The Northeast AAC Summit, planned and presented by PRC-Saltillo’s Northeast regional consultant team, grew out of a desire to stay connected to the professional AAC community during the coronavirus pandemic. The world went quiet and service delivery changed, but the need to connect and collaborate remained. Virtual town halls became an informal space to come together and discuss ideas. As in-person events and services returned, the virtual town hall experience turned into the Northeast AAC Summit.
PRC-Saltillo’s Northeast regional consultant team serves an amazing corner of the country with unmatched support and training. They work together to present this one-day professional gathering biannually in spring and fall. The location rotates throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
The 4th Northeast AAC Summit took place at Southern Maine Community College in Portland, Maine, to create a connecting environment for those who work on area AAC teams. Local PRC-Saltillo Consultant for Maine and New Hampshire Gina Sparrow, M.A., CCC-SLP, shared the planning focus for the spring 2024 event. “In thinking about the communities in those two states in my territory, we knew there was a broad range of experiences with AAC,” said Gina. “We wanted to bring them together to collaborate and learn from each other. We hoped the Portland Summit would be an opportunity for mentorship to happen naturally.”
Attendees gathered for community, sharing, and connection. The morning began with a town hall portion where participants offered their clinical questions and hopes for the day. The event speakers told their personal and professional stories and experiences of finding AAC and what it has taught them. Meals and session breaks were filled with networking and conversations. Attendees received encouragement and practical solutions to address common challenges. When asked what they liked best about the Summit, one participant said, “The ability to discuss and troubleshoot with likeminded SLPs. The opportunity to network and meet other AAC SLPs was invaluable.”
“The Portland event was community oriented,” said Gina. “It was wonderful to see how open everyone was. The collaborative setting was beneficial to those looking for a place to exchange information and share what they are going through in their AAC roles at the local level.”
The Summit represents PRC-Saltillo’s values of trust, respect, integrity, and mission. The mini-conference focuses on general AAC support and professional collaboration for members of the AAC team—speech-language pathologists (SLPs), speech-language pathologist assistants (SLPAs), occupational therapists (OTs), teachers, and paraprofessionals. Gina noted, “The Summit is about creating community and building on our mission for everyone to have a voice. It’s a place where everyone can come together and have the community and resources to successfully support individuals they work with.”
Special thanks to the following clinicians for presenting at the Portland event:
Continued AAC support and training are offered online and through in-person regional events. Contact your local consultant or visit aaclearningjourney.com to explore your options.
The Northeast regional team is looking forward to the fall meetup. Save the date for the 5th Northeast AAC Summit: New York City on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Gather with AAC professionals and teams at The News Building in Midtown Manhattan for collaboration and support as you work toward building independent communicators. If you’re involved in fostering independence with AAC, we hope you will join us.
Registration for the Fall 2024 Summit is now open. Learn more and invite a colleague to join you!