Important Events and Publications
· From Idea to Implementation
AAC Feature Match Software was conceived of by Peggi McNairn, who approached Doug Dodgen with the idea. Collaborating with Yvonne Smith, the three formed Doug Dodgen and Associates, underwent an intensive period of research into the features of available devices, designed and programmed the system, beta-tested it, and brought it to market over a period of six months in the first half of 1996. Official release date was July 4, 1996.
· SE AugCom
Doug Dodgen and Associates were proud to be accepted to present at the 1996 event, shortly after going on the market with AAC Feature Match. This first presentation was well received and led to other engagements.
· Closing the Gap
Our crowning achievement for 1996 was being accepted to present at Closing The Gap, and subsequently being published in the Closing The Gap December 1996/January 1997 newsletter as the Feature Product. Click here to Read the Article
· TXSAAC: We're Talking Newsletter
AAC Feature Match was listed in the AAC Resources column as "Resources that Address Consumer and Practitioner Needs" in the September 1996 edition (Volume 4, No. 1, Page 10)
· USSAAC Newsletter
The USSAAC leadership has been very supportive of our efforts. We were interviewed for an article regarding AAC Feature Match. "AAC Feature Match Software: What Can It Do For US? Excerpts from a conversation with Doug Dodgen and Peggi McNairn" by Ann Ratcliff. SpeakUp! Newsletter - Winter, 1997, pgs. 3 & 4.
· CSUN 97
Doug Dodgen and Associates presented the AAC Feature Match Software at 10:10AM, Thursday March 20, 1997 in the Pacific-B room of the Hilton.
· ASHA 97
We were requested to present our AAC Feature Match Software at the annual convention as part of a larger overview of software
solutions in the AAC realm by Yvonne Gillette in November 1997.
· AAC Feature Match quoted in College text book
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, A Handbook of Principles and Practices, by Lyle L. Lloyd, Donald R. Fuller, and Helen H. Arvidson, Allyn and Bacon, 1997 discusses AAC Feature Match Software (p.231) and reproduces our final report (p.231) and input forms (p.494) as excellent examples of how to conduct a feature match. Our presentation by McNairn and Smith at the CSUN conference was also quoted.(p.573)
· AAT Assessment Tool completed in January 1998
Our second major project was completed in early 1998 when we completed beta testing of the AAT Assessment Tool. Combined with our AAC Feature Match Software, this tool provides AAT professionals with the core tools to make their jobs easier.
· CSUN 98
Yvonne Smith from Doug Dodgen and Associates presented the Assistive Technology Assessment Tool at 5:00PM, Friday March 20, 1998 in the California room of the Hilton. Click here to Read the Article. Doug Dodgen presented Integrated Software Solutions for the AAT Professional, an explanation of how each of Doug Dodgen and Associates products teams up to help the busy AAT professional at 8:00AM, Saturday, March 21, 1998 in the California room of the Hilton. Click here to Read the Article. Both sessions were well attended and gave us an energy boost to continue our work!
· June 1998 - The ScanSoft Series is envisioned
Out team decides that users of switch scanning software do not have enough software created and optimized specifically to make switch access easier. We begin a major push to improve this area with our ScanSoft series.