This week we are joined by Megan, a speech/language pathologist with over 20 years of experience, most of which have been spent serving students with complex communication needs within various settings, including early intervention, home health, hippotherapy, and preschool and elementary school. With extensive knowledge regarding various forms of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) from lite to high tech, Megan’s passion is to help guide students, parents, and professionals alike in their journey to find the AAC system(s) that will help them become the most independent and autonomous communicators possible. Megan also owns and operates SENSEAble Literacy, empowering everyone to bring the love of literacy, AAC, and sensory-based experiences together for all learners.

(4:09) Lauren and Megan kick off their conversation around AAC and literacy by discussing the importance of teaching literacy to children with complex communication needs. (6:46) Megan walks us through how to get started introducing literacy skills to AAC users, as well as (8:54) gives ideas for shaping letter babbling into functional literacy. (11:39) She then guides us through transitioning from letter/sound awareness to literacy within story books. (17:03) This leads Lauren and Megan into a discussion regarding adding book specific information into a communication system, and how it can relate to descriptive teaching versus explicit vocabulary instruction, (22:58) which evolves into a discussion regarding reading comprehension overall.

(26:35) They then take it back to basics, and Megan gives ideas for how to introduce pre-literacy skills in the early intervention setting. (29:43) She then provides ideas for classroom teachers who support students with complex communication needs. (41:32) Megan and Lauren wrap up their literacy discussion with strategies for being an effective reading partner while modeling on the AAC system. (49:21) Lauren leaves us with a summarizing Take AACtion step to help us be better reading teachers, no matter what our job title may be.

Follow along with Megan @senseableliteracy on all social media platforms to continue getting support about integrating literacy and AAC!

• @inspireconnections.aac on Instagram