	October 1997

USSAAC Convention

The 1997 National Convention of The Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication held in Baltimore

"There is no other meeting sufficient for such a diverse group of people focused on AAC: clinicians from many disciplines; manufacturers; educators and students; researchers; policy developers; and especially consumers and their families. USSAAC is a community that functions best because our members represent all perspectives of the AAC community -- and because our members are willing to listen to each other, learn from each other, and teach each other."

Welcome from Dick Lytton, USSAAC President

The 1997 National Convention of The United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication was held from August 1-3, 1997 at the Omni Inner Harbor Hotel. The theme of this year's convention was "National Networking Local Communicating". The convention schedule was designed to address three major topic areas, one each day of the convention. These areas were:

Assessment Strategies and Practices
Technology: Implementation and Integration
Credentialing, Employment and Funding

Speakers for the meetings were tapped from across the country. Presentations offered best practice discussions, lectures for the child and adult populations, and most importantly, opportunities for consumers and professionals to network. The first day of the convention typified this meeting by providing a venue for all participants to meet over lunch and discuss Topics in AAC which included:
Topic                                           Facilitator

School Based Assessment........................ Mary Ann Lowe
Developing Phonemic Awareness.................. Beth Foley
Assessment..................................... Sharon Glennen
Credentialing & Specialty Recognition.......... Jean Minkle
What's New at PRC.............................. Barry Romich
Funding........................................ Lewis Golinker
Peer Mentors in AAC Intervention............... Gail Van Tatentove
Dynamic Displays............................... Joan Bruno
AAC & the Developing Language Learner.......... Sarah Blackstone
Video Conferencing............................. Dave Weller
Speaking the Same Representational Language.... Beth Mineo
Literacy and Students with Visual Impairments.. Jillian King
Choosing an Augmentative Communication  
     Device: A Family's Perspective............ Angie Hodges &
                                                Casey Hodges
Multitasking Device............................ Phil Lawrence
AAC Camps...................................... Tracy Kovach
Using Devices in Vocational Settings........... Gus Estrella & Mick Joyce
Around the World............................... Bruce Baker
Building Literacy Skills Using AAC Devices..... Beth Sinteff 
Auditory Scanning.............................. Christie Rochester
Integrated Access: AAC, Computers and ECU...... Kim Henry
Presenters from the Mid-Atlantic region included Sharon Glennen on the topic of "Preschool and School-Age Children", Beth Mineo and Denise Peischl discussing "Selecting Picture-Based Language Representations for AAC", Kate Dickey and Anne Hoffman discussing "Picture Exchange Systems as Assessment Strategy for Children with PDD", Gus Estrella as part of a consumer panel discussing "Why AT Should Be Used in School", and Pat Ourand presenting a Luncheon Keynote on "Non-Entitlement Funding". A review of this list reveals many presenters familiar to the Maryland Augmentative Communication Association (MACA) as guest speakers or long time members.

In addition to a spectacular agenda of speakers, USSAAC also arranged a Technology Hall featuring 13 vendors and publishing companies specializing in AAC. Overall, this 3 day event represented a well spent summer weekend. USSAAC will take a break in 1998 while the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) meets in Dublin, Ireland. USSAAC is hosting the ISAAC-2000 Convention in Baltimore. For additional information regarding USSAAC membership, continuing education activities, or newsletters, the contact information is :

United States Society for Augmentative and
Alternative Communication (USSAAC)
P.O. Box 5271
Evanston, IL 60204-5271
E-MAIL: ussaac@northshore.net
847-869-2122 - Voice
847-869-2161 - Fax

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