Assistive Technology Professional Learning Opportunities

Meaningful Activities to Increase Participation, Access & Communication for Students with Complex Bodies and Communication Needs, with Julie Marzano, M.S., OTR/L and Emily McCarthy, M.S., CCC-SLP

The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) Team is pleased to announce the final installation of our 2024–2025 AT National Presenter series, Meaningful Activities to Increase Participation, Access & Communication for Students with Complex Bodies and Communication Needs, with Julie Marzano, M.S., OTR/L and Emily McCarthy, M.S., CCC-SLP. This presentation is intended for special education administrators, special education teachers, general education teachers, related service providers, and assistive technology specialists.

Date/Time:  Tuesday, May 6, 2025

                   8:00 AM – 3:30 PM (Seats are limited; register now!)

Please bring your own device

Fee:                                $25

Where:                          Gilbert Community Education Center

Address:                       6839 E. Guadalupe Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212

Julie Marzano, M.S., OTR/L, is a nationally certified occupational therapist who works and resides outside of Philadelphia, PA, with her husband and three children. She has over 20 years of experience working in the public school system and currently works at an approved private school serving students aged 3-21 with MANY abilities. Julie loves her job and enjoys the creative aspect of “thinking outside the box” to develop solutions from an OT perspective.

Emily McCarthy, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a nationally certified and licensed speech-language pathologist. She worked in the public school setting for 12 years before transitioning to early intervention. Emily now works with the birth-to-three population in Pennsylvania. Emily lives with her husband and three children just a few streets away from Julie in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. 

Julie and Emily are co-creators of Fine Motor Boot Camp and Tooth Camp.

Workshop Description:

Only 2% of students with IEPs in the United States are classified as having multiple disabilities. This population is often underserved in our community. Individuals who work with children with multiple disabilities sometimes struggle to find new and exciting ways to meet the needs of these students. Let’s “think outside the box” and focus on what our students can do! Learn how to use a strengths-based approach to guide active and meaningful participation for our students with multiple disabilities and complex needs in the areas of literacy, math, vocation, and recreation/leisure. Attend and leave re-energized, creative, and equipped with cost-effective activities that can be easily implemented the next day.

Objectives:

• Understand and apply a strength-based approach, including the concepts of “presuming competence” and “presuming potential” for students with multiple and complex needs.
• Gain knowledge of basic language development and modes of communication.
• Define and differentiate between core and fringe vocabulary.
• Define “active participation” for students with complex needs.
• Develop skills to differentiate curriculum and activities to enhance active participation for students with multiple and complex needs.
• Define and understand “active communication responses.”
• Gain knowledge of assessments for communication, including switch, touchscreen, and eye-gaze access methods.
• Increase active participation and access to education for students with complex needs.
• Learn strategies for using switches to increase participation in activities of daily living (ADLs), group activities, math, English Language Arts (ELA), vocational tasks, and recreation/leisure activities.
• Explore Speech Generating Device mounting options and hacks.

Register for Meaningful Activities to Increase Participation, Access & Communication for Students with Complex Bodies and Communication Needs

If you have questions about this training, please email [email protected].