Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) currently providing services in schools to children who use or would benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) lack the knowledge and skills to support those students effectively (Johnson & Prebor, 2019). As such, there is an urgent need for SLPs to provide evidence-based AAC services in schools for children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (Farquharson et al., 2022). Access to effective communication and opportunities for building language and literacy is important for full participation in education and other important life contexts (Holyfield et al., 2025; Light et al., 2025).
Penn State University and the University of Arkansas began Project ACTION AAC in 2023, a training grant program designed to increase the number of highly effective SLPs providing AAC services in schools. The project also contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning by rigorously evaluating training methods and their impact on valued student outcomes (Trigwell, 2021). Scholars in the project participate in competency-driven training within collaborative courses, clinical practicum, and outreach opportunities.
The project uses a nested framework of interconnected core competencies. The core competencies include professional expertise, AAC knowledge, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, evidence-based practice, collaboration with stakeholders, and leadership skills including promoting high expectations. These competencies were developed in response to standards and relevant literature from the field (e.g., Browder et al., 2014).
The project also uses key components of adult learning (Heilmann & Bertone, 2021): (a) a coherent program vision of the benefits of advanced AAC training; (b) the conscious blending of theory, disciplinary knowledge, subject-specific practice helps scholars link the knowledge they acquire in classes to their clinical experiences; (c) carefully crafted field experiences are extensive, integrated well with coursework, developmental in nature, and supervised carefully; (e) faculty establish and monitor the progress of the scholars; (f) the program focuses on meeting the preservice preparation needs of a diverse scholar population; and (g) faculty view collaboration as a vehicle for building professional community. The program also emphasizes scholar opportunities to learn directly from individuals who use AAC about their lived experience to promote their future effectiveness (Light et al., 2025).
This presentation will provide an overview of the Project ACTION AAC approach to preparing highly effective AAC service providers for the school setting, will highlight case examples of learning opportunities for scholars and related outcomes, and will allow the audience to ask questions about preparing highly effective SLPs.
References
Browder, D. M., Wood, L., Thompson, J., & Ribuffo, C. (2014). Evidence-based practices for students with severe disabilities. Ceedar Document NO. IC-3. Ceedar Center.
Farquharson, K., Therrien, M., Barton-Hulsey, A., & Brandt, A. F. (2022). How to recruit, support, and retain speech-language pathologists in public schools. Journal of School Leadership, 32(3), 225-245.
Holyfield, C., Light, J., Nieder, D., & Preece, J. (2025). External challenges for individuals who need or use AAC who are learning language: lived experiences, key research findings, and future directions. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 1-13.
Heilmann, J., & Bertone, A. (2021). Identification of gaps in training, research, and school-based practice: A survey of school-based speech-language pathologists. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 52(4), 1061-1079.
Johnson, R. K., & Prebor, J. (2019). Update on preservice training in augmentative and alternative communication for speech-language pathologists. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 28(2), 536-549.
Light, J., Holyfield, C., McNaughton, D., Nieder, D., & Preece, J. (2025). Overcoming barriers to literacy for individuals who need or use AAC: lived experiences, key research findings, and future directions. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 1-12.
Light, J., Fager, S. K., Gormley, J., Hyatt, G. W., & Jakobs, E. (2025). Dismantling societal barriers that limit people who need or use AAC: lived experiences, key research findings, and future directions. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 1-15.
Trigwell, K. (2021). Scholarship of teaching and learning. In University teaching in focus (pp. 286-303). Routledge.
