AAC & ALS: A Two Day Workshop

The Bay Area and Sacramento Chapters of the ALS Association  are pleased to
present a 2-day workshop on Augmentative Communication for People with ALS
(Lou Gehrig's Disease).  

Santa Cruz      September 16th & 17th 
San Francisco   October   21st & 22nd 
Sacramento      November   3rd &  4th 

The course is designed to prepare SLPs, OTs, and AT Specialists to meet the
communication needs of this largely underserved population. The goal of the
course is two-fold: 

1. To provide an overview on how to evaluate for a speech generating device,
   including: 

  Information about the ALS disease process 
  Funding information 
  Physical access issues 
  Device features matching 
  Report writing 

2. To provide practical, hands-on information on how to set up an individual
   with a  complete communication system, including: 

  Low-tech, no-tech and high-tech communication solutions 
  Speech strategies 
  Telephone access 
  Call systems 
  Training for family and caregivers 

Participants will take home: 

  Effective communication boards for people with ALS 
  Ready-made client handouts 
  Guidelines for conducting a comprehensive evaluation 
  Testing procedures for cognitive changes (FTD) 
  The do's and don'ts of insurance funding 
  Report templates which fulfill Medicare guidelines 
  Access to an ongoing AAC-ALS listserv (Email discussion group) 

The cost of the course is $150.00. Please request a brochure with details
and a registration form from Margaret Cotts.

Please feel free to forward this information on to other SLPs, OTs, and AT
Specialists who may be interested.  

Sincerely, 

Margaret Cotts, MA, ATP and Amy Roman, MS, CCC-SLP 
margee@pacbell.net