Friday Announcements

1. AAC Competencies Blog – Smartbox
From Olivia Withington, Smartbox:

In this two-part blog series, our Clinical AAC Specialists dive into the Communication Competencies introduced by Dr Janice Light in 1989. While many clinicians use this framework to help guide assessment, intervention and goal setting, we explore how it can be valuable for anyone supporting AAC users.

Part one outlines how the Communication Competencies encourage us to think beyond vocabulary size, accuracy or technical skill alone, so we can recognise, celebrate and build on the communication skills that are already developing. We also share how this framework influences everything we do at Smartbox, from product development to training and support.

Part two brings the framework to life through real-world examples from AAC users Jamie, Ellise and Elijah, showing how the Communication Competencies support meaningful communication in everyday situations.

Part one: Getting started with AAC Competencies | Blog | Smartbox
Part two: The AAC Communication Competencies in action | Blog | Smartbox



2.  Let’s Chat About Summer! – ISAAC Informal Chats
From Marcia Gemler, ISAAC:

The next chat is on Monday 3 August at 7-8pm UK time.  Let’s chat about summer.  We’d love to have participants from the UK!  You do not have to be an ISAAC member to participate in the chats.

ISAAC, the International Society for AAC, invites AAC users to meet online for informal chats every two weeks.

More information, and the chat questions, can be found by clicking here.



3.  Vacancies at CENMAC
From Kathryn Stowell, CENMAC:

CENMAC is currently recruiting for a number of positions in our growing team:

The first two positions are to support an exciting development project for the Experts at Hand in Havering – East London:

1. Speech and Language Therapist (Highly Specialist) – Band 8 
2. Speech and Language Therapist (Highly Specialist) – Band 7

The following two positions are within the AAC team for CENMAC services across London:

1. Specialist AAC Speech and Language Therapist – Band 7
2. Assistant Practitioner – CENMAC – Assistive Technology in Education

For full job descriptions and to apply please visit: mycenmac.com/JoinOurTeam



4.  Becoming an Aided Communicator Study Day Booklet

The proceedings from the BAC Study Day in Leeds 2025 are now available.

The Becoming an Aided Communicator (BAC) research team offers a unique opportunity to access comprehensive documentation and resources designed to support an in-depth exploration of language and communication development.

These materials include research summaries alongside previously unpublished resources to use in your consideration of children and young people’s language and conversational skills. The BAC documentation is available to purchase, with proceeds supporting the work of Communication Matters.

The BAC Study Day involved professionals from 16 countries, including teachers, psychologists, speech/language therapists and occupational therapists. The BAC data collection materials developed were considered appropriate across all 16 countries, and the documentation provides comprehensive descriptions of the unique BAC work.

This documentation includes resources developed and used to gain an understanding of the ways children and young people use their aided language and communication skills, as well as research findings derived from the country-specific data collection activity.

These resources and findings are available through Communication Matters in two publications:

1. Becoming an Aided Communicator (BAC): Theory, Methods, Findings and Practical Implications (2022)
2. Becoming an Aided Communicator (BAC): Gaining Insights into Aided Language Competence to Inform Practice (2025)
   
   

To learn more about the BAC Study Days, and to purchase your digital copy of the booklets, please click here.



5.  FINAL CALL for Nominations for Trustees

The time has come again to request nominations for Trustees for the next term in the life of Communication Matters. This is a role which demands stamina, commitment and skill mixing, but which can be very stimulating and enlightening!

This year there are five vacant places to be filled and the opportunity of appointing a further three Co-opted Trustees as appropriate. The announcement of Trustees will take place at the virtual Annual Meeting of Associate Members on Sunday 13 September 2026 ahead of the Communication Matters International AAC Conference.

For more information and to download a nomination form, please click here.

Completed nomination forms must reach us by Friday 7 August.



6.  Mentoring Project Summer Online Sessions

Save the date of the next online meeting, discussing topics to support in-person conversations, advocating for yourself and mentoring others.

Level 1 Award in Mentoring Qualification
Thursday 6 August, 4:00PM – 5:30PM (Microsoft Teams)
Come along to this introduction to the Level 1 Award in Mentoring (NCFE) – our very popular qualification for AAC users. You can see the resources and have a go at an activity. All the support, guidance and resources for the qualification are fully funded by the National Lottery. This session is free to attend for any AAC users, practitioners, parents and carers.

Register your place here.

For any questions or for more information on the Summer Sessions, contact Verity Elliott at [email protected]



7.  CM Conference 2026 – Programme Now Live!

Join us in Leeds on 13-15 September 2026 for an exciting event packed full of informative presentations, inspiring stories and insight into the advancing world of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).

The programme for this year’s conference is now live, and you can view it by clicking here. It is subject to change as speakers and events are confirmed in the weeks prior to Conference. 

Featuring a keynote speech from Jeff Higginbotham on ‘Looking at AAC Through Time and Interaction’, and a plenary speech from Gavin Clifton, The Disabled Writer: Children’s author, inspirational speaker, disability advocate, lyricist.

The registration deadline for all delegates is Friday 21 August, and all payments must be received by then. No invoices will be issued after 14 August.

Book your place now!



8.  Communication Matters AAC Study Day – Book Your Place

Date: Wednesday 16 September
Time: 9:30AM – 4:00PM
Location: University of Leeds

The AAC Study Day involves two workshops, both two and a half hours long, that complement each other with a focus on research, technology and its use in practical applications.

This full day event encourages deep reflection in relation to collaboration, conversation, and design in the field of AAC. The presentations are:

“Co-production in Research”
Presented by Sarah Hayward and Joanna Holmes.

“Designing AAC for In-Time Conversation”
Presented by Prof Jeff Higginbotham, Director of the Communication and Assistive Device Lab (CADL) at the University at Buffalo.

You can book your place at the Study Day as an add-on to Conference attendance, or as a stand-alone ticket. Conference attendance is not required to join us at the study day.

For further information please see: AAC Study Days – Communication Matters

The registration deadline for the Study Day is Friday 21 August.



9.  About Friday Announcements

These ‘Friday Announcements’ comprise weekly product updates, upcoming courses, and supplier news. Please email [email protected] with the item you want to be included by Thursday at 5pm – no more than 200 words (one entry per organisation per week) – and include contact email and/or link so readers can find out further information (no file attachments please).

This newsletter may include links to external websites or third-party content. While these are checked for quality and working links at the time of publication, Communication Matters is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or availability of external sites.