MADISON – An upcoming session, “Increasing Augmentative and Alternative Communication in the Home Setting,” will be open to all parents with students in Madison City Schools.

Teachers and staff members in Madison schools also are welcome to attend the meeting on Aug. 17 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Columbia Elementary School’s media center, 667 Balch Road.

Morgan Mayfield, M.A., CCC-SLP, will lead the session. Mayfield serves as the local LAMP representative and has credentials as Speech-Language Pathologist.

This training is geared towards parents wanting to expand their knowledge on how to use methods of AAC in the home. The session’s model will be LAMP WFL, but training is applicable to all AAC users.

Parents can use several different approaches and methods in AAC training, according to novita.org. These methods include immersion and modelling.

The child will need to develop various skills to become a successful communicator:

* Social skills.

* Language skills – Learning ways to put words and phrases together to communicate.

* Selecting messages on the system.

With language skills, the child connects phrases and learns how to use grammar, along with expressing an intended meaning.

For social skills, children will start a conversation, take turns with others, listen to another person, realize when to speak (or not to speak) and know how to talk about a subject and with whom, when and where.

Parents can learn strategies to keep conversations going, such as indicating misunderstandings, using different AAC systems in different situations or showing the listener that they correctly (or incorrectly) interpreted a message.

For the meeting at Columbia, all guests must wear masks, in accordance with MCS’ current mask mandate.

Individuals who plan to attend can respond to the SLP at the student’s school. Guests also can contact Kim Dykes; email krdykes@madisoncity.k12.al.us.

For more information, visit Facebook/Madison City PTA Group.