What is Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)?

Click to read the 8/31/01 Pioneer Press article AAC: a voice for the voiceless.

Karen MeyerClick to read the text from the 8/24/03 ABC 7 News segment on Augmentative and Alternative Communication.


Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) "refers to an area of clinical, research, and educational practice for speech-language pathologists and audiologists that attempts to compensate and facilitate, temporarily or permanently, for the impairment and disability patterns of individuals with severe expressive, and/or language comprehension disorders. AAC may be required for individuals demonstrating impairments in gestural, spoken, and/or written modes of communication" (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1991).

At its most basic level, AAC is anything that helps a person communicate when traditional spoken or written forms of communication don’t meet that person’s needs. Augmentative Communication refers to an approach that is clearly an addition to natural speech and/or handwriting. Some children can speak, but are unable to meet all of their communication needs using speech. AAC can be used to enhance or increase communication. Alternative Communication, on the other hand, refers to an approach that is clearly a substitute for natural speech (Lloyd & Blischak, 1992).

We all use multiple modes of communication each day. We nod yes, smile to express pleasure, wave to a friend, or signal a waitress that it is time for the check. For children struggling with speech and language, using multiple modes of communication including speech, gestures, facial expression, sign language, pictures, and voice output communication devices, can enhance understanding of language as well as improve expressive communication.

Who Uses AAC?

Click to read the 8/31/01 Pioneer Press article AAC: a voice for the voiceless.

Click to read the text from the 8/24/03 ABC 7 News segment on Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

Balloon PlayIn 1991 the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association estimated that there were more than 2 million individuals in the United States who were unable to communicate using speech or who had severe communication impairments. Disorders resulting in severe communication impairments include cerebral palsy, autism, apraxia, Down Syndrome, and other developmental disorders. While some might only think of using AAC with "nonverbal" children, clinically, AAC has proven to be of great value to young children with emerging verbal skills as well as to children who are functionally nonspeaking (Scott, 1998).

Will AAC Interfere with Speech?

Research has shown that AAC does not inhibit the development of speech. "In fact, in some individuals with a variety of disorders including aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria, autism, and cognitive impairment, AAC has been shown to actually facilitate the development of speech" (Lloyd, Fuller, & Arvidson, 1997, p. 236). "AAC strategies can provide children who have developmental delays with an immediate means of communication; can facilitate expressive and receptive language development until other communication modalities (i.e., speech) improve; and can serve as a bridge to future spoken language development" (Glennen & DeCoste, 1997, p. 395).

References

Glennen, S. L. & DeCoste (1997). Handbook of Augmentative and Alternative Communication. San Diego: Singular Publishing.

Lloyd, L. L., Fuller, D. R., & Arvidson, H. H. (1997). Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A Handbook of Principles and Practices.

Scott, A. (December 7, 1998). AAC in Early Intervention. Advance for Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists, 8(5), 28-29.

TALC Services

TALC Therapists

Jill E. Senner, PhD, CCC-SLP is the owner/director of Technology and Language Center. She completed her doctoral work at Northwestern University and has an MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Purdue University where she participated in the Augmentative and Alternative Communication Personnel Preparation Program. In addition to her work at Technology and Language Center she is also a Visiting Scholar at Northwestern University and a Visiting Lecturer there where she teaches graduate courses in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Dr. Senner has presented at numerous national assistive technology conferences including Closing the Gap, United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) and Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA). She is the author of Writing Activities for use with Speaking Dynamically Pro and Write With Me: Emergent Writing Activities for DynaVox System Software.

Her past experience includes working as an Assistive Technology Specialist in Augmentative Communication at the University of Illinois- Chicago, Assistive Technology Unit, working as a school speech-language pathologist for Northern Suburban Special Education District, and interning at the Alan J. Brown Center for Augmentative Communication and Environmental Control at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Click to download Dr. Senner's full curriculum vitae.

Matthew R. Baud, MS, CCC-SLP joined Technology and Language Center in 2003. He received his Master of Science and Bachelor’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Saint Xavier University where he was an All American Scholar and on the National Dean’s List. He has previously worked as a school speech-language pathologist in a multi-needs classroom. He also interned at the Technology Center (formerly the Alan J. Brown Center for Augmentative Communication and Environmental Control) at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and at Elim Christian School.

Heather Miller, M.A., CCC-SLP received a Master of Science from Saint Xavier University where she researched facial expression comprehension in children and adolescents with Asperger's syndrome. She also received a Bachelors of Arts in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Iowa. In addition to her work at Technology and Language Center, she is currently employed at United Cerebral Palsy’s Infinitec Southwest as an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Specialist. Heather has presented at Closing the Gap and coauthored a series of videos about parent-child interaction.

Her previous experiences include working as a Speech Language Pathologist within the Northern Suburban Special Education District's Education and Life Skills program, and as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant for Steger School District #194. She provided behavior modification intervention through the Wisconsin Early Autism Project and was trained by Lekotek to be a family play leader. In addition, she interned at the Alan J. Brown Center for Augmentative Communication and Environmental Control at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.