Phase Two of Leadership Development Project

Vision of the outcome of the leadership training

The vision is that someone going through the recommended leadership development would earn “ISAAC Leadership Continuing Education Units (CEUs)” to verify that they participated in “ISAAC approved” leadership activities.  Once a pre-determined number of CEUs are acquired, the person would receive their Leadership Training Certificate indicating that they have passed the ISAAC standard of leadership training in settings where some people are non-speaking ( we could use the process ASHA uses for determining an “activity” -e.g., lecture, field experience, conference “town meeting/forum”, etc.- that qualifies to give participants CEUs.   ISAAC would be able to establish its own peer- reviewed criteria for leadership training CEUs that would be given and when accumulated would result in a certificates for completing Leadership Training.) 

Receiving such a certificate would be open to speaking and non-speaking people who are ISAAC members and the aim would  be to make it a requirement of anyone seeking nomination to a leadership role in ISAAC.  This would likely increase membership as it does for ASHA where many people join just to get the CEUs.

The criteria would be based on meeting the needs articulated in Phase One. The process would look like:

• Curriculum
• Criteria for competency
• Proof of having successfully completed  the curriculum
• Certificate of completing ISAAC approved leadership training

Tasks of the Phase Two Module Leaders

To develop the training curriculum and identify existing sources. Each of the following three modules would contain a “curriculum” or program to meet the training needs that were identified in Phase One.

(We still need one or two people for this first one)

OPPORTUNITIES FOR KNOWLEDGE – knowledge of how committees work; knowledge of how non-profit organisations work; knowing how to plan meetings that incorporate the time required for AAC users to fully participate; documenting leadership quality guidelines addressed in phase one.

Lois Turner and Ashleigh Dukoff (Barb Collier has offered to be a resource)

PERFORMANCE SKILLS- building confidence through experience; getting attention to speak; learning how to ask for and give support, and determine what support is needed; developing good communication skills in meetings and leadership roles.

Melinda Smith and Den Mukerjhee

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT- breaking isolation by meeting other AAC users; assertiveness training; breaking perceptions that AAC users cannot be in leadership roles; mentoring; student level apprenticeships; self-knowledge (i.e. knowing your strengths and weaknesses).

*In each of these areas there needs to be a strand of training for people who use AAC systems AND for speaking people.

The module leaders would contact other people to help them find resources.  Where necessary they will design a module (or curriculum) if no resources exist.

As the curriculum is identified and developed, criteria for what the activities should provide will also be proposed. These criteria will be used to “accept” programs for granting CEUs; for example: 

This activity (lecture, field experience such as being an apprentice to a committee member, a course of study, conference program, etc.): 

1. Identifies knowledge and skills important for ________ leadership training components.

2. Addresses/describes/discusses the importance of these skills for potential leaders

3. Discusses how leaders demonstrate these skills in leadership roles. 

4. Provides specific strategies and ways in which these skills can be further developed.

The modules would be a combination of lectures, field experience and on-line training. The person responsible for the module development would identify the resources needed and set them up.  They would also determine “how many” or the needed “hours” required to obtain CEUs.  This information will be used by the “core committee” as a whole to determine how many CEUs are needed for the “Certificate for Leadership Training”.

Time line for the Phase Two committee