BIZCon is back! Learn how to turn your passion into income. View the 2024 course and presenter details here.

VIEW NOW

Does Everyone Have a Voice? Ensuring Equitable AACcess to the Black Diaspora

Does Everyone Have a Voice? Ensuring Equitable AACcess to the Black Diaspora

SLP
AAC & Assistive Tech

There are persisting barriers to accessing and participating in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems and services for children across the Black diaspora, with complex communication needs (CCN). Black children disproportionately experience delays in participating in intensive early intervention services (Keller-Bell, 2017; Mandell, 2007). Research has consistently shown that children with CCN benefit from the early diagnosis and provision of early intervention services including speech, language, and AAC services. However, when parent concerns arise, young Black children often do not receive an accurate initial diagnosis, which may further contribute to a developmental language delay. On average, Black children are diagnosed 1.6 years later than their White counterparts (Keller-Bell, 2017). This delay in an initial diagnosis is typically caused by professional biases, lack of consistent access to quality healthcare and early childhood education, distrust in the medical and educational systems, and lack of awareness of available therapies and resources (Hyter & Salas-Provance, 2019). This too causes a delay in service provision in an already inequitable system. According to Pope et al. (2022), Black children receive less intervention in the area of AAC in comparison to their White peers, which persists over time. Once services are offered, culturally responsive AAC assessments and family-centered interventions are not always utilized and prioritized. Considerations for clinicians include conducting the assessment utilizing a family-centered paradigm to understand the impact that a family member having access to and using an AAC system has on the family. Black children face racial inequities, disparities, and persistent barriers to AAC services and systems which may be present at the individual, institutional, or structural level and may lead to discrimination, impacting service provision (Davis, 2005). According to Pope & Light (2022), research continues to show that access to AAC-based intervention and instruction in preschool and early elementary school is crucial when supporting children’s participation in school, communication, social development, and overall outcomes throughout their lives (Drager et al., 2010). This course will educate and empower clinicians to identify the persistent barriers to AAC services, systems, and support to Black children and provide actionable steps to overcome these disproportionate and persisting hurdles that these young, Black AAC users and their families face. We will discuss the importance of early identification and implementation of AAC in this community. Additionally, this course will also focus on AAC considerations when working with members of the Black community. Lastly, we will discuss solutions for providing appropriate assessments, services, and tools for Black, pediatric AAC users and their families and communities.

Presenters

  • Karina Saechao

    M.A., CCC-SLP, ATACP

    Karina Saechao, M.A., CCC-SLP is an SLP, licensed in CA and KS. She holds a certificate as an assistive technology specialist and is a Ph.D. student at the University of Kansas. Karina’s research interests are in African American English, child language, AAC. Karina is the Founder & CEO of Golden Oak Speech Therapy, and specializes in AAC, AT, language, literacy, and caregiver & educator coaching.

Learning Objectives

Identify and describe at least three persistent barriers Black AAC users face in the provision of AAC services.
Discuss the importance of early identification and implementation of AAC.
Explain three AAC considerations when working with members of the Black community.
List 3 solutions for providing appropriate assessments, services, and tools for Black, pediatric AAC users and their families.

Agenda

Agenda

2 minutesIntroduction and Disclosures
3 minutesDefining key terms
5 minutesIntroduction to AAC
20 minutesBarriers to receiving AAC services and devices for children across the Black diaspora
10 minutesEarly identification and implementation of AAC
15 minutesConsiderations and solutions for AAC service and device provision
5 minutesQ&A

Disclosures

Disclosures

Speakers - FinancialKarina Saechao is receiving an honorarium from Bright Ideas Media for this presentation.
Speakers - NonfinancialKarina Saechao is a member of the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), National Black Association of Speech, Language and Hearing (NBASLH), and ASHA SIGs 01, 12, and 14. Karina is the founder and CEO of Golden Oak Speech Therapy, A Professional Speech Pathology Corporation.
Course - ContentKarina Saechao has no additional content information to disclose
Course - Financial Support & In KindThis course is being sponsored by SLP Toolkit.

ASHA

ASHA

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs, Introductory Level, Professional Area

Customer Reviews

Does Everyone Have a Voice? Ensuring Equitable AACcess to the Black Diaspora

Your purchase includes access to (1) recorded course and submittal of your participation to the ASHA registry. *You must opt-in and add your ASHA credentials after completing all course steps. The course is available through 12/31/2024.
One time fee
$25.00