OAISD: Young Adult Services

Vacancy: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Consultant (SLP)

Description: Young Adult Services (YAS) seeks an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Consultant to support our staff and students. Their goal is to increase functional communication for our young adults in all locations: at home, in the community, at work sites, and anywhere they may go. The characteristics that describe a strong consultant are adaptable, passionate, driven, creative, and collaborative.

Duties: The AAC Consultant will:

• Coach communication partners on implementation and best practices around AAC usage in all areas of the community that a young adult may visit

• Consult and coach alongside school staff on how to implement best practices in AAC

• Work with young adults and employers to increase functional communication on job sites

• Collaborate with families and friends on how to generalize communication across all areas of a student’s life

• Assist students and families in acquiring robust communication systems and other assistive technology devices through work with nonprofits, insurance companies, and other partners

• Increase usage of visuals across all environments a student may interact with

• Provide input to staff on environmental best practices to maximize engagement

• Provide professional development to school staff around targeted areas of improvement

• Stay abreast of updates and best practices regarding assistive technology and AAC

• Assist IEP teams in writing accurate and data-driven plans

• Support and prepare young adults and families for transitions

Location: The consultant will serve all four buildings at YAS (Holland, Hudsonville, Grand Haven, Coopersville). They must be willing and able to travel between program buildings on their own in their own vehicle. Must be available and scheduled in any YAS building, jobsite, or in the community on a regular basis.

Qualifications: Must be fully licensed as a speech pathologist in Michigan. Must have a bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, Communication Science, or a related field. Must have a master’s degree in Communication Science or Speech–Language Pathology. It is highly preferred to have certification from The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Ideal candidates will have experience working with adults and/or high school students with disabilities in some capacity.

Reports to: Director of Young Adult Services

Schedule: Full time, 190 days