Educational Needs of Counselors

Speak Up Project 2004

Sample Topics

Counselors may need information on a range of topics relating to sexuality, sexual abuse and safeguarding for adults and youth who use AAC.

1. Sexuality and Disability:
   • Background information to increase awareness of negative stereotypes, e.g. myths that define people as helpless, damaged, inhuman, asexual, insensitive to pain.
   • Risk factors for abuse
   
   
2. Communication:
   • Communication Disabilities
   • Impact of communication disabilities on sexuality and safeguarding
   • AAC systems available
   • Need for communication facilitation/interpretation
   • Working with an AAC user
   • How to communicate with an AAC user
   
   
3. Considerations when providing counseling services to a person who uses AAC:
   • Living and service provider contexts
   • Privacy
   • Communication supports required
   • Counseling techniques
   • Accommodations
   
   
4. Agency practices to accommodate the need s of people who use AAC:
   • Physical accommodations
   • Communication accommodations
   • Attendant services
   • Appointment planning