Complementary roles of AAC and speech

1. Complementary roles of AAC and speech

2. AAC and Speech • AAC is useful for anyone who is unable to use speech to meet all communication needs • Across all partners • Across all contexts / settings • AAC is also useful to address barriers to language learning

3. AAC and Speech • AAC and speech are NOT mutually exclusive. • Most people have some ability to vocalize or speak • FUNCTIONALITY is the key concept

4. Roles of AAC • Augment existing speech • Serve as a primary output mode for communication • Serve as both an input and output mode for communication • Foster the development of language.

5. Relationship between AAC and speech: 4 categories • No need for AAC • AAC as a back-up strategy • AAC as an equal partner with speech • AAC as a primary mode of communication

6. 1. No need for AAC • Able to meet all communication needs across partners and contexts using speech alone. • Speech, language, and communication skills may or may not be “normal” • Person is able to use speech to participate at an appropriate level in his or her life without any compensatory communication strategies.

7. 2. AAC as a back-up strategy • Able to meet most communication needs across partners and settings using speech alone • mildly reduced intelligibility that sometimes results in difficulty in adverse communication situations. • AAC to supplement speech or as a back-up when partners have difficulty • Speech is the primary mode of communication; AAC is a secondary, supporting mode

8. What does a child who needs AAC as a back-up strategy look like? • Talks reasonably well, but below age level expectations • Mild intelligibility problems • Language may be “normal” or impaired • Communication breakdowns may occur in adverse environments • Participation is limited in adverse environments • Role of AAC: • support language development • supplement speech • resolve breakdown situations • backup strategy

9. 3. AAC as an equal partner with speech • Able to meet some communication needs across partners and contexts using speech alone • moderately reduced intelligibility • speech may be functional with familiar communication partners or in quiet situations • AAC used to enhance speech intelligibility; often used simultaneously with speech • AAC and speech are both primary modes of communication, depending on the partner and the setting.

10. What does a child who needs AAC as a partner with speech look like? • Talks in single words or multiword utterances • Moderate to severe intelligibility problems • Different partners may be more or less skilled at understanding the child • Language may be “normal” or impaired • Functional communication limited to familiar partners and settings • Participation limited without significant scaffolding • Role of AAC: • Support language development • Support speech development • Supplement speech • Enhance functional communication and participation

11. 4. AAC as a primary mode of communication • Able to meet few or no communication needs across all partners and contexts using speech alone. • May produce a few idiosyncratic words or vocalizations that very familiar communication partners can interpret • may use facial expressions, gestures, and vocal intonation for communication • Comprehensive AAC systems needed for nearly all communication interaction to enable social and educational participation.

12. What does a child who needs AAC as a primary mode of communication look like? • Unintelligible speech • Language may be “normal” or impaired • Very limited functional communication abilities • Very limited participation • Role of AAC: • Provide expressive communication modality • Enhance functional and independent communication • Enhance participation