Its Showtime

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Its Showtime!
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• Fontbonne Universitys
• Family Weekend Theater AAC Camp
• Gale Rice, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
• Carmen Russell, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
• Richard Lewis, Ph.D., CCC-A

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ABSTRACTThis
poster describes the development of a weekend
theater camp for children who use AACs, their
siblings, and parents. While the children work
with faculty and graduate students to produce a
play, parents attend their own camp and hear
experts on topics such as estate planning,
community access, parenting, and advocacy.
Typically-developing siblings also participate in
a group.
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This camp model is not only beneficial to
children who use AAC and their families, but is
also an effective model to educate graduate
students in speech-language pathology,
occupational therapy, and human services about
augmentative communication.
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Camp Schedule

• Friday
• Arrival
• Ice breaker activity
• Sibling group/Parent group/
• AAC users audition
• Dinner
• Saturday
• Breakfast
• Camper rehearsal
• Parents Camp
• Lunch
• Fun fair
• Camper rehearsal
• Parents camp
• Adult AAC users panel
• Dinner

• Sunday
• Breakfast
• Dress rehearsal
• Parent AAC fair
• Performance
• Awards ceremony
• Luncheon celebration
• Photo album
• Goodbye

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Surviving Showtime IslandCampers Itinerary

• Friday, July 25, 2008
• 400 p.m. Welcome and Ice Breaker
• Presidents Reception Room First Fl East Bldg
• Gale Rice, PhD, CCC-SLP
• 430 p.m. AAC Users Meet Student Therapists
• Library Lewis Room
• Sibling Group
• DLG East 232
• Patricia Bagsby, BA
• Jennifer Moore, BA
• Parents Networking
• Presidents Reception Room First Floor Bldg
• 515 p.m. Theater Group Library Lewis Room
• Carmen Russell, PhD, CCC-SLP
• Richard Lewis, PhD, CCC-A, CED
• 600 p.m. Dinner Ryan Dining Hall

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Surviving Showtime IslandCampers Itinerary

• Saturday, July 26, 2008
• 815 a.m. Breakfast Ryan Dining Hall
• 900 a.m. Play Rehearsal Library Lewis Room
• 1015 Snack
• 1130 a.m. Lunch Ryan Dining Hall
• 1230 p.m. Fun and Games
• 200 p.m. Play Rehearsal Library Lewis Room
• 500 p.m. AAC User Adult Panel East 213
• 6 00 p.m. Dinner Ryan Dining Hall

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Surviving Showtime IslandStage Parents Itinerary

• Saturday, July 26, 2008
• 815 a.m. Breakfast Ryan Dining Hall
• 915 a.m. Welcome Introductions - East 213
• Gale Rice, Ph.D, CCC-SLP
• 930 a.m. Community Resources - East 213
• Carla Walker, MSOT, OTR/L
• Kim Walker, OTD, OTR/L
• 1030 to Break
• 1130 a.m. Lunch, Fun and Games Ryan Dining
  Hall
• 230 p.m. Updates on Special Education Law East
  213
• Thomas Kennedy, III, JD
• 330 p.m. Rehabilitation Topics - East 213
• Spasticity Management Balancing Primary and
  Secondary Care
• Gary Eaton, DO
• 500 p.m. AAC User Adult Panel East 213
• Wiliiam Gamblin
• Mary Polly Tallarico
• Jennai Young

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Surviving Showtime IslandCampers Itinerary

• Sunday, July 27, 2008
• 815 a.m. Breakfast Ryan Dining Hall
• 900 a.m. Play Rehearsal Library Lewis Room
• 1100 a.m. Performance Award Ceremony
• Library Lewis Room
• 1215 p.m. Lunch Slide Show
• Caf 2nd Floor Dunham Student Activity Center

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Surviving Showtime IslandStage Parents
Itinerary

• Sunday, July 27, 2008
• 815 a.m. Breakfast Ryan Dining Hall
• 930 a.m. Whats New in AAC - East 213
• Cari Jessi, MS, CCC-SLP
• Cheryl Livingston, MS, CCC-SLP
• 1100 a.m. Performance Award Ceremony
• Lewis Room, Library
• 1215 Lunch, Slide Show
• Second Floor, Dunham Student Activity Center

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SUMMARYThere is a real
need for this type of authentic childhood
experience for children who use AAC and their
siblings, and while the benefits to the children
and their parents are somewhat obvious, there is
also benefit to the graduate students in
speech-language pathology who spent the weekend
with their campers.
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• This hands-on experience is authentic and
  intense. It has also become part of our
  department culture. Students learn a lot during
  their coursework in AAC, but it in no way
  compares to what they learn from the families
  during the course of the weekend.