Program Description

The AAC Personnel Preparation Program is a federally funded grant designed to prepare future special educators and speech-language pathologists in the field of AAC. In addition to the courses described on AAC & AT COURSE OFFERINGS AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY, students are funded for working ten hours per week for the grant which includes staffing the AAC resource room, completing administration duties, and engaging in team activities. Students are also expected to engage in approximately five hours per week of practical experiences which include attending weekly practicum meetings, observing AAC practice in public schools, participating on a transdisciplinary assessment team, and providng assessment and intervention services to an AAC client. Funding covers all tuition costs except a standard student fee of $338.00 per semester (as of Fall 1998), some travel expenses when attending professional conferences, and provides the student with a monthly stipend of approximately $500 before tax withholding (as of Fall 1998). To be eligible for this funding, you must be a U.S. citizen.

Responsibilities of Students Funded through the Program

Course Load

Courses required by the AAC program are fit into the student's plan of study in accordance with departmental requirements. The AAC courses required each semester usually count as departmental electives.

Practical Experience

Students are typically assigned one AAC client per semester. The purpose of this requirement is to expose students to current AAC practices in the public schools, to teach students how to think critically about current practices, and to provide opportunities to implement assessment and intervention practices learned in AAC courses. Practical experiences include:

• a group practicum meeting once per week for two hours. During class students discuss and update others about progress or difficulties encountered with current clients, discuss current and projected team activities and other issues pertinent to the grant;
  
• (first semester only) observing AAC service delivery twice a week in a variety of public schools and writing observation notes of each site visitied;
  
• attending weekly meetings of the GLASS-Purdue AAC Assessment Team (GLASS is a local organization that provides special education services to public schools in the county); and
  
• meeting bi-weekly for thirty minutes with AAC University Supervisor (usually one of the Program co-directors).

Assistantship Duties

Students in the Program are appointed as graduate assistants for ten hours per week. In fulfilling the assistantship, students participate in activities such as the following:

• staffing the AAC Resource Room for one hour per week. The AAC Resource Room is housed within the Audiology & Speech Sciences building and contains both high and low technology AAC equipment, text resources, computers, and software. Staff responsibilities include maintaining/organizing the room, monitoring the equipment checkout system, providing training assistance to faculty, staff, and students who visit the room, and maintaining equipment;
  
• completing two hours per week of administrative duties for the Program co-directors, and;
  
• participating in team acitivities. Students are assigned to a different team each semester. The purpose of the teams is to provide an opportunity for collaboration, group problem solving, and community outreach. Teams are expected to plan and carry out a variety of projects throughout the semester and to contribute ideas for future projects.
  

Last update: October 18, 2001