Resource

• Center for Literacy and Disability Studies – Literacy resources for individuals with complex learning needs including, Route 66 project - FREE online, instructional literacy program for adolescent and adult beginning readers.

• Green Mountain Self-Advocacy (GMSA) – GMSA is a statewide self-advocacy network run and operated by people with developmental disabilities.

• A Guide to Medicaid Funding in Vermont for Communication Evaluations and Devices – Vermont Communication Task Force (VCTF), Division of Disability and Aging Services (DDAS), State of Vermont – A funding guide to help people who are eligible follow the Medicaid process to obtain a communication evaluation and a communication device/system.

• Making Communication Happen: Tools to Help Teams Plan and Provide Communication Supports - Vermont Communication Task Force (VCTF), Division of Disability and Aging Services (DDAS), State of Vermont – A step by step guide on planning for and providing communication supports including information about and sample communication plans, communication checklist, and communication outcomes/goals and support strategies.

An annotated guide to communication resources, including basic information on Augmentative and Alternative Communication(AAC).  The guide provides some excellent guidance to help get started or advance work already being done.

• Multimodal Communication – The Bridge School, a non-profit organization and internationally recognized leader in the education of children who use AAC.  Multimodal Communication is everything an individual uses to communicate or enhance communication. Different strategies may be needed for different situations and communication partners. Strategies and tools may be combined to meet a wide variety of communication functions. See Teaching and Communication Strategies (e.g., Partner Assist).

• National Committee for the Communication Needs of Personal with Severe Disabilities – The purpose of the National Joint Committee (NJC) is to advocate for individuals with significant communication support needs resulting from intellectual disability, that may coexist with autism, sensory and/or motor limitation.

• International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) – ISAAC is a membership organization working to improve lives of children and adults with complex communication needs.  ISAAC provides information about what AAC is, International AAC month, the Leadership Project for people who use AAC, in addition to online publications.

• Abuse Allegations through Facilitated Communication Guidelines - Guidance for Vermont developmental disabilities services agencies, schools and other organizations on the process to follow in the event a person using facilitated communication makes an allegation of abuse, neglect or exploitation.