On Friday, July 13, 2018, the RERC on AAC will hold its State of the Science conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Arlington, Virginia (near Washington, DC). All activities will take place in Regency Ballroom A (Ballroom level). Travel information is available here.
Agenda*
8:00 – 9:00 Registration
9:00 – 9:05 Welcome
- Janice Light, RERC on AAC
9:05-9:20 Update from NIDILRR
- Dr Robert Jaeger, Director; NIDILRR
9:20-9: 35 NIDILRR’s vision for augmentative and alternative communication research and its impact on the lives of people with disabilities
- Ruth Brannon, Director, Office of Research Sciences, NIDILRR
9:35 – 10:00 Introduction to the RERC on AAC
- Janice Light, RERC on AAC
10:00 – 10:30 New challenges and new opportunities in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
Janice Light, David McNaughton, David Beukelman, Susan Fager, Melanie Fried-Oken, Tom Jakobs, & Erik Jakobs with Anthony Arnold, Chris Klein, Godfrey Nazareth, Dana Nieder, & Tracy Rackensperger
10:30 – 10:45 Discussion
10:45 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 11:45 New and emerging access technologies for adults with complex communication needs and severe motor impairments
- Susan Fager, Melanie Fried-Oken, Tom Jakobs, & David Beukelman with Greg Bieker
11:45 – 12:00 Discussion
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch and poster sessions (boxed lunches will be provided)
1:00 – 1:45 AAC technology supports for children, adolescents, and young adults with complex communication needs and their communication partners
- Janice Light, David McNaughton, & Jessica Caron
1:45 – 2:00 Discussion
2:00 – 2:30 Break
2:30 – 3:15 Designing effective AAC interface displays for individuals with complex communication needs: State of the science and future research directions
- Janice Light, Krista Wilkinson, Amber Thiessen, David Beukelman, & Susan Fager
3:15 – 3:45 Discussion
3:45 – 4:00 Conclusion/closing remarks
- Janice Light with Rob Rummel-Hudson
4:00 – 4:30 Informal discussion and poster sessions
Our goals are to discuss the state of the science in AAC, to consider implications for practice, and to identify directions for future research and development. The conference will bring together key stakeholders including individuals who use AAC, family members, clinicians, researchers, AT manufacturers, app developers, policy makers, and government personnel.
Attendance is limited to a small group of invited participants. For further information, please contact David McNaughton at dbm2@psu.edu.
The State of the Science conference is being held in conjunction with the RESNA 2018 conference. RERC on AAC partners will be presenting at RESNA 2018 on July 14 and 15, after the State of the Science has concluded.
*Planned agenda, subject to change (revised 7/9/18)
Participant list
