What is augmentative and alternative communication
Have you ever passed a note while in class or in a meeting? Waved to someone to greet them? Pointed to something that you couldn’t pronounce? Or texted the address to your meeting place? In all of these examples people are communicating without speaking. They are communicating using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). AAC is any method of communication that is used in addition to or instead of speech. Augmentative means “in addition to.” Alternative means “instead of.” All people, even those who speak, use different forms of AAC every day. These forms include gestures, facial expressions, body language, writing, drawing, and pointing to objects, words, and pictures in their environment. These forms of AAC do not require technology and are used on their own “instead of” and “in addition to” speech.
When an individual has significant difficulties with communication in one or more environments (e.g. home, school, community, etc.) the use of AAC tools and techniques becomes even more important. Individuals with a variety of communication difficulties that may benefit from AAC include persons with cerebral palsy, autism, aphasia, ALS (or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), muscular dystrophy, and Down syndrome, although it’s important to note that AAC can benefit a wide population of people. In addition to the “no technology” forms mentioned previously (gestures, body language, pointing, etc.), someone may also use Light-tech AAC and/or High-tech AAC.
Light-tech AAC
- Includes things like communication books, boards and symbols
- Can communicate a varying numbers of messages that can be represented by objects, photos, line drawings, and written words or letters
High-tech AAC
- Devices that have voice output and require an electronic charge
- Can communicate a varying number of messages that can be represented by objects, photos, line drawings, and written words or letters
- Have dynamic screens that change when an choice is made (e.g. when pressing activities, a list of favorite or routine activities appears)
- Allow multiple ways to make a choice such as direct selection, eye gaze, or scanning with the use of a switch or joystick
- Environmental controls are often included that allow someone to control certain electronic devices in their environment such as the television
- Computer programs can often be installed since many high-tech devices use a PC operating system
Funding is available for communication devices and can be explored prior to or during the evaluation process with your Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP).
To find out more information about Dynavox Mayer-Johnson and AAC, visit the following websites or contact a representative below:
Regional Director/ Southern Colorado representative:
Michael Bastien, ATP, MSLVR
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303.596.9560
Denver Metro representative:
Shannon Buhl, SLP
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303.842.6214
Northern Colorado/Wyoming representative:
Annette Higgins
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720.272.8536
Information excerpted from the article “What is Augmentative and Alternative (AAC) Communication and who can use it?” To download the full article, courtesy of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (revised September 2009 by DynaVox), visit DynaVox’s Implementation Toolkit website http://www.dynavoxtech.com/training/toolkit/details.aspx?id=399.
PEAK Parent Center www.peakparent.org - Fall 2010 SPEAKout Newsletter
The contents of this e-Newsletter were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H328M110023. However, those contents do notnecessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Carmen Sanchez.