MontCOMM

MontCOMM ’26 in the works! Follow MonTECH on Facebook and Instagram for the latest.

MontCOMM means yearly access to national and international experts in AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). It means quality training in Montana’s own back yard to help therapists, teachers, paraeducators, direct support professionals, and family members build their capacity to support people of all ages with communication challenges.

“The goal is not to create an echo, but to hear an authentic voice.” Rachael Langley, MA, CCC-SLP

Our Speaker for MontCOMM ’25:

With twenty years of experience in public schools, Rachael Langley (MA, CCC-SLP) is an educator and advocate for supporting students with complex communication needs within inclusive school settings. Rachael works for AssistiveWare as an independent contractor, focusing on school implementation and product development, and keeps one foot in clinical practice at a small speech and language clinic in Michigan. Rachael is also a founder and executive director of #TalkingAAC, a nonprofit providing high-quality learning around topics related to AAC.

Rachael’s presentations often address barriers to successfully implementing AAC, the role of prompting and need for prompt awareness, and supporting meaningful communication.

The goal? Authentic communication. And it IS in our reach.

MontCOMM is affordable; ticket prices have not increased since our first conference in 2019. Follow us on Facebook for scholarship opportunities.

$50.00 to attend remotely or in person in Missoula – no CEUs
$100.00 to attend remotely or in person in Missoula – with CEUs.

This course is offered for 6 renewal units for OPI and 6 contact hours for MOTA; this course is offered for 0.6 ASHA CEUs.

Full-day attendance and completion of the post-conference evaluation required to earn MOTA and OPI credits. In order to be reported to the ASHA CE Registry, attendees must attend the entire conference (online or in person), complete the post-conference evaluation, and complete the learner self-assessment survey.

Zoom is cool, but the room rules!

MonTECH ensures a quality conference experience for our remote attendees, but there are major perks if you join us in person. They include facetime with our speaker, free merch, prizes, and the opportunity for hands-on with MonTECH’s AAC and education supports. Not to mention, a night in fabulous downtown Missoula, MT!

MontCOMM Learning Objectives

MontCOMM participants will:

Identify three potential starting points for new AAC teams, describe solutions to overcome common barriers to quality implementation, and create a timeline of steps toward one larger communication goal.
Identify three ways to measure student engagement without relying on accuracy, list two examples of “conditions of learning,” and create goals that embed student learning needs using provided materials, templates, and collaboration.
Differentiate between two interpretations of ‘modeling’ in AAC instruction, demonstrate non-invasive strategies that allow language demonstration and autonomy, and explore both student and educator roles with, and without, prompting.
Describe the three tiers of ‘Stepping into AAC’ support materials and explain how to implement these resources to support families, school teams, and community groups.

We’re delighted to have Isaac Baldry back for MontCOMM ’25. Isaac is a Montana advocate and an AAC user. Each year, Isaac’s session is a noted favorite and this year will be no exception. Isaac will confront a hard truth: the real and lasting negative impact of inconsistent voice access during the school years. He’ll also share how he uses AAC to support his success as an adult. IOW, you don’t want to miss this session!

MontCOMM ’25 Agenda

8:30-8:40 – Welcome to MontCOMM ’25

8:40-10:00 – Session 1: Where to Begin? Supporting Authentic Communication from Day One

10:00-10:10 – Break

10:10-11:30 – Session 2: Writing Quality Goals for AAC Implementation in the Early Stages

11:30-11:45 – Visit Vendors

11:45-12:15 – Session 3: Back for His Encore! AAC Advocate Isaac Baldry Shares Lived Experience

12:15-1:15 – Lunch on Your Own (try The Lodge on campus)

1:15-2:15 – Session 4: When Helping isn’t Helping: Reflecting on Why We Prompt AAC Users

2:15-2:30 – Break

2:30-3:30 – Session 5: Let’s Step into AAC! Exploring Ready-made Resources

3:30-4:15 – Q&A, Case Studies, and Credits

New this year: Family Track! A special morning meeting just for parents and guardians—learn about AAC options, team roles, and communication-partner strategies. Then stick around for MontCOMM’s afternoon sessions to connect with Rachael, other SLPs, and our vendors! $40 per family (including sitters or personal care assistants). Childcare is not provided, but children with diagnoses are most welcome. ♥

Family Track Agenda

8:40-8:55 – Introductions

8:55-9:10 – AAC 101: What You Need to Know – Samantha Strong, PRC-Saltillo

9:10-9:30 – So Many Options! Feature Matching – JoAnne Lambert, Lincare AAC

9:30-9:45 – Modes of Access – Michelle Allen, MonTECH

9:45-10:00 – Low-tech Options – Jodi Szuter, School Specialty

10:15-10:45 – Demonstration Videos – Amber Fortier, Parent SLP; Madi Kelly, MonTECH

10:45-11:00 – Communication Partner Skills – Samantha Strong, PRC-Saltillo

11:00-11:10 – Device Funding – Michelle Allen, MonTECH; Lindsey Bothwell, Talk To Me Technologies

11:10-11:20 – You’re Not Alone: MT F2F Health Information Center and MT Empowerment Center

11:20-11:25 – AAC Funding through MTAC (Montana Accessible Communications)

11:25-11:30 – Questions

Current Scholarship Opportunities

Courtesy of Katie Mattingley (Montana Autism Education Project, OPI), 48 Montana educators and therapists affiliated with public schools received free registration. This scholarship opportunity closed as of July 1st.

Courtesy of Jennifer Banna and the Montana Family to Family Health Information Center, scholarships for free MontCOMM tickets are available for family members and guardians of Montanans who are nonspeaking or struggle to speak. These scholarships are also available to professionals who do not work in the public-school system (SLPs, OTs, BCBAs, RBTs, etc.). This scholarship does not cover CEUs. This scholarship opportunity closed as of July 30th.

Courtesy of Kim Brown (Montana Transition Resources Project and Children’s Special Health Services), five Montana therapists and one Montana parent received free registration. This scholarship opportunity closed as of July 30th.

Visit with Representatives of Fantastic Resources

Meet AAC heavyweights and vital community allies! We’ve built in time for you to connect with reps and explore top-notch resources.

As a private-practice speech-language pathologist, Samantha Strong specialized in AAC, conducting evals and supporting children and adults (in Spanish and English) with a wide range of speech and language disorders. Now she’s a rep for PRC-Saltillo and she’s coming to MontCOMM ’25! As a consultant, Samantha empowers individuals using AAC through clinical expertise, bilingual support, and education. She mentors clinicians, advocates for inclusive communication, and delivers AAC training across diverse settings, fostering confidence and competence.

Montana is not a frequent stop for Samantha, so make time to visit with her about communication challenges and the devices and support PRC-Saltillo can offer.

Navigating Montana’s healthcare system for a child or young adult can be extremely frustrating, but families don’t have to be ‘in it’ alone! Jennifer Banna, Center Coordinator for the Montana Family to Family Health Information Center, will be at MontCOMM to visit with attendees and share how her Center (staffed by parents with lived experience as well as professional experience) can help.

Jennifer Stanley (MA, CCC-SLP) joined Lingraphica in 2018. Lingraphica has been selling communication devices since 1991, helping people with speech and language impairments improve their quality of life. Jennifer has over 30 years’ experience providing services in acute, skilled, outpatient and home health settings as well as early intervention to littles age 0-3.

JoAnne Lambert is a Speech Language Pathologist from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She has been working with Lincare AAC as an AAC Outreach Consultant and Lead SLP for the past two and a half years. She enjoys working with SLPs and families to support their AAC journeys. Lincare AAC provides devices, resources, expertise, and excellent service that will help you find the perfect device to engage and communicate with your world. Lincare’s Expression Series™ speech generating devices are customizable; available in four sizes with a wide selection of communication apps.

Jeff Haley, a Communication Technician from Montana Accessible Communications (MTAC), will be joining us to share information about the services offered by his program. MTAC is a state program that offers assistive equipment and, in some cases, iPads and other iOS devices at no charge to individuals who qualify. Those who qualify for an iPad to communicate also receive a communication app. Jeff will explain more and the simple process to apply for assistive equipment through MTAC.

Accommodations

MonTECH is delighted to offer a room block at the Holiday Inn Downtown. This hotel is in the heart of Missoula’s vibrant, eclectic riverside community, adjacent to Caras Park. Room rate for the nights of August 14th and 15th: $195 + tax. They’ll go fast, so use this booking link to get your room STAT! Other nearby hotels are listed on our registration page under Frequently Asked Questions.

Financial and Nonfinancial Disclosures

Financial:

Rachael Langley, MA, CCC-SLP is an independent contractor working for AssistiveWare. While the content of MontCOMM does not directly apply to her work with AssistiveWare, this relationship may have an impact on her experience and perspective as an AAC professional.

Nonfinancial:

Rachael Langley, MA, CCC-SLP is on the Board of Directors for #TalkingAAC, Inc., a non-profit organization providing professional learning in the form of the annual #TalkingAAC conference.