Hello and thank you so much for visiting my fundraising page! My name is Gretchen Wortman. I am a speech therapist working at a local non-profit called the AAC Institute's ICAN Talk Clinic. At our clinic, we strive to serve individuals in our community who require support in the area of speech and language. We work with many individuals who use Augmentative Alternative Communication or AAC. AAC is a fancy way of describing any type of communication aid that a person may use when their communication needs are not being met with speech alone. Some of our patients do not use speech to communicate and some do but just need some extra support to reach their full potential. AAC options can range from low-tech communication boards to high-tech tablets with capabilities to use alternative access methods such as eye gaze or switches. At our clinic we work with both children and adults and we provide services to those who have, for example, ALS, Aphasia, Autism, or Cerebral Palsy.

Our clinic holds a Summer Camp for children and young adults who use AAC. At camp, we organize a variety of activities in the community. Last year was our first back after the pandemic. We went to the zoo, bowled, did a scavenger hunt at the mall, ate out at restaurants, and we did activities at the hotel that was the homebase for our camp. All of these activities and outings were geared toward providing opportunities for AAC users to become more proficient in using their systems and to build interpersonal connections. We also aim to support families and other clinicians by providing training and by inviting mentors who use AAC to connect with attendees of camp. For me, camp was a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow alongside the individuals that I have the privilege of working with. Getting to share in all of the small and large moments of joy with the AAC users who attended was such an amazing experience. We are hoping to make our 2024 camp bigger and better than ever!

This year, I am combining my love of running and AAC by fundraising through the Pittsburgh Marathon which I will be running in May! Any and all donations will be put directly towards camp activities, lowering the cost to families who attend. I am hoping to not only raise funds for camp but also to build awareness of AAC in our lovely city of Pittsburgh. Thank you so much for your time and your consideration to donate!

- Gretchen

You can find out more about the ICAN Talk Clinic and AAC at: http://www.icantalkclinic.com/

2024 PGH Marathon - ICAN Talk Summer Camp

By AAC Institute ICAN Talk Clinic

2024 PGH Marathon - ICAN Talk Summer Camp

Running the 2024 Pittsburgh Marathon in support of the AAC Institute's ICAN Talk Clinic's Summer Camp!

Team Members