Bridgette Payne

Payne’s creative teaching idea, “Let’s Choose! Empowering Early Communication,” is designed to introduce basic communication skills (e.g., “yes/no,” “big/little,” “more/stop”), support participation in classroom routines and activities, reduce frustration-related behaviors by providing a reliable communication method, build foundational skills necessary for progression to more complex (augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. The Voya grant will go towards the funding to purchase and implement two-button AAC devices in classrooms serving students with significant communication needs.