AAC Partnership Program
Introduction to the Program
The AAC Partnership (AAC-P) is designed to support SLPs, and other team members, working with individuals (primarily in schools) who already use or might benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
Program Aims
(1) Increase access to AAC services for individuals across the state by increasing statewide capacity for SLPs and their teams to support an individual’s AAC needs.
(2) Collaborate and brainstorm with teams to generate recommendations for next steps in an individual’s communication journey (e.g., implementation in the classroom, at home and in the community).
Referral Process
Individuals can be referred for the AAC-P by their school and/or community speech-language pathologist (SLP). Referring SLPs can initiate their request for AAC-P support by completing the intake form and obtaining a release of information. Our range of ability to offer support will be restricted without an ROI on file.
Referrals are reviewed on a weekly basis by the AAC-P team to determine appropriateness of referral and then best service model fit for the request. If you have questions about referring a client to the Waisman Center AAC-Partnership, please email us at: aacpartnershipprogram@waisman.wisc.edu Note, there is no cost to a referring provider or organization to participate in this program.
AAC-P Support Models
The AAC-P supports primarily speech-language pathologists and school teams working with individuals who use, or could benefit from, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), guiding AAC evaluation, funding, and implementation processes. Device acquisition is not necessarily the program’s end goal. Instead, consultative support may center on ongoing skill-building recommendations.
Consultative Support (No seasonal referral restriction)
The consultative model uses a “coaching” best practices approach in which the AAC-P staff meet virtually with referring SLP and team member to trouble shoot problem-solve, demonstrate and strategize around techniques that may apply to the relevant context that brought them to AAC-P referral. In addition to a 45–60-minute virtual consultation, teams gain access to a library of best-practice resources broken into short, asynchronous modules. Teams are offered follow up support for 3-6 months, and encouraged to re-refer if appropriate.
Consultative Service Model (currently for school-based teams only)
This service model is a way to provide support to Teams who benefit from this service are often looking for guidance with “next steps” on an individual’s communication journey such as:
- Introducing AAC to individuals
- Ideas for exploring AAC and individuals with complex vision, hearing, and motor needs
- Initiating the SGD acquisition process for a current AAC user
- Advancing or supporting use of an already-existing AAC system
A more detailed timeline of this service model will be provided either upon request or once your referral has been placed into this service delivery model.
Direct Support (School SLP referrals end in early spring)
Best practices are modeled directly through an evaluation completed at the Waisman Center’s Communication Aids and Systems Clinic. A primary goal of this approach is to empower partner SLPs to complete the device acquisition process independently. We want SLPs and teams to they build confidence in their ability to support AAC needs of others in the future! As a result, this also means that the referring SLP and team members are frequently expected to commit approximately 3-6 months of AAC-P support.
Attendance at the outpatient evaluation is expected from:
- The child
- Their Family
- The partner SLP, and at least 1 other team member (e.g., teacher, PT, OT, nurse).
A detailed timeline of this service model will be provided either upon request or once your referral has been placed into this service delivery model.
*These services are billed through the individual’s medical insurance, which is confirmed prior to scheduling.
FAQ
Who can make a referral?
Referrals are accepted by an individual’s speech-language pathologist. For questions about the appropriateness of a referral, or about the program in general, please email aacpartnershipprogram@waisman.wisc.edu.
Will the individual I am referring have a device after I refer them to this program?
It is not guaranteed that the individual will be feature matched to an AAC system. If a feature match is made in a one-time evaluation, AAC-P staff support the referring SLP for up to 6 or more months as need. The referring SLP will be primarily responsible for executing the subsequent rental period, purchase documentation and ongoing interventions. AAC-P provide the partner SLP with a “road map” that includes resources, checklists, and templates to support the SGD acquisition process.