Closing The Gap 2024

The 42^nd Annual Closing the Gap Conference returns in October! We hope to see you in Minneapolis for networking and idea exchanging on October 22-24! This favorite conference has a new location for 2024. Join us at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bloomington, located 10 miles west of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. PRC-Saltillo is proud to sponsor this three-day conference that helps transform learning with assistive technology and implementation strategies so that all students can succeed! Register today!

Stop by the PRC-Saltillo booth (#103) and experience the magic of communication!

• Test drive our Accent®, NovaChat®, and Via® communication devices designed with multiple access methods
• Explore our iOS apps featuring research-based AAC vocabularies along with VersaEye™ for iPad®
• Gather round for product demos and share your feedback
• Ask our PRC-Saltillo ambassadors about their personal experiences with AAC
• Connect with our consultants to ask questions about our products and support services
• Dare to dream as you explore creative ways to implement AAC
• Spin the PRC-Saltillo wheel to win a prize

Check out the exceptional AAC learning opportunities from PRC-Saltillo!

Our amazing colleagues fill the expert speaker lineup at this year’s event. Their presentations will share strategies to help you and your communication partners excel in AAC.

Wednesday, October 23 (located on the Second Floor in Atrium 7 unless noted)

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CT

Connect Your Worlds: Access a Whole New World with Your PRC-Saltillo Device   

Cortney Maholtz & Beth Waite-Lafever

11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. CT

Expanding Your AAC Universe: What's Beyond the Vocabulary     

Heather Prenovost & Meghan Kunz

12:40 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. CT

The Decades Tour: A Review of the PRC-Saltillo AAC Literacy Planner and Calendar             

Cortney Maholtz & Beth Waite-Lafever

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CT

The Language of Learning: AAC Core with Tier Vocabulary

Beth Waite-Lafever & Samantha Strong

3:20 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. CT

Gestalt Language Processing and AAC! A Look at How To Do It     

Cortney Maholtz & Sara Sterling

3:20 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. CT, Atrium 2, Second Floor

AAC & Autism: Examining the Lived Experience of an AAC User with Language Processing Differences

Stefanie Olson & Catlaina Vrana

Thursday, October 24

11:20 a.m. – 1:40 p.m. CT, Atrium 7, Second Floor

Connecting with Others: Using Notebooks and Stories & Scripts with Emergent Communicators

Alexis Glasser, Krista Howard, & Jeremy Legaspi

Check them all out in the online presentation directory and make plans to join us!

Closing The Gap Keynote Speaker

Dr. Karen Erickson, PhD, Director, Center for Literacy & Disability Studies presents this year’s conference keynote address. Make plans to listen in and expand your advocacy knowledge as she shares Centering Learning: Moving Beyond Access and Participation in Assistive Technology on Wednesday, October 23 at 8:00 a.m.

8th Annual AAC Town Hall

Participate in person or virtually at the Annual Minnesota AAC Town Hall Meeting during the Closing The Gap Conference on Wednesday, October 23, 12:40 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. This is an open discussion for AAC users to share their unique perspectives on communication. ️This event promises to be an insightful experience for everyone. Learn more and register!

Not an AAC user? You’re still welcome! Come listen, learn, and broaden your understanding of AAC and the amazing people who use it.

Standard registration discount available through September 15. Discounts are available for individuals with disabilities, parents, and full-time students. Watch this video to learn what previous Closing The Gap Conference attendees had to say. And then make plans with a colleague to join us in October! You’ll be glad you did!