This engaging and transformative session is designed for educators, therapists, and advocates committed to ensuring that all learners—especially those with complex communication needs (CCN) and disabilities—have equitable access to meaningful literacy instruction. Grounded in the foundational principles outlined in Comprehensive Literacy for All: Teaching Students with Significant Disabilities to Read and Write by Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver, this session bridges the research-to-practice gap by offering evidence-based strategies that integrate innovation, inclusion, and advocacy into literacy instruction for students who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
Participants will explore the premise that literacy is a human right—not a privilege reserved for those who meet conventional profiles of readiness or verbal ability. As Erickson and Koppenhaver emphasize, all students, regardless of disability label or perceived cognitive ability, can learn to read and write when provided with consistent, high-quality instruction that addresses their individual needs and capitalizes on their strengths. This session challenges deficit-based assumptions and offers a strengths-based, inclusive framework for literacy development that centers the learner and respects their communication identity.
The session will unpack the core components of comprehensive literacy instruction—including shared reading, independent writing, phonics, word study, and self-directed reading—and demonstrate how these elements can be adapted and delivered to students with CCN. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of balancing emergent and conventional literacy instruction, recognizing that many learners may need targeted support in both areas. Participants will learn how to assess a student’s current stage of literacy development and design responsive instruction that promotes meaningful progress over time.
Specific strategies will be shared for:
* Shared Reading: Building engagement and comprehension through interactive, repeated readings of high-interest texts, with a focus on modeling language and vocabulary using AAC.
* Independent Writing: Supporting students in expressing ideas through drawing, scribbling, invented spelling, and conventional writing, while incorporating robust AAC tools.
* Phonics and Word Study: Teaching sound-symbol correspondence and word analysis skills in accessible ways that align with a student’s language and communication supports.
* Environmental Print and Self-Directed Reading: Encouraging literacy experiences that are student-driven, meaningful, and grounded in familiar, everyday materials.
A major focus of the session will be how to create accessible learning environments that allow all students to participate in literacy instruction with dignity and autonomy. This includes designing universally designed materials, embedding AAC into all literacy activities, and using visual supports, alternative pencils, and partner-assisted scanning when appropriate. The presentation will also highlight the critical role of aided language input in supporting both language and literacy development, and how to use AAC tools to model literacy-specific vocabulary and sentence structures.
Throughout the session, participants will engage with interactive activities and case studies that illustrate how comprehensive literacy instruction has been successfully implemented in inclusive classrooms and specialized settings. These real-world examples will demonstrate how high expectations, when paired with the right tools and instruction, can lead to authentic literacy growth—even for students who were once presumed “unreadable.”
Participants will leave with practical tools they can use immediately, including lesson planning templates, resource lists, and ideas for collaborating with families and teams to build literacy-rich environments. The session will also include guidance on advocating within systems—whether at the school, district, or policy level—to ensure that students with CCN are included in literacy instruction from the earliest grades and across their academic careers.
Ultimately, this presentation affirms that innovation in AAC, inclusive practices, and advocacy for equitable instruction are not just educational ideals—they are necessary conditions for ensuring that all learners become readers and writers. Whether you are new to AAC and comprehensive literacy or seeking to enhance your current practice, this session will offer the foundation and inspiration needed to transform how you teach literacy and how you believe in your students.
