The College of Education and Health Professions is hosting a free camp this summer for children with complex communication needs who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices.

Students who don't use AAC supports are also invited to attend the camp as peer mentors.

The AAC Adventures in Communication camp will be held at Leverett Elementary School in Fayetteville June 11-27. Children ages 3-6 will attend from 8 to 11:30 a.m. and those 7-12 will attend from 12:30 to 4 p.m.

The WE CARE-sponsored camp will be staffed by students from the college's teacher education, communication disorders, educational studies and occupational therapy programs.

Participants don't need to be experienced AAC users. They can be new users or just children who would benefit from AAC supports.

AAC devices allow someone with limited speech to communicate by selecting photos or words on a tablet. AAC can improve individuals' interaction with family, friends and other communication partners in educational and social contexts.

Camp facilitators are Elizabeth Lorah, an associate professor in special education and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst; Christine Holyfield, an assistant professor in communication sciences and disorders and a speech-language pathologist; Sheida Raley, an assistant professor in special education; and Rhett Hutchins, a teaching associate professor in educational studies.

The college's Augmentative and Alternative Communication research lab at the U of A is focused on developing and evaluating instructional strategies and technologies for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome, who have limited speech.

Contact Lorah at lorah@uark.edu for more information or apply for the camp here.