Description:

Individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) have specific communication needs relevant to accessing mental health care. This webinar will delve into this vital area of care, providing actionable strategies and next steps to SLPs who work with AAC users, regardless of your familiarity with the arena of mental health access. The speakers will identify issues and describe the lived experiences of AAC users who have accessed mental health services. The webinar will address barriers and practical solutions to mental health care access as well as accommodations for people who use AAC. They will also discuss the SLP's role in facilitating communication in a mental health setting as part of an interdisciplinary approach.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Describe alterations to the psychotherapeutic process for patients who use AAC
• Explain factors that impact the patient-psychotherapist interaction and factors beyond the patient-psychotherapist interaction 
• List accommodations that may be appropriate for AAC users accessing mental health services 
• Describe the SLP's role in an interdisciplinary approach to facilitating communication in a mental health setting

Course Reviews

"I like that the speaker used many evidence-based sources to compile her information as well as to reference when responding during Q&As."

"I love the strategies presented to other professionals / collaboration with mental health care providers."

"This course was very thorough in identifying barriers to accessing mental health care for AAC users. I appreciated how the speaker encouraged us to identify an action item to take and generated ideas for how to support AAC users access to care. "

Presenter Information

Krista M. Wilkinson, PhD (she/her/hers) is Distinguished Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Wilkinson has served as Associate Editor, Editor, and Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Dr. Wilkinson studies how to optimize design of AAC systems to support faster and more accurate communication, promote access to mental health supports, and tailor AAC design to unique needs presented by individuals with cortical visual impairment and/or motor disabilities.

Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation
• Salary funding from the Penn State AAC Doctoral Leadership grant from the U.S. Department of Education 

Adrianna Noyes, MS, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) holds a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) from Utah State University, and her journey in the field of speech-language pathology began there. Following graduation, she worked for 5.5 years as a speech-language pathology assistant (SLP-A). In 2019, she received her Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, after which she worked in a school setting for 1 year. Her academic journey continued, and in August 2020, she embarked on a doctoral program at Penn State University. Her current research is centered around emotional development and mental health support for individuals who rely on AAC systems. By exploring the intersection of AAC and emotional development, she aims to contribute valuable insights to the field and enhance the lives of AAC users.

Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation
• Funding as a university match from the Penn State AAC Doctoral Leadership grant from the U.S. Department of Education

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete and submit the learning assessment by the end date below.

Program History and CE Information

Content origination date: October 9, 2024
End date: October 11, 2029

This course is offered for 0.2 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area).