Community Collaborations

ACTS is a private agency serving the needs of individuals with limited or no speech who require augmentative communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT). ACTS provides Augmentative Communication & Assistive Technology Evaluations and Services to infants, toddlers, and school aged children. ACTS also serves adults with congenital and developmental disabilities. ACTS works collaboratively with professionals and families in the home, school, and community

The Avalon Academy provides a consistent, safe, and supportive environment for children and youth with a wide range of diagnoses and high support needs. A systematic and evidence-based curriculum addresses not only the academic but also the motor, social, and communication needs of the individuals they serve. Additionally, Avalon is a community of learning for the students, families, professionals, and training programs throughout the Bay Area which consistently place interns or attend trainings for access to exemplary practice.

The Bridge School provides high-quality academic and social experiences that encompass a broad range of knowledge, skills, and abilities across all subject areas with concurrent emphasis on supporting students’ use of assistive technologies, development of communicative competence with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, and attainment of self-determination skills. Using research as a resource to guide practice, the team adapts, customizes, implements, and documents intervention approaches, curricular activities, and instructional supports and strategies that best address the needs of students in The Bridge School context and beyond.

The Center for Speech, Language, Occupational Therapy, and Applied Behavioral Analysis (CSLOT) is a complete diagnostic and therapeutic center for disorders of communication, movement, sensory, behavior, and accented English. Intensive short-term programs are offered as well as ongoing programs for the treatment of all speech, language, voice, movement, sensory, and behavior disorders at all levels of severity. Services are provided via telehealth or in person based on clinical recommendations.

The mission of the Dixon Unified School District is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society. Intern experiences are available in collaboration with Speech Therapy Consulting, Inc., shared with two SLP mentors, one an AAC/AT Specialist, and one with a more traditional caseload.

The Communication Readiness Program with the DSABA is a summer program for preschool and early elementary school-age students to prepare for transition to the school setting in the fall. The focus is on low and high-tech therapy in small groups for AAC application and parent coaching and participation.

Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) is committed to preparing its nearly 39,000 students to become successful and responsible citizens who contribute and thrive in a diverse society. Paine Elementary School in GGUSD includes AAC services with students with complex learning and communication needs with classroom-based, small group, and individual sessions. SLP Interns have comprehensive opportunities to collaborate with the school team and to gain knowledge and skills to adapt the curriculum to meet student’s diverse learning and communication modalities. 

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Assistive Technology Team (AT) is a multi-disciplinary team of professionals who work in the field of AT and AAC that includes highly general and special education teachers with specialized, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, audiologists, deaf and hard of hearing teachers, and teachers of the visually impaired who work at the school site throughout the District. Intern placements with the AT Team in LAUSD include experiences with AAC mentors who conduct AAC assessment, customization of AAC systems, intervention, collaboration, consultation, and coaching with school site teams to support students who use AAC to communicate and learn.

The Marin County Office of Education (MCOE) provides educational programs and services to students, families, and school staff countywide. The MCOE collaborates with Marin’s 17 school districts to safeguard public funds by providing financial oversight and centralized services at economies of scale in the areas of business, technology, professional development, emergency services, maintenance, and operations. The experiences available in this internship in MCOE include a range of the SLP caseload, including AAC services. The scope of experiences and mentorship provides a strong foundation of experiences that are integrated with the school curriculum in each site.

The Natomas Unified School District's vision is to provide an engaging and safe learning community where all students will demonstrate responsibility, achieve academic and social-emotional growth, embrace diversity, and are prepared to make decisions about their college and career success. NUSD provides comprehensive internship experiences, shared with two SLP mentors, one an AAC/AT Specialist and one with a more traditional caseload.

The Nika Project’s mission is to ENGAGE with special needs communities, to EDUCATE to the possibilities,  and to EMPOWER people throughout the world with tools and knowledge to support their community’s access to communication and learning. The Nika Project Team envisions a world where communities access, develop, and sustain their own culturally and linguistically-affirming communication and learning tools. Each spring semester, Project AAC for ALL scholars complete the preparatory course for summer travel. Scholars join the Nika Project Team in an international location where they assist teachers in creating sustainable,  culturally and linguistically relevant communication and learning tools for their students.

Oak Grove School District's mission is "To ensure every child's potential is achieved." OGSD has a total student enrollment of approximately 8,690 from grades TK-8. There are 14 elementary schools and 3 intermediate schools. Six out of seventeen schools receive Title I funds. Schools range from the highest student enrollment (730) to the lowest student enrollment (269). The percentage of English Learners is 29% representing 56 languages spoken in the district. SLP Interns placed in OGSD experience a diverse caseload with students with many types of communication needs, cultural and language backgrounds.

Oak Hill School is for students ages 6-22 with autism and other developmental differences to find fulfillment. In addition, Oak Hill partners with the University of California San Francisco’s Autism and Neurodevelopmental Program, headed up by internationally known autism expert, Dr. Robert Hendren. Dr. Hendren and his UCSF team, along with Oak Hill staff, apply and study science-based treatment and education models.

The mission of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District is to educate and support learners in reaching their highest potential. Students are prepared to pursue successful futures and to make positive contributions to the community and the global society. PVUSD provides comprehensive internship experiences shared with SLP mentors with AAC specialization and a comprehensive caseload. Experiences include bilingual SLP roles and parent coaching.

The primary mission of San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is to provide quality instruction, services, and support to its diverse students at both the city and county levels. SFUSD and SFSU  have partnered to provide internship experiences that include supervision with an AAC mentor and SLPs with comprehensive caseloads.  SLP Interns in SFUSD gain in-depth experience in assessment, intervention planning and implementation, collaboration with the school team and developing a complete bank of materials to engage students with diverse learning and communication needs.

The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) supports local school districts in San Mateo County by providing a variety of supports including training programs, staff development, and services to local school districts throughout the county. The County Office also provides a wide range of instructional programs, including special and career and technical education, and instruction in juvenile detention facilities.

The San Mateo Foster City School District strategically aims to accomplish three goals: Achievement, Equity, and Wellness for all students. SLP Interns have opportunities to collaborate with the school team in early childhood, elementary, and middle schools with SLP Mentors who specialize in AAC and the full range of the SLP caseload. Interns' experiences include assessment, intervention planning, report writing, and curriculum-based intervention that includes dual language learners.

The Santa Clara County Office of Education provides AAC and AT services with the mission to assist families, educators, and professionals in Santa Clara County with building their knowledge, use, and implementation of Assistive Technology (AT) and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for students with disabilities. SLP Interns have opportunities to gain AAC assessment, intervention, and collaboration experiences with an AAC Mentor throughout SCCOE programs.

The Santa Clara County Office of Education provides AAC and AT services with the mission to assist families, educators, and professionals in Santa Clara County with building their knowledge, use, and implementation of Assistive Technology (AT) and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for students with disabilities. SLP Interns have opportunities to gain AAC assessment, intervention, and collaboration experiences with an AAC Mentor throughout SCCOE programs.

Santa Rosa City Schools includes a focus on how our students learn and the best teaching practices to align curriculum with the Common Core State Standards in English language arts (ELA) and math, and the Next Generation Science Standards.SLP Interns experience a full range of experiences that include assessment, intervention, and collaboration with the school team with an SLP mentor.

Speech Pathology Group provides a full. range of speech and language services in schools,  offering conventional, specialized, and supplemental speech/language services. SLP Interns experience the full range of SLP roles, including AAC/AT assessment, intervention, and consultation with AAC mentors. SLP interns are also matched with SLP mentors with comprehensive caseloads to meet the needs of all students in the school setting.

Speech Therapy Consulting, Inc. is a Speech and Language clinic based in Dixon, Solano County, California. STC  provides contracted Speech and Language services to local school districts.  Our speech and language staff is dedicated to providing children and their families with the highest quality of speech therapy services in the area.  Intern experiences are available in collaboration with Dixon School District and shared with two SLP mentors, one an AAC/AT Specialist and one with a more traditional caseload.

Based in San Francisco, SFCD is a parent-run nonprofit organization founded in 1982. The purpose of Support for Families is to ensure that families of children with any kind of disability or special health care need, and the providers who serve them, have the knowledge and support to make informed choices that enhance children's development and well-being. We promote partnership with families, professionals and the community at large, because it is through partnership that we create a community where our children can flourish.

The Technology and Augmentative Communication for Learning Enhancement (TACLE) program began as a partnership between Oakland Unified and the Bridge School, and it has grown to a K-Young Adult continuum of support for students with complex communication needs. The TACLE 1 program is located at Redwood Heights Elementary School in the Oakland Unified School District. The TACLE 2 Program, located at Oakland High School aims to provide a learning environment that optimizes the learning potential of each student. In both programs,  Interns have opportunities to work with both the SLP,  serving the entire school population, and the TACLE classroom teacher.

The Technology Resource Center (TRC) of Marin is a program of the Marin County Office of Education. Since 2001, TRC has served special education students in Marin, and have become an internationally acclaimed model for delivering the AT/AAC services that students need for living and learning. The TRC was created by Dedication to Special Education, a group of volunteer parents who raised money and provided operating funds for the first five years. SLP Interns are afforded a range of school and community-based opportunities to gain experience and competence in all aspects of AAC services that include assessment, language and literacy-based intervention, access to school curriculum, community inclusion, collaboration, and professionalism.

West Contra Costa County Unified School District provides comprehensive SLP internship experiences in elementary and high school settings, shared by SLP/AAC specialists and SLPs with traditional caseloads. Interns participate in the full range of SLP roles and are prepared for assessment, intervention, and collaboration with the school team.

The Whittier City School District (WCSD) provides a continuum of supports to preschool through 8th-grade students with disabilities who reside within the boundaries of WCSD.  In the WCSD, special education services are provided to support students in attaining educational benefits in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and specifically designed instruction. SLP Interns experience the full range of SLP roles with their SLP mentor in AAC and general SLP services.