LDR-11:
Beyond the Assessment –
Creating and Using AT/AAC
Implementation Plans
Rachel Kuberry, MS.Ed., Ed.S.
Amy Golding, M.A., CCC-SLP
January 30th 2014
1:00-2:00
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Outline:
• Assistive Technology Implementation Plan Background
• Assistive Technology
• Preparation Steps
• Process
• Practical Tips
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• Preparation Steps
• Process
• Practical Tips
• Q&A
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Lexington Public Schools
• Suburban district outside Boston
• Approximately 6600 students
• District-wide specialized programs serving
students with:
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Intellectual impairment
Autism
Language-based learning disabilities
Emotional, behavioral, and/or therapeutic learning
needs
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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What is an Implementation Plan?
A concise document that describes the
AT tool and how it will be implemented
within the environment.
Think of it as an “AT Lesson Plan”
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Implementation Plan Resources
• Making It Work: Effective Implementation of Assistive
Technology Guide (free book by SETBC found here)
• Section 5: Develop Assistive Technology Implementation Plan
• Implementing Trials with Assistive Technology (free form by
WATI found here)
• Hey Can I Try That? (free book by Gayl Bowser and Penny
Reed found here)
• Section called “Make a Plan” addresses incorporating the student into
making and AT Plan
• Samples:
• Oregon Technology Access Program Form
• University of Kentucky Form
• Georgia’s Assistive Technology Intervention Plan
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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AT Implementation Plans Always Include:
1. The specific AT tool/s
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Where it is located
What specific features are used
2. The goal of the AT
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How will we know if the tool is working?
How will we know if the tool is not working?
3. When the tool will be used
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What specific activities will the student use the tool for?
4. Roles and responsibilities of the staff involved
5. Ongoing monitoring
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What do we do if the Student, Environment, or Tasks change?
What do we do at the beginning of the new school year?
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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AT Implementation Plans Sometimes Include:
1. Trial information
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How long will the trial last?
How will we know if it worked?
2. Non-AT strategies
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Does the student still need to learn through remediation?
3. Training information
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How will the adults learn to use the tool?
How will the student learn to use the tool?
Are the parents going to be included in training?
Are there new or different strategies that will require training?
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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The good:
• Keeps all team members on the same page
• Outlines clear roles and responsibilities
• Increases use of the AT tool
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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The bad:
• It takes TIME to create and embed within our service delivery
model
• Might not contain adequate detail for consistent implementation
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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AT Implementation Plan – Prep
1. Know Your Technology… What does each program/classroom
have available?
• Create an “AT Continuum” for most common assessment
areas
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WATI: http://www.wati.org/?pageLoad=content/supports/free/index.php
Lexington: http://lps.lexingtonma.org/Page/2062
• Complete “Programmatic AT Assessments” for your special
education programs
• Work together with your Instructional Technology Specialists
to know what general education technology is available
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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AT Implementation Plan – Prep
2. Develop Forms and Blank Templates
• Forms for you to fill out as you gather information:
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Observation form
Team interview form
Student interview form
Work sample review form
Find all of my forms here: http://lps.lexingtonma.org/Page/3429
Blank templates for Implementation Plans
Checklist for the steps of the process
“Canned” introduction email to send to Team members
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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AT Implementation Plan – Prep
3. Create Method for Storing and Sharing the Plan… the AT
Binder!
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AT Implementation Plan – Process
1. Gather information from the Team
2. Observe the student
3. Meet with Teams to draft the Plan
4. Finalize the Plan and share it
5. Ongoing monitoring
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Tips for making this work:
• Make blank templates
• Don’t use the student’s name, when possible
• Do not go back in time. Create Implementation Plans only for
new students.
• Time is important. If you can’t get time with the teachers, go to
the administrators for help.
• After the Plan is in place, rely on the Team to notify you if
anything changes or the plan needs to be adjusted
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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AAC – in Lexington
Similarities
• Tools alone are not
enough
• Strategies training is
important
• Varying levels of staff
familiarity and comfort
with tools/strategies
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
Unique Features
• All low-incidence
populations
• Greater need for family
training and involvement
• Tools and strategies
always used across
multiple environments and
tasks
• Often asking people to
significantly change the
way they do things
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AAC – Important Concepts
• Core vocabulary
• Aided Language Stimulation
• Prompting
• Functional communication/problem behaviors
• Descriptive teaching
• Activity/task specific communication partner skills
• See the work of Cathy Binger & Jennifer Kent-Walsh at:
http://tinyurl.com/nas923y
• See links from PrAACtical AAC at:
http://praacticalaac.org/tag/partner-training/
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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AAC Implementation Forms and
Handouts
Find all my forms
at:
• Continuum
• Interview forms
• Data sheets
http://lps.lexingtonma.org/Page/3429
http://lps.lexingtonma.org/Page/3454
• Implementation plan
• Overview handouts
• Communication
protocol
• Binder forms
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Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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AAC Implementation Plan – “Light Support”:
Linear Process
Gather
Information
Draft Plan
Train
Follow up
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
• Always: meet, observe
• Sometimes: try directly
• Always: meet, discuss, write brief
implementation plan
• Sometimes: write communication protocol
• Always: provide materials
• Sometimes: meet again
• Sometimes: provide additional consult or
training
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AAC Implementation Plan – “Complex Student”:
Ongoing Process
Gather
Information
Review &
Analyze
Data
Draft &
Implement
Protocol
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
Draft Plan
Train
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Gather Information
• Interview
• Teachers, therapists, paraprofessionals
• Parents
• Student
• Observe student
• Across environments
• Across tasks
• Try tools
• Directly with the student
• Across environments
• Across tasks
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Draft Plan
• Discuss with team members
• Mutually draft brief implementation plan including:
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Tool(s) and strategies to be tried
Duration of trial
Plan for communication partner training
Roles and Responsibilities
Data to be collected
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Train
• Emphasis on strategies over tools!
• Emphasis on collaboration and valued opinions and different
needs of varying stakeholders
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Lecture
Print and digital materials
Overlap sessions with professional staff
Ongoing consultation
Structured parent training
Trying tools directly with student
• Frequently assess the needs and skills of communication
partners
• Provide differentiated instruction
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Draft and Implement Protocol
• Discuss with team members
• Mutually draft detailed communication protocol
• Modify any data collection as needed
• Provide additional training to communication partners to ensure
consistent implementation
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Review and Analyze
• Review data after trial and on regular basis
• Modify as needed
• Data collection
• Implementation plan
• Communication protocol
• Communicate and train communication partners on changes
• Collect additional information when needed
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Strategies for involving the Team
Encourage the student’s liaison to invite other people to
participate
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If scheduling is an issue, the liaison can gather input from the other team
members outside of the scheduling planning meetings
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Send questionnaires and checklists via email
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Draft the AT Implementation Plan with the team!
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Use blank copies of a Plan
Have a face-to-face brainstorming session with the team
Type up the plan and send it out to the team for additional feedback
Send a finalized copy of the AT Implementation Plan to ALL
Team members, including the parents
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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Strategies for involving the Team
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Including multiple communication partners is strongly
recommended
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May need to be flexible to include family members (e.g.,
phone calls, multiple meetings)
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Establish and maintain a positive rapport with team
members
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Support the student’s SLP and/or liaison in moving
toward a leadership role
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Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
Tips for making this work:
• Do not go back in time. Create Implementation Plans only for
new students.
• Create and share data sheets and informational handouts on
strategies
• Meet communication partners where they are; build skills and
success
• For ongoing consultation, document services in the IEP as
needed
•Consider what student, environment, task, and/or tool
characteristics impact the need for different levels of service
•Provide enough support and monitoring to reduce or prevent
the tool from being abandoned or only used during speech
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Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
Thank you for attending this session
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CEUs – Session Code: LDR-11
• More info at: www.atia.org/CEU
• For ACVREP, AOTA and ASHA CEUs, hand in completed Attendance Forms to
REGISTRATION DESK at the end of the conference. Please note there is a $15 fee
for AOTA CEUs.
• For general CEUs, apply online with The AAC Institute: www.aacinstitute.org
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Session Evaluation
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evaluation form.
• Completed evaluation forms should be submitted as you exit or to staff at the
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Handouts
• Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
• Handout link remains live for 3 months after the conference ends.
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/orlandohandouts
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