This additional day on 10th September is open to conference delegates and others who are interested in research focused strands. Attendees register for ONE of TWO full day sessions delivered by an international cohort of researchers and academics. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided along with plenty of opportunities for networking with delegates and presenters across both sessions.

Session 1

Becoming an Aided Communicator (BAC) – Gaining insight into aided language competence to inform practice

The Study Day builds on feedback from the 2022 event and focuses on practical applications of the BAC project, which explored aided language use in children and adolescents. It will cover the development and use of the BAC tasks, its implications for interventions, and everyday communication. Presentations will include comprehension and production tasks, theoretical foundations, task design, administration experiences, and project findings. Attendees will receive a booklet with all materials and discussions from the day.

There is a special open access article in the AAC Journal written by the BAC team which is available here: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/iaac20/34/1.

Further details on the First BAC Project Study Day in 2022, along with a booklet for sale, can be found on our Study Day page.

Session 2

AAC and Artificial Intelligence

The AAC and AI Study Day involves two 2.5 hour workshops that complement each other with a focus on both technology and its use in practical applications. The full day event encourages deep reflection and strategic planning in relation to design, adoption and use of AI in the field of AAC.

Each workshop is designed to foster active learning and pragmatic thinking, helping attendees shape a more inclusive and innovative future for AAC. All delegates will attend both half day workshops, swapping rooms to their new workshop after the shared lunchtime.

Workshop 1 is led by Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, Jamie Preece, Emma Sullivan, and Dr Katherine Broomfield. The focus of this workshop is on real-world strategies and user experiences in relation to AI-enhanced or assisted AAC. Through small and large group discussion, online polls, and active learning, this workshop will involve looking at the now, the immediate future, and the distant future in relation to how we are using and want to use AI in the field of AAC. This workshop will focus on the practical use of Generative AI (GenAI) to support AAC users, emphasizing real-world strategies, co-design, social issues, and user experiences over technical or theoretical discussions.

Workshop 2 is led by Professor Annalu Waller, Dr Tom Griffiths, and Rohan Slaughter. More information to come!

Timeline

09.30 – 10.00 Registration and tea/coffee

10.00 – 12.30 Session 1 including a short break

12.30 – 13.30 Lunch

13.30 – 16.00 Session 2 including tea/coffee

16.00 – 16.15 Tea/coffee and farewell