The Take AACtion Podcast

Lauren Greenlief
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Education
  • Updated Biweekly

The Take AACtion Podcast is for SLPs, parents, educators, and all communication partners looking to take AAC best practices and successfully implement them into their daily lives. Each week we will explore topics related to AAC through the lens of communication partners just like you! The goal is that you leave every episode with actionable steps towards AAC success and empowerment!

  1. 5d ago

    How Specific Language First Shapes AAC Evaluations

    Is it wrong to start an AAC evaluation with the language system you know best? Not necessarily—but it shouldn't end there. In this episode of the Take Action Podcast, Lauren continues the conversation around the Specific Language First approach and explores how a similar mindset often shows up during AAC evaluations. As SLPs and AAC professionals, it's natural to feel more confident trialing systems we already know well. The problem comes when familiarity turns into a one-size-fits-all recommendation. Every AAC user has unique communication, language, access, and feature needs—and our evaluations need to reflect that. Lauren discusses how you can use a familiar language system as a starting point while still prioritizing individualized feature matching. She also shares practical ways to expand your knowledge of different AAC systems so you can feel more confident recognizing when another option may be a better fit. In this episode, you'll learn: How the Specific Language First mindset can show up in AAC evaluations Why starting with a familiar AAC system isn't necessarily a bad thing The importance of feature matching during an AAC evaluation How clinician familiarity can unintentionally influence AAC recommendations Questions to ask when determining whether a system is truly working for an individual Why trialing different types of language systems can strengthen an evaluation How to become more familiar with AAC systems you don't regularly use Check out the FREE Apps:  https://www.inspireconnectionstherapy.com/blog/aac-apps-for-free Connect with Us Subscribe to the Take AACtion Podcast Follow us on instagram @inspireconnections.aac

    How Specific Language First Shapes AAC Evaluations

  2. Sep 22

    AAC for Everyone: The Specific Language System First Approach

    What if students didn't have to wait for an evaluation to have access to AAC? In this episode of the Take AACtion Podcast, Lauren explores the Specific Language System First approach, a tiered model for bringing AAC into schools as a universal support. Rather than waiting until an individual student is identified as needing AAC, this approach makes a robust language system accessible from day one and then adds increasingly individualized support as needed. In This Episode What the Specific Language System First approach is Using an RTI/MTSS-style model for AAC Making AAC part of Universal Design for Learning What Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 AAC support can look like Why universal AAC access benefits more than individual AAC users Choosing a robust and flexible language system at the district level Why system selection should be strategic—not based on personal preference Including families from the beginning Using data to determine when students need more individualized support What "universal access" actually means How immediate AAC access can reduce barriers for students Building AAC knowledge and confidence across school teams Why a Specific Language System First approach does not mean AAC is one-size-fits-all Balancing universal access with individualized AAC needs Connect with Us Subscribe to the Take AACtion Podcast Follow us on instagram @inspireconnections.aac

    AAC for Everyone: The Specific Language System First Approach

  3. Sep 8

    Breaking Down the Biggest Barriers to AAC Access

    Access to AAC can be life-changing, but for many families, getting the right communication system into their child's hands isn't always a simple process. In this episode of the Take AACtion Podcast, Lauren breaks down four of the biggest barriers to AAC access and shares practical ways parents, SLPs, educators, and other communication partners can navigate them. From understanding insurance coverage and advocating for AAC in the school setting to navigating long evaluation waitlists and increasing AAC awareness, this episode is all about identifying what's getting in the way and taking actionable steps toward better communication access. In This Episode Four common barriers to AAC access Insurance coverage and access School access Long waitlists  AAC awarness  Take away ideas for breaking down these barriers  Connect with Us Subscribe to the Take AACtion Podcast Follow us on instagram @inspireconnections.aac

    Breaking Down the Biggest Barriers to AAC Access

  4. Aug 25

    Sustainable Considerations for Classroom AAC

    How do we make AAC a natural part of the classroom without expecting teachers, SLPs, and support staff to model on a device all day long? In this episode of the Take AACtion Podcast, Lauren Greenlief, M.S., CCC-SLP, shares practical strategies for integrating AAC into the school day in a way that feels manageable and sustainable. Rather than creating more work for already-busy classroom teams, Lauren explains how to identify communication opportunities that already exist within everyday classroom routines and build AAC into those moments. From circle time and classroom transitions to greetings, choices, social interactions, and show-and-tell, small changes can create meaningful opportunities for AAC users to communicate. In This Episode Why "just model all day" can feel overwhelming for classroom teams How to identify existing communication opportunities Building AAC into everyday classroom routines Creating more opportunities for communication when they don't already exist Why connection-based communication matters Moving beyond academic vocabulary and answering questions How to help teachers and communication partners see the value of AAC Why it's okay to learn an AAC system alongside the AAC user Keeping AAC accessible throughout the school day How habit stacking can improve AAC consistency Free Resource  https://inspireconnectionstherapy.myflodesk.com/bipj9i7gcb Connect with Us Subscribe to the Take AACtion Podcast Follow us on instagram @inspireconnections.aac

    Sustainable Considerations for Classroom AAC

  5. Aug 11

    AAC Grid Size: What You Need To Know

    AAC Grid Size: What you need to know One of the most common questions in AAC is, "What grid size should I start with?" In this episode of the Take AACtion Podcast, Lauren breaks down the biggest misconceptions about AAC grid size and explains why starting with a larger grid supports language development more effectively than beginning with a small one. You'll learn how to determine the best grid size by evaluating vision, motor skills, and visual scanning abilities, while also exploring practical supports that allow many AAC users to access larger vocabulary systems without sacrificing usability.     In This Episode What AAC grid size actually means Common myths about starting with a small grid Three factors to consider when selecting a grid size: Vision Motor abilities Visual scanning skills Supports to try before reducing grid size How keyguards, touch guides, and release time settings improve access Using Vocabulary Builder and hidden buttons to reduce visual load Why preserving motor planning matters The cognitive cost of changing grid sizes Why communication partners should presume competence Giving AAC users access to meaningful language from the beginning     Free Resource  https://inspireconnectionstherapy.myflodesk.com/gridsize     Connect with Us Subscribe to the Take AACtion Podcast Follow us on instagram @inspireconnections.aac

    AAC Grid Size: What You Need To Know

  6. 07/15/2025

    Let's Talk at the Park: AAC in Public Spaces

    Welcome back to another episode of the Take AACtion Podcast! This week, Lauren is joined by Ashley, a speech-language pathologist, mom of three, and owner of Speech at the Beach. With over 13 years of experience, she's passionate about making communication accessible for all kids. Today, she's sharing the journey of completing her project — bringing 11 AAC communication boards to parks and playgrounds around Virginia Beach — and how small changes can make a big difference for AAC users and their families. Ashley kicks things off by describing what AAC evaluations look like within her private practice, including supports and resources that have increased success (2:02). This leads into a discussion about the playground communication boards and the ways they support communication and inclusion (8:11). Ashley then describes how she went about getting communication boards into her local play areas (12:45), and shares her biggest takeaway lesson from working to get the boards installed in her community (21:47). ✨ Take AACtion: Try out the Take AACTion step and let us know how it went—send a DM or drop a comment on @inspireconnections.aac! (28:56) Follow Along with Ashley: 📸 @speechinvabeach on Instagram 📰 News Feature: Ashley's Mission to Bring Inclusion to Playgrounds 🏞️ Smarty Symbols – Board Resource Take AACtion with Lauren: 📸 @inspireconnections.aac on Instagram 🎧 Previous AAC Evaluation Episode 📚 Podcast Resource Library 🤝 AAC Support Network ✍️ Join the AAC Assessment Guide Waitlist 🎓 Free AAC Consistency Training 🎙️ Share Your Story on the Podcast

    Let's Talk at the Park: AAC in Public Spaces

  7. 04/08/2025

    Choosing the Right Device: What an AAC Trial Really Looks Like

    This week, Lauren is flying solo to dive into how to run an effective AAC trial. She kicks things off by explaining what an AAC device trial is (1:41), then explores why trials are important before recommending a system. She also shares how trials can look different based on setting or insurance requirements (5:58), and offers tips for sourcing devices (13:58). ✨ Take AACtion: Try out the Take AACTion step and let us know how it went—send a DM or drop a comment on @inspireconnections.aac! (16:58) Take AACtion with Lauren: 📸 @inspireconnections.aac on Instagram 🎧Previous AAC Evaluation Episode 📚 Podcast Resource Library 🤝 AAC Support Network ✍️ Join the AAC Assessment Guide Waitlist 🎓 Free AAC Consistency Training 🎙️ Interested in sharing your story on the podcast?

    Choosing the Right Device: What an AAC Trial Really Looks Like

  8. 04/01/2025

    From Light Tech to High Tech: Building Holistic AAC Systems

    Welcome back to The Take AACtion Podcast! This week, we're joined by Allyse—SLP-turned-stay-at-home mom and our podcast's virtual assistant—to chat about building a strong AAC system using lite-, mid-, and high-tech supports. Allyse starts by defining what an AAC system really includes (7:47), then busts some common myths about lite-tech supports (11:50). We dive into how to integrate AAC into universal classroom design so you can know when to shift toward individualized supports (21:45), and what mid-tech tools we've found helpful (34:59). Lauren wraps things up with a Take AACtion step (52:02): Share your thoughts in the Instagram comments! Want to follow along with what Allyse is up to next? Be there for when she makes her return to SLP IG: @crookedrivercommunications Take AACtion with Lauren: 📸 @inspireconnections.aac on Instagram 📚 🤝 AAC Support Network ✍️ Join the AAC Assessment Guide Waitlist 🎓 Free AAC Consistency Training 🎙️ Interested in sharing your story on the podcast?

    From Light Tech to High Tech: Building Holistic AAC Systems
See All (39)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The Take AACtion Podcast is for SLPs, parents, educators, and all communication partners looking to take AAC best practices and successfully implement them into their daily lives. Each week we will explore topics related to AAC through the lens of communication partners just like you! The goal is that you leave every episode with actionable steps towards AAC success and empowerment!

Information

  • Creator
    Lauren Greenlief
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The Take AACtion Podcast

You Might Also Like