AAC Ally

Rachel Madel presents information on AAC in a clear manner. My confidence has improved with implementing AAC because of Rachel Madel! Thank you, Rachel for your compassion in the field of speech-language pathology!

AAC Ally was an awesome course! Usually when it comes to resources and courses, free is my favorite price, so at first I was hesitant to sign up. This was absolutely worth every cent (and probably more😊)! I have some AAC experience, but still learned so much from your practical approach through the videos of you doing parent coaching and how you broke down the steps of how you structure assessments! Thank you for so generously sharing so many wonderful resources on top of the presentation and for all the time and effort that went into this incredible presentation!

This course provided a lot of real life examples and addressed many scenarios that have been seen during therapy sessions. I loved the portion regarding AAC and Early Intervention. I appreciated the suggestion that any AAC is better than no AAC. Rachel also provided a great deal of information regarding parent coaching and gaining caregiver buy-in. The resources are great and presented in a way that they are easy to access.

There has been many resources and supports shared during stay-at-home and physical distancing orders, but this presentation proved to be the most helpful! Following along with Rachel's assessment afforded the listener practical tips and valuable insight into the important relationship between the evaluator and the family. I am empowered by what I've learned and cannot wait to use these ideas!

School closures has brought an array of challenges as an SLP working with AAC students. We do not have easy access to our students and devices as we would during regular school operations. However school closures has provided us as clinicians a unique opportunity to have a greater impact on the student and IEP team as a whole. This course is broken down into bite sized modules you can complete at your own pace. Modules cover multiple themes from data collection, parent coaching, device and program determinations to team implementation and considerations for tele practice. Rachel provides course participants with a plethora of resources covering the wide range of topics she touches on. She even considers Mac and PC when suggesting telepractice components! I found the case study to be one of the best parts of the course as you are able to see parent coaching and considerations in real life situations. The way in which Rachel works with her parents and students is all about empowering the user and team buy-in. As a SLP working with AAC users I know the importance of team buy-in and once communication partners learn how to empower their AAC user, that's where the magic happens. AND we are lucky enough to witness it in Rachel's case study! Highly recommend this course for both seasoned and new SLPs. I would even recommend this for other IEP team members!

Rachel's AAC ALLY course was extremely informative. Being a primarily AAC SLP, I did find some of it to be review, however, it was still very helpful and would be great for someone who may not have as much AAC experience. Beyond that, after module 1, ideas were immediately applicable for me and based on real-life activities and not just contrived, screen-based materials. I learned a lot and the supplemental materials that come with the course are amazing. I highly recommend this course!

Terrific for beginner and seasoned SLPs alike who need a roadmap for AAC teletherapy assessments. Rachel includes so much valuable information including videos of actual assessment and coaching sessions. If you're confused about where to start with AAC teletherapy assessment, you have found your solution!

This course was absolutely amazing! It's usually extremely difficult for me to sit, listen, and watch a course; but this was SO well-organized and MOTIVATING to see! Not only did I learn how to assess, conduct, and write AAC trials remotely, I loved learning about effective language to coach communication partners. This course has shaped the way I will do AAC assessments virtually and in-person! The BEST part is all the amazing apps/tools for tele-assessment. I'm so so impressed with the literacy, cause + effect, and alternative access tools (the good stuff! I have treatment ideas for days now as well.) As an SLP that specializes in working with individuals with complex communication needs, this course gave me a ton of new insight. Rachel, this course is a gem; THANK YOU!

This course was wonderful!! Telepractice for AAC seemed so daunting to me but Rachel helped guide me through by showing both what to do and how to do it. The course is broken down into modules which helped me absorb the information and prevented me from feeling overwhelmed. It really helped ensure that my AAC clients would not only retain skills but continue to make progress despite going virtual during school closures.

So much great information and LOVED the modules. It made it easier to process, and made it easier to take breaks

excellent power point slides and videos and resource materials; I can use your material to begin AAC assessment and therapy immediately

Rachel's course is amazing!! She is quick and to the point, which is awesome. Embedded in the course is one case study which really helped me grasp the content I was learning. She provided so many handouts and resources to use right away. I may not be the one completing AAC assessments in my district, but I know have the knowledge to begin the conversation with parents, trial devices before recommending an AAC evaluation, and implement functional therapy using an AAC device. This course is needed by every SLP, whether you are in early intervention, schools, private practice, or with adults!