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Kia ora Visitor,
Update from ATANZ Chair
Kia ora koutou,
As Term 3 wraps up, we’re heading into the final few months of 2026. The board has been busy planning for 2027, including organising new events and setting our strategic focus. It’s been encouraging to see so many people interested in the 5-day Teaching Movements for Communication workshop by Claire Cotter & Gayle Porter. This promises to be a valuable event for 2027.
In this edition of the newsletter, you’ll find:
- Updates on the new TalkLink CAT1 support referral form.
- Information on upcoming professional development workshops.
- Details on our new ATANZ members-only Facebook group for CAT 1 and 2 therapists.
- Important equipment updates regarding trial policies and timely returns.
- Guidance on CAT supervision support.
Ngā mihi nui,
Kathleen Jones
Chair, ATANZ Board of Trustees and Speech Language Therapist at Tauranga Special School
Spotlight on our current board members
Meet Shauna McCabe. Shauna has been on the ATANZ board since February 2024. Shauna has been an active ATANZ member for over a decade with a real passion for AAC.
Shauna is currently on Parental leave from her role as an SLT at Wairau Valley Specialist School where she has been working for the last 3 years. Prior to her role at WVSS, Shauna worked as a SLT at The TalkLink Trust for 8 years. Shauna is behind our newsletter and takes on the trust secretary duties and is often supporting/ facilitating Auckland based PD events.
For more info on our Board Members, please find the link to our website here:
https://www.atanz.org.nz/about/board-members
ATANZ Strategic Roadmap
We’re happy to share our ATANZ 2026-2029 Strategic Roadmap, which sets out our focus for building capability and connections over the coming years.
AAC in Aotearoa Update
CAT1 Support Referral Form
TalkLink have updated the CAT1 support referral form to borrow ATANZ equipment, or to have funded equipment set up. This is now a Microsoft Form and will send you an email with a copy of what you have submitted. A reminder to please email a copy of quotes and the online order to referrals@talklink.org.nz with the client name. This is necessary so that TalkLink can check that the equipment that arrives matches what you have applied for.
CAT 1 Accreditation Procedure
As requested we have put together a document outlining the process to get and meet your cat 1 accreditation based on the requirements from Enable New Zealand. Please find the link to this document here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nUt-m3GrWqf6gdhsFQ4L-hGwIyDCY8vh/view?usp=drive_link
Upcoming Professional Development:
We have lots of upcoming professional development opportunities coming up this year! Make sure you follow our Facebook page to keep up to date on all upcoming PD as it is announced as well as our website: https://www.atanz.org.nz/events
For all your events related questions please contact our events manager at events@atanz.org.nz
ATANZ Events Update
Recently Hosted Events
At the end of July, we hosted our first-ever Online Whānau Switch event, presented by Jacki Mayne-Davis. This tailored interactive workshop focused on Switch Access and Switch-Adapted Technology, with content specifically designed for families. The workshop was very well received by both parents and their support teams. We aim to continue working together with support staff and the special school teams to support families around their AAC needs.
We have also received raving feedback about Dr Sam Brydon’s recently delivered 2-day Coaching for Communication Partners workshop, facilitated in both Auckland and Christchurch. Sam provided a hands-on, practical session that equipped the attendees with actionable skills to apply directly in our work. Sam truly highlighted how essential coaching is for successful AAC implementation, leaving us fully convinced of its value in empowering communication partners and supporting those using AAC.
2026 Upcoming Events
Everything is lined up for our fully booked October- November Online LAMP Words for Life and the LAMP Therapy Approach course, also presented by the wonderful Dr Sam Brydon. This course always sells out fast, and the waiting list continues to grow. People who register on the waiting list will be given priority for next year's course.
2027 Lined Up Professional Development Training
2027 promises to be a very special year for our ATANZ members when it comes to professional development opportunities. We have already mentioned Sam Brydon’s Online LAMP WFL course, which will be offered again in the second half of next year. We are also working behind the scenes on several other exciting workshops, including a few new workshops/webinars which ATANZ has never hosted before!
Teaching Movement for Communications workshop - First Ever in New Zealand
We are extremely excited that we can now confirm that this 5-day premium workshop, facilitated by Claire Cotter and Gayle Porter, will go ahead on 12-16 July at the JetPark Auckland Airport Hotel. We received an overwhelming response, with 60 EOI submissions! Please keep an eye out over the coming month for the opening of online registrations. Registrations will be capped at 50 participants, and there will be an early-bird ticket price available. If you are keen to attend, we recommend getting your employer's official approval organised as soon as possible!
In-person Entry-Level Switch Access and Switch-adapted Technology Workshop
Due to high demand and following several successful deliveries in 2025 and 2026, we plan to host a Switch workshop once again in 2027. Presented by Jacki Mayne-Davis, the workshop will most likely take place in October 2027. We’ll inform you as soon as online registrations open.
2027 Bilingual AAC Webinar Series
ATANZ is also exploring a Bilingual AAC Webinar series for 2027, bringing together clinicians, AAC developers and others working in multilingual communication. The series will look at practical considerations for supporting AAC users and families who use more than one language, including language-specific AAC resources, family involvement, and strategies for clinicians who may not speak the family's home language. We are currently developing the first sessions and hope to share more details soon. We’d also love to hear from members about topics, languages or perspectives they would be interested in seeing included.
PODD and PODD for Communication Partners Workshops
We are also very pleased that Helen Bayldon has agreed to facilitate the in-person PODD workshop for us once again, most likely in September /October 2027. We are currently also exploring with Helen the option to host a PODD workshop for Communication Partners. So watch this space!
Reconceptualising AAC Abandonment Webinar
This webinar has been on the cards for some time - but we are very hopeful that we can confirm this webinar, presented by Andy Smidt and Chloe Wine, before the end of this year!
We’ll share more information as soon as we have confirmation, so stay tuned!.
Have your say!
ATANZ is always keen to find out what PD opportunities are useful and or of interest to our members! Contact us at events@atanz.org.nz
Upcoming tools workshops
Tools workshops run by the TalkLink Trust are a great way of keeping up to date with what tools are available to apply for as a CAT therapist as well. This can be extremely helpful for both newly trained therapists as well as therapists who have had their CAT for a while.
For more information on tools workshops coming up in your area please contact courses@talklink.org.nz
Aotearoa AAC SIG
Interested in joining the AAC sig? This is a online special interest group held every term online where topics on AAC are discussed and presented. If you are keen to be a part of this SIG, join the Aotearoa AAC SIG Facebook page for updates and links to the next meeting: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/19XAKvVHm3/?mibextid=wwXIfr
ATANZ Members Facebook Group
We have had a lot of requests from members for support to connect with other members who have their CAT 1 or 2. In response to this we have created a ATANZ members only Facebook group. This is a way for members to connect re peer supervision, to find a supervisor or to seek advice and guidance from other CAT therapists in similar settings.
This is for CAT therapists only and an ATANZ membership number is required to join. Please find the link to this page here:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1375092974583267/?ref=share
Free online workshops for AAC users and their support teams:
Just a reminder that as part of their support, TalkLink is running free online training webinars for teams who are supporting individuals who have recently been funded with a high tech AAC device. This training is to complement / would be in addition to the training that they receive from their CAT assessor when they are issued their equipment. For more information and to register check out their website: https://talklink.org.nz/online-help-with-your-communication-devices
Talking Mats Workshops
Foundation Course
Talking Trouble are offering the Talking Mats foundation course in-person later this year, in Wellington. This will be on the 23rd October. Please email alaynemckee@talkingtroublenz.org to book your place.
Focused Foundation Training Course around Eating & Drinking
This will be offered online and is focused around the eating and drinking resource Talking Mats offers. This will be held across three sessions in November & December this year. See attached flyer for more information, contact alaynemckee@talkingtroublenz.org to book.
ATANZ Grants:
A reminder that ATANZ members are able to apply for grants towards professional development in the area of AAC. Please find attached the link to find out more info on our grants, who is eligible and how to apply: https://www.atanz.org.nz/professionals/grants-and-funding
Equipment Updates
Updated Trial Equipment Policy
Due to the growing demand for CAT 1 equipment ATANZ has now finalised a policy around the care and use of equipment and the responsibility of the therapist borrowing the equipment to ensure that equipment is able to stay in the trial pool and get to members as quickly as possible. This is available to view on our policy tab on the ATANZ website: https://share.google/XgXDV92e0SduOV1PQ
Equipment Returned and Trials
As it’s coming towards the end of term 3 and the beginning of term 4 the demand for equipment trials is very high.
Delays in returning your equipment has a knock on effect to other therapists and their trials. Please ensure that your trial equipment is returned on time and with the accessories that it came with.
CAT Supervision
It is really important to ensure that all CAT applications, including low and mid tech, are submitted with a CAT report that highlights the essential need of the equipment and that this report is peer reviewed by a fellow CAT 1 or 2 therapist.
If you are needing supervision support please find a list of therapists who can provide CAT supervision via our website: https://atanz.org.nz/professionals/professional-supervision
If you would like to be listed as a supervisor on our website please get in touch with ATANZ via email (admin@atanz.org.nz).
Keep in Contact
ATANZ loves to hear from you - whether you have success stories to share, questions, comments, feedback, suggestions or new ideas - let us know.
  
As always you can email us at admin@atanz.org.nz
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