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Woolfolk Conference


The Elizabeth Carrow-Woolfolk Conference is presented every two years by the Communication and Learning Disorders department, the Harry Jersig Center, and the Continuing Education Office. The conference is dedicated to promoting research in child language disorders and advancing the treatment of children with language and learning disabilities. The conference is named for benefactor Elizabeth Carrow-Woolfolk, PhD. Dr. Woolfolk, a nationally recognized expert in communications disorders and OLLU alumna, has developed a comprehensive set of tests to evaluate oral and written comprehension and expression. She established OLLU's communication and learning disorders program more than 50 years ago and continues as an active supporter of the program.

Best Practices for Facilitating Communication and Early Literacy in the Emerging AAC Communicator

Saturday, October 26, 2019
8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Our Lady of the Lake University
Sueltenfuss Library

Presenter

Patti Solomon-Rice, PhD,CCC/SLP

Dr. Solomon-Rice received a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education through the University of California at Berkeley and San Francisco State University with a focus on augmentative and alternative communication. She received a Master of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Montana. Dr. Solomon-Rice is an associate professor and director of the Woolfolk School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Our Lady of the Lake University. Prior to that, she was an associate professor and clinic director in the Department of Speech- and Hearing Sciences at San Francisco State. She has taught courses in augmentative and alternative communication, language development, preschool language disorders, language disorders, motor speech disorders, and advanced clinical skills. Her research interests are in the area of augmentative and alternative communication, focusing on language development and early intervention services for children who benefit from AAC.

Presentation Abstract

This workshop will describe the best practices for selective vocabulary that is powerful, motivating, and functional for the emerging communicator. Goals and objectives for facilitating linguistic, social, strategic and operational AAC competencies will be reviewed. Lastly, as the ultimate goal of intervention with the emerging communicator is to become a literate, context dependent communicator, best practices for early literacy intervention will be provided.

Learning Outcomes

  • List three pre-requisite components of intentional communication and three pre-requisite components of symbolic communication in typically developing children.
  • List three formal AAC assessment tools that can be used to identify the emerging communicator’s communication strengths and means to communicate.
  • Define core vocabulary and list three core vocabulary words that should be included in the emerging communicator’s AAC system.
  • State one therapy objective to facilitate each of the four AAC competencies with the emerging communicator- linguistic, social, strategic and operational.
  • List three instructional strategies to use with the emerging communicator during story reading.
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