БългарскиAAC2024 – 24 November 2024
Special Session
AAC in Bulgaria
prof. Maurice Grinberg & assoc. prof. Evgeniya Hristova
Challenges for AAC in Bulgaria
Mariya Yankova, PhD
UNICEF’s Approach to Introducing AAC in Bulgaria
Video is available only to conference participants.
Nadejda Ivanova
Professional communities for support and peer learning on AAC – Monitoring the impact of implementation over one academic year
In general education institutions, there is a lack of awareness and appropriate training regarding what AAC is, who can benefit from these tools and technologies, and how they are applied in practice. Regional Centers for Support of the Process of Inclusive Education (RCSPIE) play a key role as supportive structures to advance this process, including enhancing the capacity of teachers and parents to use AAC. As part of the “Voice for Every Child” project, 13 RCSPIEs across the country established professional communities to support specialists and teachers working with children with communication needs and requiring AAC. The report tracks the impact of the application of these Professional Support Communities over the course of an academic year.
Video is available only to conference participants.
Eliza Naneva
Implementing AAC tools for children and students with complex communication impariments in kindergartens and schools: shared experience from Gabrovo region
This report will present the experience of resource teachers, speech therapists, and psychologists from the Regional Center for Support of the Inclusive Education Process in Gabrovo in introducing and using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools over the past three years. Practical strategies that specialists have adapted to meet the needs and abilities of children and students with complex communication needs in kindergartens and schools will be shared.
Video is available only to conference participants.
Rosica Shaikova
Presentation of the Inclusive Symbol-Based Book “The Tale of Sami, the Impatient Little Elephant”
The children’s book with symbols, “The Tale of Sami, the Impatient Little Elephant,” aims to support the inclusion of children with communication challenges in kindergarten and encourage interaction with their peers using communication aids. Sami’s story illustrates how augmentative and alternative communication helps children express their thoughts and feelings and communicate freely with their friends. The tale promotes cooperation and mutual support. The book also contains fun challenges through which all children can explore communication with symbols and learn to use them.
Video is available only to conference participants for a limited time.
Anna Dincheva
Introduction and Application of AAC for Children with Complex Needs – A Case Study
The current presentation focuses on the practical application of AAC in working with children with complex needs—motor, sensory, cognitive, language-speech, emotional-behavioral, and other challenges. The introduction and successful implementation of AAC is a dynamic process influenced by numerous factors. Cases of children with complex needs are associated with many challenges, among which communication skills often take a back seat. However, practice and various scientific fields demonstrate that finding a functional means of communication is the primary “driver” of child development and full participation in life. This is why, in such cases, AAC should be among the first strategies considered in the context of education, care, and therapy. A functional assessment of needs, a client-centered approach, modeling, support, and a great deal of patience are the key “assistants” for the successful introduction and use of AAC. This presentation includes the case of a child with a rare genetic syndrome, exhibiting significant motor, praxis, sensory, and cognitive difficulties, and the outcomes achieved through systematic AAC use over the past five years.
Daniela Kirova
Application of a training program in Communicator 5 within the context of speech therapy in a Center for Special Educational Support (CSEP)
Communication for individuals with severe communication disorders is a lifelong challenge. This group includes both children and adults facing multiple difficulties and diverse diagnoses, such as autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, aphasia, and many others. Difficulties in understanding and expressing themselves impact not only daily life but also the learning of new skills and knowledge, as well as handling various and unforeseen situations. Developing communication skills from early childhood is crucial for the harmonious development of each individual. Amid the growing need for a modern and established method for finding suitable ways and tools to enhance these skills, we will discuss a Training Program in Communicator 5 for speech therapy practice and the specific aspects of introducing and using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) as a means of communication and learning. The training program was developed by the foundation “ASIST – Assistive Technologies” as part of the project “Development of Communication and Learning Skills for Children and Youth with Severe Physical Disabilities through Eye-Gaze Control Technologies,” implemented with the financial support of the European Social Fund, Operational Program HRD, under the procedure “Discover Me.” It has been integrated into Communicator 5 and includes a wide range of interactive activities. It can be used for assessing functional abilities necessary for both learning and communication. The program offers effective individual learning plans and development of communicative skills for children and youth with severe speech and fine motor impairments. In the speech therapy sessions at the Center for Special Educational Support (CSES) – Dobrich, I work with 14 children using this training program. Working through these key modules provides children and youth with the opportunity to communicate, learn, and have fun simultaneously. Daily exercises aimed at developing their skills build confidence for better communication in everyday life.
Video is available only to conference participants.
Nina Ruseva
I have the right to choose, I have the right to know.
The talk presents the skills and needs of children and students with special educational needs for learning and communication through augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and eye-control systems. It follows different levels of development and selection of AAC tools to support the corrective and educational work of the specialist. The focus is on honoring the most beautiful human right – the right to choose.
Dimiter Kozarev, Katalina Petkova, Todorka Kaloferova, Maria Petrova
AAC – Simply a method or a powerful tool for transformation and personal growth of students with special needs
The presentation content focuses on showcasing case studies of students with special educational needs from the authors’ professional practice. The team outlines key challenges faced by children and students with impaired or absent expressive speech, both in their educational journey and in their personal relationships and social interactions. The presentation traces the positive changes that occur in the lives of the students as a result of interventions aimed at introducing and enhancing AAC skills as an established model of communicative functioning. It examines the contrast between the periods before and after mastering communication abilities, learning, meaningful leisure activities, and social interactions in diverse situational scenarios facilitated by the AAC system. In conclusion, findings emphasize the urgent need to scale the concept and attitudes toward implementing AAC methods at local and national levels.