Registration Closes
Description: Discover how AI can move AAC beyond “finding the right button” to supporting true authorship, agency, and co-created communication—without replacing human connection.
This webinar will provide a practical framework to help clinicians, educators, and teams evaluate AI-enhanced AAC practices across three domains:
1. Access: Does AI reduce barriers to expression (motor, cognitive, linguistic) without introducing dependency or inequity?
2. Authorship: Whose idea is this? Who is crafting the message? Who receives credit for the communication?
3. Agency: Does AI expand the individual’s control, identity, and social roles within communication contexts?
Through real-world case examples, participants will analyze when AI serves as a scaffold, and when it oversteps. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies, a reflection tool they can immediately apply to their current technologies, and a renewed stance that presumes competence and centers the communicator as the author of their own message. The future of AAC is not artificial but more human than ever.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
1. Describe at least three current or emerging AI-enhanced features (e.g., predictive text, generative writing supports, embedded coaching) that can be integrated with AAC tools, and explain how each may impact access and workload for AAC users and teams.
2. Analyze at least two case examples of AI-supported AAC interactions to identify who is providing ideas, who is shaping the message, and where authorship and agency may be at risk.
3. Apply a simple three-step decision framework (e.g., Access → Authorship → Agency) to evaluate one AI-supported tool or practice from their own setting and determine at least one concrete change to better align with ethical, evidence-informed AAC practice.
Target Audience: Colorado Public School Assistive Technology Specialists, Special Educators, Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Reading Specialists, Teachers for the Visually Impaired, Special Education Paraprofessionals, Administrators, and Parents.
A Certificate of Attendance will be provided upon completion of the webinar feedback survey, and a recording of the webinar will be sent to all registrants. To see our full schedule of webinars and events, please visit the SWAAAC Events Webpage.
This webinar is free, but registration is required and the number of participants is limited. Please register by October 14th.
Do you have accommodation requests?
We are committed to accommodating the needs of participants with disabilities. Accommodations will be provided upon request, but must be submitted in writing during the registration process. If you need further assistance, please contact us at swaaac@ucdenver.edu.
Please note that this professional development opportunity has been funded by the Colorado Department of Education, therefore professionals working in Colorado public schools will take priority if registration exceeds Zoom capacity.
Meet the Speaker
Brenda Del Monte is a speech language pathologist and an assistive technology evaluator and facilitator. She worked as an SLP in Washington State public schools and is currently a private practitioner in Arizona, where she does AAC evaluations and trainings. Brenda has presented her knowledge at Closing the Gap and her collaborative research on accessing AAC at ATIA. Brenda Del Monte is a co-founder of Believe Beyond Ability, a non-profit organization that evaluates, determines, provides and trains those with multiple disabilities on assistive technology to increase independence. Brenda is also an author of the newly published book, "I See You In There," a collection of stories from her 20+ years of experience working with children and adults with disabilities. She is currently a co-host of the Awe and Wonder Podcast hosted by the Special Ed Tech Center and Technically Speaking.
We'll see you in...
- Days35
- Hours17
- Minutes17
- Seconds9
Stay Connected! Follow Us on Social Media:
