The ADE/ESS Assistive Technology (AT) team is pleased to announce the kickoff for our 2026–27 National Presenter Series with a two-part virtual session: “Why Our Communication Goals Need a Glow-Up” and “Let’s Fix Some Communication Goals—Together” with Lauren Enders Gonzales, MA, CCC-SLP. These presentations are intended for SLPs, special education teachers, and related service providers who work with students who use Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC).
Date/Time: Session One: Tuesday, September 15, 2026: 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Session Two: Thursday, September 17, 2026: 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Fee: Free (Virtual via Zoom, links provided upon registration)
Lauren Enders Gonzales, MA, CCC-SLP is a licensed speech-language pathologist and educator with nearly 30 years of experience supporting AAC and Assistive Technology in Eastern Pennsylvania schools. Through Engaging AAC Solutions, LLC, Lauren now works with schools, organizations, service providers, and families nationally—helping them rethink how they support communication so every person's right to be heard is honored. Known for her practical, engaging, and often irreverent style, Lauren is passionate about reducing the overwhelm felt by people who support communicators—and building the kind of genuine connections that change outcomes.
"Why Our Communication Goals Need a Glow-Up”:
Most of us were trained to write IEP goals the same way—loaded with percent accuracy, compliance measures, and deficit-based language. It made sense at the time. But... what if the way we’ve been writing goals is actually getting in the way of the communication growth we’re working so hard to support?
In this session, we’ll take an honest (and kind!) look at the goal-writing habits we’ve inherited, why they fall short for any communication learner, and why they fail even harder for students who use AAC. We’ll explore what it means to write goals that are measurable and meaningful, without relying on compliance or accuracy counts that don’t reflect how real communication works. Participants will leave with a clear framework, a practical goal-evaluation checklist, and a lot to think about before Session 2—where we do the work of relearning and practicing—together.
“Let’s Fix Some Communication Goals—Together”:
We'll kick off with a quick recap of Session 1—because brains need a warm-up—then dive straight into real goals. The kind that have actually shown up in IEPs. Goals that look fine on paper but quietly undermine communication growth. We're going to fix them.
In small breakout groups, participants will choose the goal type they most want to work on and collaborate with colleagues to revise and rewrite using the strengths-based, participation-focused framework from Session 1. Bring your own tricky, "I-don't-know-how-to-measure-this" goals. This is a judgment-free zone. To add some excitement...there may be prizes involved! Participants will leave with revised goals they can actually use and a community of SLPs on their way to figuring this out—together.
Register for Session One: “Why Our Communication Goals Need a Glow-Up”
Register for Session Two: “Let’s Fix Some Communication Goals- Together”
If you have questions, please email the Assistive Technology Team at [email protected].
