This last month I was reminded how important receiving a quality AAC evaluation can be, even for existing users. Although many adult users don't need a lot of changes or updates to their communication systems as many have their vocabularies (apps) set, it is imperative that we remember that their needs do change when we are re-evaluating them for an updated communication system (typically every five years). I have been working with an individual who is in his mid 20's. Back when he was in high school the school team met his AAC evaluation needs. After graduating, getting a quality evaluation w ..read more

I’m always on the lookout for switch adaptable toys that are engaging and more fun than a barking dog! I’ve had my eye on a version of this toy for awhile, and finally saw that Amazon had it on sale recently. I’ve also seen versions of this toy at Target and Walmart. Things you need to switch adapt the Eggmazing: Eggmazing Egg Decorator (if you purchase a different brand make sure it is operated with batteries and has an on/off switch to operate the toy. A battery interrupter. You can purchase one or make your own. A switch to turn the Eggmazing on and off. Check out the Eggmazing in action ..read more

There's something about keyguards that is both scary and exciting. Over the years these thoughts would run through my head, "What if I order it and Billy doesn't need it?" or "What if I order the keyguard and I messed up the dimensions and it doesn't fit properly?" Another nagging thought was always, "OMG, there's so many options!" In the grand scheme of things, keyguards are not the most expensive part of an AAC system, but when you're paying between $50-$100 a piece they certainly can add up, especially when you're supporting multiple students who all have different setups, cases, and keygua ..read more

I've been desperately wanting to find time to do more creating, because it inspires me and is a stress reliever. And I don't know about all of you, but it's been a year like no other. I'm truly grateful for being back to in-person learning, presentations, consulting, and back to all the kid things with my family, but it's left no time for the creative things, the things that leave me inspired, excited, and recharged. Well, everything suddenly stopped last week when I got the worrisome notification that I was Covid positive. A dreaded breakthrough case. It's sad, but I'm grateful for testing th ..read more

View the invite and register using the QR Code or go to: https://bit.ly/WATRN21-22 We are excited to share with you the topics for the Wisconsin Assistive Technology Regional Network (WATRN) 2021-2022 school year meetings. Here is a link to our invitation:https://bit.ly/WATRN21-22. You will find registration links for all of the meetings on the invitation. As a reminder, these meetings are FREE. Our leaders volunteer their time to organize and lead these meetings as we all feel it is important to network with other individuals/colleagues who are interested in Assistive Technology (AT) and Aug ..read more

The Spring Wisconsin Assistive Technology Regional Network (WATRN) meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 28th from 3:30-6:00. We will have a representative from Boardmaker who will be presenting on Boardmaker 7 and some of the academic supports that Boardmaker has available. Sharon Redmon will be presenting on the topic of supporting students with significant disabilities. Sharon is a classroom teacher and ATP who previously taught in Wisconsin and helped to found WATRN. She is currently teaching in the state of Washington. One of the things Sharon will be sharing with us is how she ..read more

The Wisconsin Assistive Technology Regional Network (WATRN) is excited to have finalized our upcoming Winter meeting! We We are squeaking out this meeting just a couple days before the last day of winter! So we can still technically call it our "winter meeting" but let's keep our fingers crossed that it feels more like Spring in Wisconsin! What a crazy year it has been! I know many of you have been back to in-person learning from the start of the year, some have been hybrid or have found yourselves going between the two models, and for some of us (me included) we are just going back to in-pers ..read more

This year at ATIA 2021 I am presenting a session named: SGD Evaluations in the Schools: How to do it and why you should! I get asked about speech generating device (SGD) evaluations a lot! There's always questions such as, "Will the district have to pay for a device?" and "How do I get the equipment/devices needed?" This session is geared toward demystifying the process and providing some answers and resources for school SLPs and professionals. The session is recorded and will be posted by ATIA until June 30, 2021. The entire AAC Strand can be purchased, which includes two days of sessions tha ..read more

First, this was work that I did for the Green Bay Area Public Schools (my day job!), but I feel strongly it should be widely disseminated. My business website is the easiest way for me to do that, but I just want to acknowledge that the word was done during my time in the district, so the credit goes to GBAPS! We are using SeeSaw in our elementary programs. Our curriculum department uploaded the Common Core State Standards into the "skills" in SeeSaw. I wanted our teachers who have students using the alternate standards (DLM EE) to also be able to use the skills feature in SeeSaw. So, I began ..read more

So, we unfortunately need to pivot from our original Wisconsin Assistive Technology Regional Network (WATRN) meeting topic as the person we had lined up to present can no longer present due to her schedule, although she did offer to talk about seating and positioning at a later date, so stay tuned!  Given that information, we came up with a stellar plan B.   Summer Meeting One of the most amazing things about WATRN is our ability to bring our collective voices together from throughout the state to support each other.  We will be holding another virtual meeting on ..read more