Transplaining – The Training We All Need
Today I’m going to tell you about a training that I believe we all need. I first came across AC’s Instagram page about 6 months ago. He has a website where you can sign up for monthly training. Once you take the initial course, there are different offerings each month. Examples of these include intake forms, diverse materials, AAC, and more. I signed up for the $20/month tier, but he also offers ASHA CE credits if you need those. There’s a lot of flexibility in the different tiers.
But let’s back up for a moment. When I first came across AC’s account, my first thought was “I don’t work in a clinic with trans people, so I’m not sure I need this training.” I had shared one of his posts, thinking that maybe some of my followers would be interested and he messaged me telling me I should sign up too. I asked some questions about what it involved, and realized that I did in fact, need the training because I could at any point have a student who is trans/non-binary/gender non-conforming. AC’s goal is to make sure that our speech rooms are a safe space for these students. I signed up in August and haven’t regretted a single moment. AC is funny and the trainings are low-key, much more like a conversation than a formal training.
He has products available for sale (t-shirts, mugs, etc.) – proceeds go to various charities each month too!
One of the sessions I attended was a diverse materials session. I volunteered to bring some of the materials I have made to be viewed by a the other attendees and get some feedback as to how I can work to make my materials more inclusive. We talked about things I could change, and I was inspired to change some of my products. I added a singular “they” page to all of my Visual Verb Sentences products (book 1, book 2 (free), book 3).
AC and Kiwi Speech collaborated on another product (click here) – she of the proceeds from this product are donated to The Trevor Project, which is a non-profit organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth.
Molly is another participant of the training and has started creating really beautiful diverse graphics at Illustrate Your Voice. The graphics are free; however, she encourages you to make a donation to the organizations listed on the website. I’ve made some free resources using her graphics, one of which you can find here: 2 Step Directions with Verbs and Nouns Boom Cards™ and stories (this was previously only sent out in my newsletter, but I decided to make it available).
AC, Kristin, Molly, and I recently recorded an asynchronous video talking about our materials and how to use them in therapy. Be on the lookout for that!
If you’re like me and you initially thought you don’t need this training, think again. We do. We have an ethical responsibility to protect trans kids, as well LGTBQIA kids/people. I’m beyond glad that I signed up and continue to get to know AC. He is doing amazing things in this field! I encourage you to sign up too!