The Take AACtion Podcast

Let’s Talk at the Park: AAC in Public Spaces

Welcome back to another episode of the Take AACtion Podcast! This week, Lauren is joined by Ashley, a speech-language pathologist, mom of three, and owner of Speech at the Beach. With over 13 years of experience, she’s passionate about making communication accessible for all kids. Today, she’s sharing the journey of completing her project — bringing 11 AAC communication boards to parks and playgrounds around Virginia Beach — and how small changes can make a big difference for AAC users and their families. Ashley kicks things off by describing what AAC evaluations look like within her private practice, including supports and resources that have increased success (2:02). This leads into a discussion about the playground communication boards and the ways they support communication and inclusion (8:11). Ashley then describes how she went about getting communication boards into her local play areas (12:45), and shares her biggest takeaway lesson from working to get the boards installed in her community (21:47). ✨ Take AACtion: Try out the Take AACTion step and let us know how it went—send a DM or drop a comment on @inspireconnections.aac [https://www.instagram.com/inspireconnections.aac]! (28:56) ---------------------------------------- FOLLOW ALONG WITH ASHLEY: * 📸 @speechinvabeach on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/speechinvabeach/] * 📰 News Feature: Ashley's Mission to Bring Inclusion to Playgrounds [https://playgroundcommunicationboards.com/2023/09/20/ashley-causeys-mission-turning-virginia-beach-playgrounds-into-havens-of-inclusion/?srsltid=AfmBOor-w1n3HpLgcZetFl95CU2hwgM1Nd4pABmCbSL8TqEgsh4POJyp] * 🏞️ Smarty Symbols – Board Resource [https://smartysymbols.com/] ---------------------------------------- TAKE AACTION WITH LAUREN: * 📸 @inspireconnections.aac on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/inspireconnections.aac] * 🎧 Previous AAC Evaluation Episode [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/an-introduction-to-aac-evaluations/id1751396591?i=1000678245751] * 📚 Podcast Resource Library [https://bit.ly/takeAACtion24] * 🤝 AAC Support Network [https://www.inspireconnectionstherapy.com/supportnetwork] * ✍️ Join the AAC Assessment Guide Waitlist [https://inspireconnectionstherapy.myflodesk.com/zowr1771ja] * 🎓 Free AAC Consistency Training [https://bit.ly/3TMCOqT] * 🎙️ Share Your Story on the Podcast [https://forms.gle/QHRo354Rr7DpK3CY9]

Choosing the Right Device: What an AAC Trial Really Looks Like

This week, Lauren is flying solo to dive into how to run an effective AAC trial. She kicks things off by explaining what an AAC device trial is (1:41), then explores why trials are important before recommending a system. She also shares how trials can look different based on setting or insurance requirements (5:58), and offers tips for sourcing devices (13:58). ✨ Take AACtion: Try out the Take AACTion step and let us know how it went—send a DM or drop a comment on @inspireconnections.aac [https://www.instagram.com/inspireconnections.aac]! (16:58) ---------------------------------------- TAKE AACTION WITH LAUREN: * 📸 @inspireconnections.aac on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/inspireconnections.aac] * 🎧Previous AAC Evaluation Episode [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/an-introduction-to-aac-evaluations/id1751396591?i=1000678245751] * 📚 Podcast Resource Library [https://bit.ly/takeAACtion24] * 🤝 AAC Support Network [https://www.inspireconnectionstherapy.com/supportnetwork] * ✍️ Join the AAC Assessment Guide Waitlist [https://inspireconnectionstherapy.myflodesk.com/zowr1771ja] * 🎓 Free AAC Consistency Training [https://bit.ly/3TMCOqT] * 🎙️ Interested in sharing your story on the podcast? [https://forms.gle/QHRo354Rr7DpK3CY9]

From Light Tech to High Tech: Building Holistic AAC Systems

Welcome back to The Take AACtion Podcast! This week, we’re joined by Allyse—SLP-turned-stay-at-home mom and our podcast’s virtual assistant—to chat about building a strong AAC system using lite-, mid-, and high-tech supports. Allyse starts by defining what an AAC system really includes (7:47), then busts some common myths about lite-tech supports (11:50). We dive into how to integrate AAC into universal classroom design so you can know when to shift toward individualized supports (21:45), and what mid-tech tools we’ve found helpful (34:59). Lauren wraps things up with a Take AACtion step (52:02): Share your thoughts in the Instagram comments! Want to follow along with what Allyse is up to next? Be there for when she makes her return to SLP IG: @crookedrivercommunications [https://instagram.com/crookedrivercommunications] ---------------------------------------- TAKE AACTION WITH LAUREN: * 📸 @inspireconnections.aac on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/inspireconnections.aac] * 📚 https://bit.ly/takeAACtion24 * 🤝 AAC Support Network [https://www.inspireconnectionstherapy.com/supportnetwork] * ✍️ Join the AAC Assessment Guide Waitlist [https://inspireconnectionstherapy.myflodesk.com/zowr1771ja] * 🎓 Free AAC Consistency Training [https://bit.ly/3TMCOqT] * 🎙️ Interested in sharing your story on the podcast? [https://forms.gle/QHRo354Rr7DpK3CY9]

Ask Me Anything: Your AAC Questions Answered!

🎙️ NEW EPISODE: TAKE AACTION Q&A! This week, Lauren is answering your questions from Instagram! 👏✨ ⏩ TOPICS COVERED: * 🗂️ Grid size considerations for AAC users (4:24) * 📋 Where to find poster-sized lite-tech communication boards (10:11) * 🧠 How Lauren learns multiple devices & vocab systems (11:10) * 🕒 How long AAC evaluations typically take (14:13) ✅ TAKE AACTION CHALLENGE: Check in on this week’s Instagram post and let us know how you did! (17:37) ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- TAKE AACTION WITH LAUREN: * 📸 @inspireconnections.aac on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/inspireconnections.aac] * 📚 https://bit.ly/takeAACtion24 * 🤝 AAC Support Network [https://www.inspireconnectionstherapy.com/supportnetwork] * ✍️ Join the AAC Assessment Guide Waitlist [https://inspireconnectionstherapy.myflodesk.com/zowr1771ja] * 🎓 Free AAC Consistency Training [https://bit.ly/3TMCOqT] * 🎙️ Interested in sharing your story on the podcast? [https://forms.gle/QHRo354Rr7DpK3CY9]

The Ups and Downs of AAC: A Real-Life Perspective

Welcome back for another episode of the Take AACtion podcast! This week, we are joined by Hailea, a nurse, disability advocate, and host of the Brewed Differently Podcast, where she explores disability-related topics and promotes the message that different is good. Hailea and her husband, both nurses, homeschool their daughter Bella, who is autistic and has TNRC6B, a rare genetic disorder, along with Sensory Processing Disorder. Her passion for advocacy stems from growing up with a disabled sibling and now parenting a child with disabilities. Hailea shares her family’s unique journey to discovering AAC and how her daughter’s system has evolved over time (1:38). She discusses the challenges of embedding AAC into daily life and the tools they’ve used to overcome these obstacles (16:23). Finally, she offers key insights from a parent’s perspective, including practical strategies for modeling beyond requesting (24:37). Connect with Hailea: 📸 @itshaileacarter on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itshaileacarter] 📸 @breweddifferentlypodcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/breweddifferentlypodcast] ---------------------------------------- TAKE AACTION WITH LAUREN: * 📸 @inspireconnections.aac on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/inspireconnections.aac] * 📚 Podcast Resource Library [https://bit.ly/takeAACtion24] * 🤝 AAC Support Network [https://www.inspireconnectionstherapy.com/supportnetwork] * ✍️ Join the AAC Assessment Guide Waitlist [https://inspireconnectionstherapy.myflodesk.com/zowr1771ja] * 🎓 Free AAC Consistency Training [https://bit.ly/3TMCOqT] * 🎙️ Interested in sharing your story on the podcast? [https://forms.gle/QHRo354Rr7DpK3CY9]