Compass Training

As a regional specialised AAC service, Compass is committed to providing free training for therapists and others working with AAC users in our area of London.

Compass training is targeted at levels at 2/3 of IPAACKS: Informing and profiling AAC knowledge and skills.

You can now access some of our training courses online (see below). There’s no need to sign up and you can watch them in your own time.

Implementing AAC (new for 2020)

This course will cover AAC theoretical frameworks and assessment tools and then take you through some practical ways to help you support a person to use AAC in their life. This could be within school, college, day centre, nursing home or their own home. We will look at goal setting outcome measures and evaluating goals set for AAC.

Please click on this YouTube link to access the training.

The corresponding presentation slides can be downloaded by clicking here.

Low tech AAC

This course will update your knowledge and skills in an important area of AAC – low technology approaches and resources. We will cover AAC theoretical frameworks, assessment tools and you will learn about tools which individuals with communication difficulties can use alone or as a support to their high technology devices. There will be lots of opportunities for hands on practice.

Please click on this YouTube link to access the training.

The corresponding presentation slides can be downloaded by clicking here.

AAC Assessment

This course will explain all the factors you need to consider when assessing a client’s ability to use AAC. We will cover a wide range of assessment tools and will also describe the role of a specialist AAC hub (and the referral process). Please click on this YouTube link to access the training.

The corresponding presentation slides can be downloaded by clicking here.

Low tech demonstration videos

These short videos demonstrate how to use common low-tech AAC options such as partner assisted scanning charts and E-tran frames. They are available on YouTube via this link

Apps for AAC: text and symbol 

This course will update your knowledge and skills on the latest text and symbol to speech apps for iOS and Android tablets. We will cover AAC theoretical frameworks, assessment tools and we will also cover useful accessibility features for these operating systems and provide lots of opportunities for hands on practice of apps.

Boardmaker training

This course is run by The Tobii Dynavox team. It’s a hands on session working with Boardmaker Online to explore how you can make resources to use with individuals with communication difficulties.
During this session we will explore new symbol sets designed specifically for use with adults, and learn to use templates and ready-made resources to save time

Grid 3 editing

Exploring The Grid 3 software in a hands-on session, this course will cover the basics of editing a grid set for an individual who uses it for communication. This will include developing a communication grid, searching for useful online grids, adding and editing cells, and settings features.

Talking Mats 

Talking Mats is an evidence-based tool that uses symbols to support decision making and discussions with individuals with a wide range of communication difficulties. It is often used in AAC to help establish a person’s views on their communication, generate vocabulary for AAC or to evaluate a trial of a low or high tech device.
This is the foundation training which will enable you to use the tool in your clinical practice. The course is run over two half days and attendance to both is compulsory. You must also commit to a video recording of yourself which is submitted on the second training day. Visit talkingmats.com for more information.

In addition to the specific topics we also cover

• referral criteria for Compass
• AAC assessment
• managing the patients who don’t meet criteria
• latest AAC products and devices (low and high tech)

To sign up for training please contact Helen Paterson 020 8780 4500 ext 5965

We invite therapists from the boroughs we cover for our training sessions (Harrow, Brent, Ealing, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Richmond, Kingston, Wandsworth, Merton, Sutton and Croydon).

Our training is free and based on latest updates, feedback from colleagues and current national AAC guidelines.

PLEASE NOTE
To allow us to provide hands-on training, places are limited and are allocated on a first-come first-served basis, therefore we would be grateful if you could let us know if you cannot attend.

If you would like Compass to come and provide training for a group of people (20 plus) at a venue other than RHN please contact us to discuss.