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Home Courses Are You Designing for Communication Access or Just Choosing a Device? Lessons from the (D)eaf Community About Language, Identity, and Real Communication Access

Are You Designing for Communication Access or Just Choosing a Device? Lessons from the (D)eaf Community About Language, Identity, and Real Communication Access

In this course we will discuss why communication access matters, how to select a communication modality and the exploration of multiple modality communication.

Lilith Reuter-Yuill, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LBA

Speaker Name

Lilith Reuter-Yuill, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LBA

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Are You Designing for Communication Access or Just Choosing a Device? Lessons from the (D)eaf Community About Language, Identity, and Real Communication Access

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Differentiate between AAC as a high-tech device-selection exercise and AAC as a comprehensive, multimodal communication access methodology grounded in evidence-based practice.

Identify and describe diverse forms of communication, including sign, gesture, picture selection / exchange, voice, gaze, movement, rhythm, facial expression, technology, silence, and shared space, and explain how these can function in personalized communication supports.

Analyze how marginalized communities, including the (D)eaf Community, model rich, linguistically valid communication that challenge normalization-based and pathology-driven intervention frameworks.

Lilith Reuter-Yuill, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LBA

Lilith Reuter-Yuill, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LBA

Lilith Reuter-Yuill, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCBA-D, LBA “Dr. RY” (pronounced like rye bread) is a strong advocate for communication access. She is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist and behavior analyst who specializes in working with individuals with diverse communication needs and their families. Her clinical and research interests include the application of verbal behavior and functional [dynamic] assessment in the treatment of communication disorders, as well as maximizing therapeutic benefit through interprofessional collaboration between SLPs and BCBAs. She believes that innovation occurs at the intersection of different disciplines and voices. Along with her co-founder, Tamara Kasper, she believes it’s time to take bold steps toward building interprofessional solutions that combat pseudoscience, misinformation, and disinformation. Together, they co-founded Bridgify to help close the gap between science and real-world practice. Bridgify collaborates with experts to transform research into practical, actionable tools for practitioners and parents, getting evidence-based practices off the shelves and into the hands of the people who need them most.
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Time-Ordered Agenda

Time

Session / Activity

0-5 minutes
Introduction and Speaker Background. Personal story from the (D)eaf community and why communication access matters
5-12 minutes
Historical Context and Lessons from the (D)eaf Community. Oralism, language suppression, and what these histories teach us about communication rights
12-20 minutes
Reframing AAC: From Device Selection to Communication Access. AAC as a multimodal communication methodology rather than a device decision
20-30 minutes
Forms of Human Communication. Exploring diverse modalities including sign, gesture, pictures, voice, gaze, movement, rhythm, facial expression, technology, silence, and shared space
30-40 minutes
Communication Access Design Decisions to Protect the Human Right to Communication How to evaluate communication support pathways based on learner needs, context, and participation. It’s not about you, it’s about them.
40-50 minutes
Case Examples and Application. Applying the communication access framework across different learner profiles and contexts
50-57 minutes
Implications for Clinical Practice and Interprofessional Collaboration. Supporting communication rights across disciplines and service systems
57-60 minutes
Summary and Key Takeaways