Minspeak Academy online class

2-Day course: 9/27 and 9/28, 9 am - 12:30 pm Pacific

“There is an increasing number of children and youth who use AAC and come from homes where a language other than English is predominantly spoken. Yet, English-only intervention continues to be the favored method of instruction for children and youth who use AAC. The use of English-only intervention ignores the full linguistic and cultural repertoire of our clients and their families, which can have detrimental effects on their social, academic and vocational participation. In this seminar, we will present translanguaging strategies that reverse this trend and support our clients' home language and culture. Translanguaging practices recognize, accept and support all the communicative resources an individual possesses as positive and indicative of the individual's desire to make meaning and connect.

The seminar will describe the ways in which translanguaging and AAC intersect, offering opportunities for attaining greater levels of participation, increased family-professional collaboration, and improved language development.”