Pre-Conference Presentations
Accessing State Standards for Students with CVI
In this session, participants will delve into effective strategies and classroom accommodations for children with CVI. Participants will get hands-on experience as they learn to design educational activities specifically tailored for both traditional classroom tools like lightboxes and digital platforms like Google Slides.
Robin King : robin@ssdla-aem.org
Nabiha Mujahid: nabiha@ssdla-aem.org
Adapting Books
This session will empower you to create engaging books that focus on a multi-sensory rich environment for students with moderate to severe disabilities using grade level books that support Louisiana connectors. Participants will adapt books to support collaboration between the teacher, SLP, OT, PT, and VI Teacher. The books will be appropriate for all students regardless of the disability or communication level.
Robin King : robin@ssdla-aem.org
Nabiha Mujahid: nabiha@ssdla-aem.org
A Penny Saved: Economical Activities for Students with CVI/Multiple Disabilities
AAC takes a team to be successful. Anyone who has worked with AAC has probably experienced the challenges of getting the team to work as a team. In this session, I will share strategies and tips to get your team on board so that you can increase the positive outcomes for our AAC users!
Dr. Susie Thomas, CTVI, COMS, NBCT
thomas.susie@aidb.org
“Writer’s Toolkit” Supporting Diverse Learners with Written Expression
Often students with significant disabilities – especially our complex communicators – have limited opportunities to write. Learn to level the playing field by providing opportunities for generative writing throughout the school day. This session will focus on creative ways for students to produce constructed responses in both independent and shared writing activities. Learners will create a “Writers Toolkit” to support written expression for our complex communicators.
Tammy Dupre: tammy@ssdla-aem.org
Tuesday Presentations
AAC Takes a Team
AAC takes a team to be successful. Anyone who has worked with AAC has probably experienced the challenges of getting the team to work as a team. In this session I will share strategies and tips to get your team on board so that we can increase the positive outcomes for our AAC users!
Shannon Archer
A Closer Look @ Receptive Language: Providing Academic Vocabulary Instruction using ALI
Students with complex communication needs require exposure and participation in the general education curriculum. Learn how to provide ALI using core words to teach academic vocabulary using a student’s AAC system. Writing activities will also be discussed.
Elizabeth Ardoin & Leslie Chanin
Effective Paraprofessional Practices
Participants will understand perspectives directly from a current paraprofessional as it relates to building student success. Participants will learn key elements to achieve successful working partnerships that result in enhanced learning opportunities for all students. Participants will be able to describe techniques toward building a strong classroom team in order to promote efficiency in the utilization of AT tools and techniques.
Katie Sample & Scott Moerson
Electronic Snap Circuits Snap Rover Kit – Adapted for the Visually Impaired: Getting Started with STEAM
Session appropriate for anyone curious about SnapCircuits to introduce STEAM instruction to students 8 and above. Participants will be guided through the components and projects included in the SnapRover which supports instruction in engineering, electronics and circuitry. APH adapted this with braille labels but otherwise it is the standard kit.
Josh Miller: Josh.miller@la.gov
From Dinosaurs to Digitals “A History of Hearing Aids”
Overview of the history of hearing aids from the first rudimentary ear horns to modern, digital aids, with actual examples from each era and style, including cochlear implants. Features a PowerPoint presentation to supplement the talk. Approved for CEU credit by Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech Pathology and Audiology.
Dr. David M. Mulnick
Have you tried Kami lately? “Teacher and student friendly assistive technology tricks”
Kami is a very versatile learning platform that can be used for so much more than annotating pdfs! We are going to discuss tips and tricks that teachers can use to support their students with an emphasis on Deaf and Hard of Hearing students and students with learning disabilities in the inclusion and resource settings.
Jessica Paul
Increasing Access for All
Are you looking for real strategies to meet the needs of all learners? This session will deepen your understanding of learner variability in service of planning and implementing daily instruction. In this session, you will explore UDL and consider how its use improves and optimizes teaching and learning.
Lauren LeBental & Stacey Moorehead
Indicating Response “Partner Assisted Scanning, & Alternative Pencils for Complex Communicators”
How to identify the indicating response for students who face significant motor and communication challenges. Guide to establishing communication and writing utilizing an individuals specific indicating response with partner assisted scanning and alternate pencils.
We can do this all in 1 session or stretch it 2 sessions. Let us know what you prefer.
Elizabeth Ardoin, Leslie Cahanin, Katie Miranda
Intervening to Support Communication
Interventions to support struggling learners vary in efficacy and transferability to non-intervention settings. This session will equip participants with a deeper understanding of an approach to instructional intervention through the lens of communication. Participants will leave with strategies to share in their community for addressing communication needs through intentional interventions.
Lauren LeBental and Stacey Moorehead
Let’s Talk about the White Elephant in the Room: Collaborative Team Approach to meet the Needs of Diverse Learners.
Education is an continually changing landscape; therefore, properly advocating and educating diverse students is of paramount importance. To assist these students effectively and efficiently it takes the work of a “village”. Researchers have shown that when Speech-Language Pathologists take a seat at the collaborative table, student outcomes increase. With the ongoing Literacy Initiatives in the state of Louisiana, Speech-Language Pathologists have advanced training in literacy/language acquisition. Therefore, to benefit students, it is best practice to collaborate with Speech-Language Pathologists as part of the instructional team.
Dr. Dawn Guice
Presentation coming soon
Linking the Evaluation to the Creation of IEP Goals
Participants will learn how to set achievable goals by selecting appropriate progress monitoring tools, determining a student’s baseline performance, choosing an evidence-based strategy, and writing a measurable IEP goal. This step-by-step guidance on composing an IEP aims to enhance understanding of how to reduce the achievement gap for diverse learners by writing IEP goals individualized to the learner.
This presentation will review sample student evaluations to better understand the student’s present level of performance, and how to use that information to create appropriate
IEP goals.
Lauren Miley
Making AAC FUNctional
We know that repetition and practice is key for successful AAC implementation, so how do we keep our students/clients engaged? The key to AAC is making it FUNctional. We can create functional activities that include some FUN. Individuals will leave this session with fun and functional activities to promote communication across a variety of settings.
Shannon Archer
Presentation coming soon
NRMA – Mandatory?
The Bulletin 1508 states that a researched Reading Medium Assessment needs to be conducted on a student with blindness or low vision. In this session, the TVIs and O&Ms will understand how to administer this assessment. Casey is a leader in the field of blindness for the state of Louisiana. Come and learn from an experienced TBS. The target audience are pupil appraisal, TBS educators, & O&M Specialists.
Casey Robertson
Presentation coming soon
See the Sound: Visual Phonics
Listen in and explore the effective and evidence-based See the Sound: Visual Phonics strategy. This kinesthetic strategy is comprised of 52 hand cues that represent the sounds of the English language and is easily utilized with any curriculum or intervention. This session explores the strategy and the research behind it. Leave with information on training opportunities.
Pam Hughes & Alyssa Hughes
Presentation coming soon
What’s The Buzz: Using the Braille Buzz and the Braille Buzz App
What’s The Buzz: Using the Braille Buzz and the Braille Buzz App
This presentation will cover the APH Braille Buzz and Braille Buzz app. It will also cover how to use the Braille Buzz app with refreshable braille devices.
Dr. Susie Thomas
Presentation coming soon
UDL for All
Join me in an engaging learning experience about using A.T. and UDL to enhance literacy for our diverse students.
Robin Grantham: rgrantham@mpsb.us