AAC Talks, May 8, 2026
AAC Talks 2026—Designed for Success: AAC for Every Voice
Join us for the 8th annual AAC Talks Web Conference on Friday, May 8, 2026. This year’s theme, Design for Success: AAC for Every Voice, emphasizes the intentional design of communication systems, environments, instruction, and professional practice to ensure that every AAC user has meaningful access to communication across their lifespan.
Through evidence‑based research, ethical frameworks, lived AAC experiences, and practical implementation strategies, national and local experts will highlight how thoughtful AAC design supports language, literacy, participation, and self‑advocacy across home, school, and community settings. Sessions will explore how teams can proactively design AAC supports that grow with learners, reduce abandonment, and promote authentic communication.
Whether you are an educator, therapist, administrator, family member, or AAC user, this conference offers actionable tools and perspectives to help ensure every voice is valued, supported, and successful.
Objectives:
At the conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify evidence‑based AAC strategies that support communication, language, and literacy across settings.
- Describe how intentional AAC systems and instructional design promote access, inclusion, and long‑term success.
- Apply ethical and culturally responsive practices to AAC assessment, vocabulary selection, and implementation.
- Explain the role of collaboration, self‑advocacy, and lived experience in supporting AAC users across the lifespan.
Before the Conference:
Overarching Conference Questions:
- How can the intentional design of AAC systems and environments improve communication and participation for AAC users?
- What strategies support language, literacy, and vocabulary growth while honoring individual communication needs?
- How do ethics, equity, and representation shape effective AAC practice?
- In what ways can teams collaborate to ensure AAC is implemented consistently across home, school, and community settings?
- How can AAC supports be designed to grow and adapt as communicators develop and transition?
Target Audience:
Teachers, administrators, speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, behavior analysts, teachers of the visually impaired, related services professionals, consultants, training and consultation staff, early interventionists, paraprofessionals, family members, and anyone supporting those who need augmentative/alternative communication