Episode #269: A Coaching Model For AAC with Gabriella Wendling

If AAC has ever felt intimidating, you are not alone, and this episode is going to give you a clear, practical path forward.

In this conversation, I sat down with Gabriella Wendling, an AAC specialist who has dedicated her entire career to assistive technology and augmentative communication. We talk honestly about how most of us received minimal AAC training in graduate school and how real confidence comes from experience, collaboration, and ongoing learning.

We walk through what AAC evaluations actually look like, including timelines, feature matching, and access considerations like switches and eye gaze. Gabriella explains why getting the device is only the first step and why delays are often related to funding, not clinician performance.

One of my favorite parts of this episode is our discussion about what happens after the device arrives. Gabriella shares her coaching-based model for training communication partners, including teachers and families. She emphasizes micro goals, small, meaningful targets that fit naturally into daily routines, so AAC becomes functional instead of overwhelming.

We also tackle a hot topic around prompting and unpack why modeling and systematic prompting are essential for emergent communicators when done thoughtfully and ethically.

If you want AAC implementation that is sustainable, collaborative, and truly supportive for students, this episode will leave you encouraged and equipped.

#autism #speechtherapy

Today’s Guest:

Gabriella Wendling, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and is the owner and lead clinician of AAC & Me, LLC. She specializes in assistive technology and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), providing comprehensive AAC evaluations, consultations, training, and professional development for school districts and organizations. Gabriella partners closely with public schools as an AAC Consultant, utilizing a coaching-based model and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to support sustainable, school-wide AAC implementation across classrooms, educators, and families.

Gabriella is a Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist and practices through a neurodiversity-affirming lens, embracing and honoring all forms of communication. She is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences, including ASHA, NJSHA, and ATIA, and is deeply committed to empowering individuals with complex communication needs while equipping educators and teams with practical, evidence-based strategies that promote meaningful communication, autonomy, and confidence.

What’s Inside: