First Bite #44 – April 23, 2019

Mysteries of Muscle Memory and AAC

(.1 ASHA and AOTA CEUs) For more info, click here.

Course Description

In this episode, Michelle is joined by the dynamic Becca Hoke, MS CCC-SLP, LAMP Educator with the Center for AAC and Autism, in Pennsylvania. This AAC Guru has been gracious enough to share her time with “First Bite Folks” to educate clinicians about the power of combining core vocabulary with muscle memory! Have you been to one of LAMP’s live trainings yet? Well by the end of today, you will be inspired to rethink how you approach and engage AAC in Early Intervention…and most likely will want to follow up for a full day course too! AAC has a vital role in EI, even for those with limited vision and compromised gross/fine motor abilities…AAC can open doors for functional communication and spread joy in our patients lives… Becca has the key to make that happen!

Objective

By the end of this PodCourse, participants will be able to identify and describe:

  • The difference between using AAC equipment that relies on nouns/fringe vocabulary versus using AAC equipment that is based on core vocabulary.
  • The correlation and importance between core vocabulary and muscle memory when accessing a pediatric patient’s AAC Equipment.
  • 3 considerations to make when assessing a patient for an AAC equipment that has limited vision/CVI/limited gross/fine motor ability.

Co-Presenter

Rebecca Hoke, MA CCC-SLP

Becca Hoke received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Kutztown University and her Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from West Chester University. She has been a speech-language pathologist since 2003. Previously she worked with preschool children to young adults in a range of school settings in the Pennsylvania school system, but primarily in self-contained programs for students with intellectual disabilities, autism and physical disabilities. Recently she was a full-time SLP at a LAMP Center of Excellence in South Central Pennsylvania.

Currently Becca is employed full time with the Center for AAC and Autism as a LAMP Educator. She specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), working with children who have complex communication needs. In addition to providing direct services to students, she has worked as an AAC consultant within the school setting, collaborating with and training educational teams to select and implement AAC in the educational environment. She has experience presenting nationally to SLPs, teachers, assistants, families, and therapists on implementing the LAMP therapy approach and using the LAMP Words for Life Vocabulary.