Our Knowledge Translation plan encompasses a variety of dissemination practices that target specific stakeholder groups and are aimed at providing regular, up-to-date, accessible information about AAC-RERC activities. We view knowledge and tech transfer and dissemination activities as opportunities to exchange (not just provide) information to key AAC stakeholder groups. As a result, we utilize traditional dissemination mechanisms such as conference presentations, workshops, journal articles (peer-reviewed), web sites for our Center, as well as the six partner website, conference exhibits, etc. In addition, we conduct five dissemination projects. Each is designed to enhance communication/information exchange with a broader audience by offering multiple alternative formats. They are described in more detail below and include ACOLUG, Alternatively Speaking and Augmentative Communication News, the AAC-RERC e-newsletter, our AAC-RERC webcast series and the AAC-RERC Writers Brigade.

View and / or download our AAC-RERC brochure (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

ACOLUG – Augmentative Communication Online Users Group

A virtual AAC Community and a Link Between Individuals who Use AAC and the RERC.

ACOLUG is an international Listserv of people who use AAC and families of young children who use AAC. Founded and sponsored by the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, ACOLUG has become a a virtual community for those who rely on AAC. While not the primary focus of ACOLUG, other interested stakeholders (e.g., speech/language students, practitioners, policymakers, and manufacturers) often join as active members or simply as observers. Now in its second decade, there are more than 650 subscribers from almost every English-speaking country in the world who post an average of 250 messages each month.

ACOLUG’s mission is to provide a forum for AAC users to connect, support, and learn from each other. However, with funding from the RERC, ACOLUG has also become an effective forum for disseminating information about the work of the RERC on Communication Enhancement. Also, for the past 4 years, ACOLUG has been a place where paid staff and interns who use AAC are liaisons disseminating the often technical work of the RERC in user-friendly language to members of the ACOLUG community. Through this remote employment opportunity, interns who use AAC have learned how to be effective liaisons between the RERC and individuals who rely on AAC. Past and current interns are: Tracy Rackensperger,
Ami Profeta;

ACOLUG is available 24 hours each day and 365 days each year. As a result of its asynchrony, subscribers can check postings and respond at their convenience without the typical constraints of slow production usually experienced by individuals who use AAC and their communication partners. To subscribe to ACOLUG, all you need is a computer with an internet connection. If you send and receive email, you are ready to subscribe to ACOLUG. Just visit http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/acolug.html and click on the third link “join or leave the list.”

ACOLUG is NOT a research site, nor is it a place to recruit subjects for research studies. It you wish to inform members of ACOLUG about a research opportunity, you may post a paragraph briefly describing your study with a link to a website with further details about participation.

For more information, contact: Diane Nelson Bryen at dianeb at temple dot edu. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Presentations:

Bryen, D.N. (2006). ACOLUG. ISAAC Conference, Dusseldorf, Germany.

Bryen, D.N. (2008). ACOLUG: A virtual AAC community and a link between the RERC and people who use AAC. ISAAC Conference, Montreal, Canada.

ACN and AS

Augmentative Communication News and Alternatively Speaking are newsletters with an international readership. Both are published by Augmentative Communication Inc. Carole Krezman is our technical editor. More than 7000 newsletters are distributed throughout the grant period. Each issue includes pages that focus on AAC-RERC activities. ACI staff also contribute to the preparation of the AAC-RERC's new e-newsletter.

Alternatively Speaking (AS) is edited by Michael B. Williams and articles are written by people who rely on AAC. Each issue focuses on a topic of interest/concern to people with complex communication needs and other stakeholders (e.g., Education, Life-Long Learning, Choking, etc.). Three issues are published each year. To view a list of AS articles, go to the Newsletter section of the Pubs & Publications list. Click here to view.

Augmentative Communciation News (ACN) is a quarterly publication written by Sarah W. Blackstone. Each issue approaches a topic of concern within the AAC community (e.g., Visual Scene Displays, Digitized SGDs, Autism and AAC, Adults with Acquired Disorders and AAC) in an effort to summarize evidence, information and areas of controversy. Seventeen issues were published since 2004. ASHA CEUs are available.To view a list of ACN articles, go to the Newsletter section of the Pubs & Publications list, click here.

For more information, contact: Sarah W. Blackstone & Michael Williams, Augmentative Communication Inc.

AAC-RERC eNewsletter

In October 2004, the AAC-RERC launched its first quarterly eNewsletter issue. Each issue of our eNewsletter highlights our research, development, or training projects and contains special feature articles. It also provides announcements and information about upcoming events and staff presentations. The most recent issue can be viewed here.

Contact: David McNaughton, Pennsylvania State University

AAC-RERC Webcast Series

As a joint training and dissemination project, the AAC-RERC is hosting a webcast series to provide information to a broad spectrum of AAC stakeholders in ways that they can easily access. The series disseminates information about AAC-RERC activities, project results as well as shares information about AAC-related topics and perspectives. Presenters include both AAC-RERC partners, adviosry board members. To date, seven webcasts are available (four for ASHA CEUs) and four more are in final stages of preparation. Click here.

For more information, contact: David McNaughton, Pennsylvania State University

AAC-RERC Writers Brigade

The Writers Brigade was initiated by Augmentative Communication, Inc. and envisioned as a writing workshop, designed to increase employment skills and opportunities among people who rely on AAC technologies. The project manager, Johana Schwartz, supports individuals who use AAC in technical writing. To date, 12 participants have undertaken assignments to report on the research activities of the AAC-RERC and we then submit their articles to a variety of professional and popular media for publication. Click here to view slides from a recent presentation.

During the past 5 years, the Writers Brigade has a collective bibliography of 100 printed articles and conference presentations. Click here to view

For more information, contact: Sarah W. Blackstone, Augmentative Communication Inc.