From Research to the Living Room: Building Early AAC Buy-In
Findings from a survey of SLPs and families of early intervention age QuickTalker Freestyle users on how AAC is used, perceived, and experienced. We explore caregiver reported impact and daily use, plus SLPs' goals for prescribing AAC and whether it's seen as a long-term solution.
Speaker
Carlee DeYoung, PhD is the Research & Insights Manager at AbleNet, Inc., where she leads research initiatives that inform the development, funding, and real-world impact of the QuickTalker Freestyle AAC device. She specializes in translating complex quantitative and qualitative data into clear, actionable insights for clinicians, families, and other stakeholders across the AAC community. Carlee holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology, with an emphasis in Cognition, from Texas Tech University. She brings deep expertise across both quantitative and qualitative research methods, with experience leading research initiatives across a range of industries and audiences. Known for her collaborative approach and analytical rigor, Carlee is passionate about uncovering what matters most to the people AAC serves, and turning those findings into strategies that create meaningful, measurable change.
Disclosure: Employed at AbleNet
Built for you
Who this course is for
Every minute is written for working clinicians, educators, and families. You walk away with real-world tools to try with your next learner, not abstract theory.
Speech-Language Pathologists
Early Intervention Specialists
Parents & Caregivers
Pediatricians
After this course
What you’ll walk away with.
You leave with concrete skills and frameworks you can apply in your next session, classroom, or family visit, not just ideas to think about later.
Earn your CEUs
Attend the full course and pass the post-session assessment at 80% or higher. Your 0.05 ASHA CEUs are reported to ASHA when you opt in on the assessment.
- 01
You’ll be able to
Describe how families of early intervention age AAC users perceive and use their child's device, including reported changes in communication at home.
- 02
You’ll be able to
Explain the clinical reasoning SLPs use when prescribing AAC in early intervention, including their goals for the device and whether it is positioned as a long term or transitional communication tool.
- 03
You’ll be able to
Identify areas of alignment and divergence between family and SLP perspectives on early AAC use, and apply these insights to inform clinical practice or family support conversations.
The full 30 minutes
Your learning path.
- 1
Welcome and framing: why early intervention AAC deserves its own spotlight
3 minutes - 2
Methodology overview: who we surveyed (SLPs and families), sample size, and approach
3 minutes - 3
Family findings: perceptions of AAC, frequency of use, and the changes caregivers are noticing
7 minutes - 4
SLP findings: why AAC is being prescribed, goals for the device, and whether it's viewed as long term or transitional
7 minutes - 5
Bringing the two perspectives together: where families and SLPs align, and where their views diverge
6 minutes - 6
Key takeaways and implications for practice
4 minutes
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Pass the assessment
Complete the short post-course assessment with 80% or higher to confirm mastery.
CEUs reported to ASHA
Choose to be reported on the assessment and your 0.05 ASHA CEUs are filed to ASHA for you. No paperwork, no chasing certificates.
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