by Amy Kriewaldt, NWACS board member reading time: 5 minutes The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No endorsement by NWACS is implied regarding any device, manufacturer, resource, or strategy mentioned. “Mom, please tell me a story,” begged eight-year-old me at bedtime. My mother paused as she tried to tuck in my restless body, then sat on the edge of the bed. Her stillness quieted me; my mother was rarely without movement. The calm that came over her as the creativity kicked into high gear was contagious. She ..read more

by Ashley Mohesky, MS, LPC Associate, supervised by Mark Rehm, LPC-S; guest blogger co-authored with an interview by Alicia Alverson, MS, CCC-SLP, ATP; NWACS board member reading time: 6 minutes The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No endorsement by NWACS is implied regarding any device, manufacturer, resource, or strategy mentioned. This guest blog is written by Ashley Mohesky. Ashley is a mental health professional and uses AAC. Ashley previously wrote a blog on mental health barriers and solutions for peop ..read more

AAC Spotlight is a series of interviews. Reading about other people who are interested in AAC (augmentative-alternative communication) can help us connect with each other and share experiences and concerns. NWACS will occasionally interview people to help all of us learn more about each other and AAC. By Alicia Alverson, MS, CCC-SLP, ATP; NWACS Board Member reading time: 3 minutes The views expressed in this post are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No endorsement by NWACS is implied regarding any device, manufacturer, resource, or strategy me ..read more

October is AAC Awareness Month. This year, ISAAC’s theme is Say What? We celebrate this year’s theme on the blog by hearing from Jessica Smith. She shares her story and the work she is doing. Content warning: As she describes her experiences when she was younger, in school, initial fears about police officers, and diagnosis this may be triggering for some. Thank you, Jessica, for sharing your story with us. by Jessica Smith, NWACS guest blogger Reading Time: 2 minutes The views expressed in this post are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No end ..read more

by Cassandra Stafford MS, CCC-SLP/L, ATP (speech/language pathologist and assistive technology professional); NWACS board member reading time: 1 minute The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) established International AAC Awareness Month in October 2007. It is celebrated around the world each October. The goal is to: raise awareness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and to inform the public about the many different ways in which people communicate. ISAAC has chosen “Say what? Sharing your most memorable moments with AAC” as this ..read more

by Kathy Smith, MSPA, SLP (Speech-Language Pathologist, retired); NWACS Board Member reading time: 4 minutes The theme for this blog post could not be better timed! September is National Preparedness Month. And I want to talk about emergency communication for people who use AAC systems. These days, we often hear about emergencies in Washington state and other places, such as: floods, wildfires, earthquakes, landslides, unexpected hospitalizations, etc. Are we and our families prepared for a possible emergency? We need to think about all types of emergencies: natural disasters ..read more

by Jennalyn Burke, MS, CCC-SLP (speech/language pathologist), NWACS guest blogger Reading Time: 2 minutes The views expressed in this post are that of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No endorsement by NWACS is implied regarding any device, manufacturer, resource, or strategy mentioned. As Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs), it is important that we look at our own discomfort to better serve our clients. ASHA Code of Ethics II.C. (2023) states, “Individuals shall enhance and refine their professional competence and expertise through engagement in l ..read more

by Jennalyn Burke, MS, CCC-SLP (speech/language pathologist), NWACS guest blogger Reading Time: 3 minutes The views expressed in this post are that of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No endorsement by NWACS is implied regarding any device, manufacturer, resource, or strategy mentioned. As a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), one of the biggest barriers to working with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users is device rejection or abandonment. Much of the specialty’s focus to combat this involves: boosting family, caregiver, and spec ..read more

By Marci Revelli, MS, CCC-SLP; NWACS Board Member reading time: 2 minutes The views expressed in this post are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No endorsement by NWACS is implied regarding any device, manufacturer, resource, or strategy mentioned. Webinar Title: Starting Sooner: AAC Skills for Success in the Real World Webinar Presenters: Deanna Morrow, Micaela Smith and Heather Prenovost I stumbled on this webinar when searching for information to support our NWACS 2023 theme AAC Across the Lifespan. August focuses on AAC and Adolescence. Thi ..read more

by Wen-Hsin Ku, MA CCC-SLP (speech/language pathologist), NWACS guest blogger (she/her) and Hsiao-Ting Su, MA, CCC-SLP, NWACS Board Member (she/her) Reading Time: 6 Minutes The views expressed in this post are that of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of NWACS. No endorsement by NWACS is implied regarding any device, manufacturer, resource, or strategy mentioned. It is crucial for speech/language pathologists (SLPs) to understand cultural differences when supporting multicultural families. We are two English-Mandarin speaking SLPs that work with families in the ..read more