Augmentative Communication Employment Training and Supports (ACETS) Online is one of the projects underway during the second funding cycle of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC). Diane Nelson Bryen, Ph.D. with Kevin Cohen at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University head this project. ACETS was originally developed as an AAC-RERC research project during the first funding cycle to increase employment outcomes for people who use AAC. ACETS Online will expand the successes of the first ACETS programs to people using AAC who want to work.

Dr. Bryen's research design was tested in 1999 and 2000 as a 10-day intensive workshop which participants attended, followed by a year of online supports. ACETS Online will attempt to bring this same program to students across the United States via the Internet. Instead of helping people in the classroom setting, Dr. Bryen and her colleagues will guide the participants through web-based support, e-mails and teleconferencing.

The goal of ACETS Online will be to recruit two groups of people to participate in two successive nine month long online employment support programs. The program is aimed at young adults who rely on AAC and who possess literacy and communication skills and a commitment to finding a job. In the program the participants find out their strengths and then develop reasonable goals. They also learn to use social networking through ongoing participation via a listserv, email, online ³chatting,² and teleconferencing programs. Participants will be assisted in deciding which strengths and abilities they need to improve to enhance their employability, especially as it relates to the use of information technologies. In addition, they will be supported in learning how to develop social networks so that they connect with potential employers, and how to conduct a successful job search. With improved human and social capital, they will be better prepared to enter the work force.

An important outcome of both ACETS and ACETS Online, is an extensive training guide* that maps out the lessons and activities that have lead to ACETS' success. For information about ACETS go to http://www.aac-rerc.com . For information about how to obtain a copy of the ACETS Training Guide, contact Dr. Bryen at dianeb@temple.edu

*ACETS Curriculum Training Guide

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is pleased to announce the publication of a training guide focusing on improving the employment outcomes of individuals who rely on AAC. The Guide offers teachers, employment training programs and vocational counselors a promising instructional approach for a wide variety of settings, including community colleges, employment counseling programs, and high school transition programs. It includes eight modules: Selecting and Preparing Participants to Begin the Program, Overview of the ACETS Program, Preparing for the Job, Getting a Job, Realities of Working, Keeping the Job, Career Planning, Ongoing Support.