joe May, B.S., an advocate, died in October 2005. He moved from Arkansas to attend University of Nebraska–Lincoln and graduated with a degree in political science. He worked for the Nebraska State Legislature as a researcher and established a physically challenged ministry at Christ Place Church. He was an advocate and a tremendous sports fan, and he was best known for his infectious smile and sense of humor.

Lateef McLeod, M.F.A., B.A., has a budding career as a writer. He earned a B.A. degree in English from the University of California at Berkeley, then completed an M.F.A. degree in creative writing from Mills College in Oakland, California. He currently is a commissioner on the City of Oakland Mayor's Commission on People with Disabilities and is publishing his poetry book, A Declaration of a Body of Love, due out in 2010. He is also in the middle of writing his first novel.

Tracy Rackensperger, M.A., has worked in the field of AAC for more than a decade. She has conducted research and outreach with fellow scholars, families, and individuals who rely on AAC. A number of her published works can be found in the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Ms. Rackensperger also has 28 years of personal experience with AAC.

Hazel Self, R.N., has had quadriplegia since 1978 and since then has been involved in using and developing different models of attendant services. She works at Gage Transition to Independent Living in Toronto, Canada. The Gage is a program providing experiential learning opportunities for people with physical disabilities who desire knowledge and skills for independent living. Hazel is presently Chair of the board of Augmentative Communication Community Partnerships Canada.

Sam Sennott, M.S., is a special educator and technology specialist who focuses his research and clinical practice on using innovative AAC systems. He has led inclusive school programs, camps, and assistive technology teams. He is the co-creator of Proloquo2Go applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Elizabeth Serpentine, M.S., is a doctoral candidate at The Pennsylvania State University and a speech-language pathologist for the Lower Merion School District in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Her current research interests include the use of evidence-based practice for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), improving communicative competence for individuals with ASD, and transition/employment issues for life beyond the classroom for individuals with ASD.

Korey Stading, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist who specializes in AAC and children with severe communication disorders. She facilitates a preschool program at Munroe-Meyer Institute for young children who benefit from the use of differing levels of AAC support. She trains undergraduate and graduate students on the use of AAC strategies in this setting. She completes AAC evaluations for children and young adults at Munroe-Meyer Institute and also for various local school districts. She serves as a consultant to local school districts for AAC needs and provides training to teachers, speech therapists, and paraprofessionals to help implement AAC strategies and devices.

Annalu Waller, Ph.D., is a rehabilitation scientist and senior lecturer in the University of Dundee's School of Computing. Her research focuses on the design and evaluation of computer-based communication systems for people with little or no functional speech. She also has cerebral palsy, which affects her speech, mobility, and hand function.

Michael L. Wehmeyer, Ph.D. is Professor of Special Education; Director, Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities; and Senior Scientist, Beach Center on Disability, all at the University of Kansas. He has published more than 25 books and 250 scholarly articles and book chapters on topics related to self-determination, special education, intellectual disability, and eugenics. He is s co-author of the widely used textbook Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today's Schools, published by Merrill/Prentice Hall, now in its 7th Edition. His most recent book, co-authored with J. David Smith, is Good Blood, Bad Blood: Science, Nature, and the Myth of the Kallikaks, published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). Dr. Wehmeyer is Past-President (2010-2011) of the Board of Directors for and a Fellow of AAIDD; a past president of the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT); a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Division (Div. 33); a Fellow of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD); and former Editor-in-Chief of the journal Remedial and Special Education. He is a co-author of the AAIDD Supports Intensity Scale, and the 2010 AAIDD Intellectual Disability Terminology, Classification, and Systems of Supports Manual.

Julie A. Wolter, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an assistant professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education at Utah State University. Dr. Wolter's teaching and research interests are in the areas of preschool and school-age language and literacy development, as well as evidence-based practice in the speech-language pathology clinical setting.

Sandra Wright, M.S., is an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certified speech-language pathologist who has provided language intervention to people with complex communication needs resulting from developmental disabilities for 10 years. She is a doctoral candidate at The University of Kansas, under the mentorship of Dr. Jane Wegner, with a research emphasis in communicative competence and self determination of people who use AAC systems. Ms. Wright currently holds the position of Instructor at the University of Tulsa, where she is the graduate course instructor for the Communication Modalities course that allows graduate students hands-on opportunities to interact with a wide variety of AAC systems.