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Marilyn Jacobs
Team Leader / Instructional Specialist

7921 Lynnbrook Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20814

(301) 657-4929
(301) 657-4969 Fax

InterACT Team
Interdisciplinary Augmentative Communication and Technology Team

Announcements

"Not being able to speak is not the same as not having anything to say."

Communication Bill of Rights  

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CPD SA-90 "Early Language Learners and Augmentative Communication and Assistive Technology" course will be offered in October, 2018. MCPS staff can register on PDO.

About Us

InterACT is staffed and supported through the Division of PreKindergarten, Special Programs and Related Services. The team consists of speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, a physical therapist, special educators, and technical support assistants. InterACT collaborates with school teams to support MCPS students with severe communication disabilities, provides professional development opportunities, and supports the development of adapted materials to enable students to participate in the curriculum.
Team Members

Mission

  • to serve students through age twenty-one who are
      - nonspeaking or severely limited in speech and/or
      - unable to produce written output due to severe physical disabilities
    and whose needs exceed the resources available at the school level
  • to collaborate with school teams to support MCPS students with severe communication disabilities in order to
      - increase the student's ability to communicate through augmentative communication and other assistive technology systems and strategies
      - expand the student's communication skills in school, home, community, and work environment
     

What is an Assistive Technology device?

"Assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability." Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

 

What is Augmentative Communication?

Augmentative and Alternate Communication (AAC) is "an area of clinical practice that attempts to compensate (either temporarily or permanently) for the impairment and disability patterns of individuals with severe expressive communication disorders (i.e. the severely speech-language and writing impaired)." - American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1989