U.S. Rehab adds AAC education

WATERLOO, Iowa – U.S. Rehab’s new course offering on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) fills an education gap for complex rehab companies, says Tyler Mahncke.

In particular, it fills a gap for companies with employees prepping for RESNA’s ATP certification, he says. 

“We kept hearing from members, ‘We have a tech going through the process, and we understand the exam is more involved in AAC than in the past or that portion is more difficult, and there’s not much out there,’” he said. “Or, ‘My business doesn’t do a ton of AAC, so we don’t have a way to get them on-the-job training.’ When you hear that five to 10 times in a short period, you say, ‘There has to be some truth there.’”  

U.S. Rehab, a division of VGM & Associates, launched three online courses on AAC through the VGM University platform in March. The courses are available individually or bundled to members and non-members. 

The courses, which cover background and assessment of need, access considerations, and intervention and progress monitoring, were written by M. Claire Campbell, M.A., CCC-SLP, ATP, a speech language pathologist II and LAMP Certified Provider for AAC based at the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Pediatric Speech Clinic. 

“She had all the material ready to go, because she speaks all the time at conferences on the topic, so it was just a matter of packaging it for what our members needed and getting it into the platform,” Mahncke said. 

The course offering will also entice more complex rehab companies to add or ramp up services in AAC, Mahncke believes. 

“Our members want to be a one-stop shop and they’re likely getting questions and requests from clinicians for these items,” he said. “Part of it is also helping our members be a little more to their referrals sources.”