SLP Summit Day 1 Takeaways
SLP Summit Day 1 Takeaways: AAC is so much more satisfying when we're having fun! Practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent.
"AAC is so much more satisfying when we're having fun!"
"AAC That Sticks" (SLP Summit, presented by Samantha Hagness and Becky Woolley of Assistive Technology Connection) centered on helping communication partners - teachers, paraprofessionals, and SLPs - build sustainable AAC habits rather than one-time trainings that fizzle out. While many of us may think we are great models, the duo pointed out that students needed to see a new word modeled 70–140 times before beginning to use it themselves.
My personal fav moment was when Sam and Becky discussed the benefit of making AAC implementation satisfying as a lens for behavior change among communication partners themselves. The presenters argue that AAC habits stick when they're paired with parts of the day that are already working well and enjoyable. Curious about how to make AAC feel like "chocolate" instead of "kale"? You'll need to go watch the replay to get those tips.
"From Practice to Progress: Motor Learning Principles in Speech Sound Disorders" was presented by Aleisha Hawley, an Australian SLP and founder of Flow Talk, who was up and ready to present LIVE for us at 5 am her time! That alone deserves applause 👏. The core message is that treatment approaches (like articulation therapy or apraxia programs) tell clinicians what to teach, while principles of motor learning are the underlying "architecture" that governs how that teaching translates into lasting change -"Practice doesn't make perfect; practice makes permanent."
She presented several adjustable "dials" clinicians can turn to shift outcomes toward retention and generalization, and how practice structure (blocked practice) and feedback are better for retention.
If you didn't catch Day 1 live, you can watch the replays through Aug. 15, 2026. And, if you're anything like me, you will watch the replays multiple times because I too need multiple exposures to make it stick!
What stood out to you from those two courses?
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