1. Follow a 20 minute lesson plan where students discuss a topic using a light tech communication board or any means other than their voice.

2. Have individuals who use AAC take a leadership role during the session.

3. Have the students visually express their thoughts after the session. Include the use of artwork, writing or other mediums which can be shared with others around the world.

4. Publicize the event in your community.  A simply powerful plan.  

20 minute lesson outline:

***Teacher explains what AAC is. If there is a student who uses AAC in the classroom, that student could be asked if they would like to add to or assist the teacher in explaining AAC.

Teacher introduces lesson on themes of October.  S/He asks the class to brainstorm a list of words they associate with October without using their voice. (Autumn, fall, leaf, color, red, yellow, orange, green, brown, cooler, temperature, baseball, World Series, Halloween, bat, witch, spider, ghost, Columbus Day,  parade, pumpkin, costume, party, candy)

Commenting on the difficulty, the teacher distributes a light tech communication board. (Here is an example of a communication board that is well designed for a topic. http://www.news-2-you.com/samples/sampleComboard.pdf )  ***We would create 4 communication boards two to a page exposing students to more than one symbol set but both representing the same vocabulary. Blink twice symbols, PCS, QWERTY, Unity in random pairings.

S/He asks the class to now brainstorm a list of words associated with October, using the light tech communication board. The student who uses AAC uses their own system.  This demonstrates the abilities of that student and also gives them “the edge”.

***Then the teacher asks the class to use their boards and “talk” in a small group using the suggested questions. (list 4-5 questions for students to ask and answer one another)

Finally, the teacher distributes paper and asks the students to visually describe their experience by asking a series of questions. "How was using AAC different than talking? How was it the same?"  "Could you say everything you wanted to with the communication board you were given?  If not, how did you feel?  Did you find a way to work around it and say something that meant the same as what you really wanted to say?"  "How would something like this help you to be a part of a group, such as a class, if you were not able to speak?" The students can draw or write their responses.  They can also cut the symbols from their boards to use. The teacher will make copies available.

Each student is given an ISAAC International AAC Awareness Day t-shirt.

Kit: Lesson plan including an Introduction to AAC materials; light tech communication boards; Questions for small group AAC discussions; Questions for creating visual responses; T-shirt for every participant; big SASE for teacher to return visuals; copy of relevant educational standards; media kit including press release for local news agencies. It might also be helpful to mention simple, cheap AAC samples such as the “that was easy” buttons that Staples has had in the past, and ways that such a thing can be used in a classroom to build awareness of AAC, as well.   (How was the test? "That was easy.")  Staples has a program to donate stuff to non-profits; maybe they would donate a bunch of these buttons to USSAAC to send out with a lesson plan packet.

The impact of this event cannot be repeated enough. Youth who use AAC will leave with a sense of accomplishment. Other children and educators will have a stronger understanding of the communication challenges and capabilities of their fellow students. Schools where no students use AAC will be included in some countries, further broadening the educational impact. More importantly, the kids with AAC will be the hero for causing a day of fun! For more information about the event or if you want to sign up to be a participating school, please contact Tom Reed, Manager of USSAAC’s International AAC Awareness Committee.