Skip to main content Skip to Chat

Who We Are

SD8 provides support for students who require technology to access their learning and/or communication. 

What We Do

Assistive Technology

Shannon is an SD8 Speech-Language Pathologist who works with students with complex communication needs by implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems.  She helps the students, school staff, and families find the right tools and technology to support and develop each student’s communication competence.  AAC can include but is not limited to, sign language, gestures, pictures, text-to-speech software, and voice output communication systems. Shannon focuses on:

  • Introducing AAC early, especially to promote receptive language development and provide immersion in the AAC system
  • Ensuring an AAC system is designed to meet the student’s immediate communication needs and also to facilitate further linguistic development
  • Acting on the knowledge that AAC does not inhibit natural speech
  • Ensuring the student has abundant opportunities to observe proficient use of an AAC system. This will ensure that the student using AAC, like their typically developing peers, benefits from observing fluent communication in their own expressive modality.
  • Working in conjunction with a student’s family, teacher, and other professionals to ensure that AAC recommendations are consistent with language, learning and other goals. These goals are often identified in a student’s individualized education plan.
  • Analyzing the communication and participation skills and patterns of the student’s peers to inform vocabulary and implementation planning
  • Considering core vocabulary needs to ensure a combination of developmental, environmental and functional vocabulary is included in the student’s system
  • Support a student’s communication partners in knowing how to use the AAC system and how best to interact with the student using the system.

For more information please contact Shannon Carter. 

Set-BC

SET-BC is a BC Ministry of Education Provincial Resource Program established to work with school districts to support students who require or would benefit from using technology to access their educational programs. SET-BC services to school districts include consultation and collaboration; Professional Development and training; classroom and student resources; and technology loans.  

SET-BC: 

collaborates with district teams to provide professional development activities focused on the use of technology to support diverse learners in the classroom 

assists school districts in training district and school teams on specific technologies used to support their students’ access to educational programs 

lends technologies (par S ticipation, communication, and learning tools) to school districts to support their students’ access to their curriculum.  

SET-BC allocate services to school districts based on annual Districts’ Requests for Service and our annual budget and staffing levels. 

Please contact SET-BC district partners: Lisa Tremblay and Rachelle Vogel with any questions. 

https://www.setbc.org/ 

Referral Criteria

Contact Lisa Tremblay or Rachelle Vogel directly to discuss potential referrals.