The AAC Workgroup

Introduction to Augmentative &

Alternative Communication

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

AAC Workgroup: What is it?

• Committee of the SD Dept of Education/Special Education

• Goal: All children with complex communication needs who would benefit from AAC in South Dakota should have an AAC system in place upon entry to kindergarten…• …in order to participate in social and learning

activities at school, at home, and in the community.

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

Overview of Topics

1. Introduction to AAC & the AAC Work Group (October 28, 2014)

2. Anatomy of AAC (November 25, 2014)

3. Symbols (December 23, 2014)

4. Vocabulary development (January 27, 2015)

5. Low-tech AAC (February 24, 2015)

6. High-tech AAC (March 24, 2015)

7. Interventions & strategies: (April 28, 2015)1. Communication schedules

2. Communication dictionary

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

Goals & Objectives - Introduction to AAC & the AAC Work Group

• Goal: – Learners will develop the knowledge and skills to

enable students to efficiently and effectively engage in a variety of interactions and participate in academic, home, and community settings…

• Objectives for this webinar: – Learners will be able to…

• Describe at least 3 different ways people communicate – other than spoken language

• Describe 2 strategies to support a child learning to communicate through AAC

• Explain one difference between a high-tech and a low-tech AAC strategy or system

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

What is Assistive Technology (AT)?

• “…any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability.”

• Retrieved from ED.gov• For example… pencil grip, adapted cup, page

turner, weighted vest, adapted mouse, large keyboard, magnifier, move-and-sit cushion, Hoyer lift, high-contract materials…

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

What is AAC?

• Communication, other than natural speech or writing, to meet individual needs on a temporary or permanent basis.

» Beukelman & Mirenda, 2012

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

We all use many different modalities to communicate:

SpeechSpeechFace-to-faceFace-to-faceGroupsGroupsTelephone/Telephone/

cellphonecellphone

WritingWritingCards & Cards &

letterslettersEmailEmailText / Instant Text / Instant

MessageMessageSignage/LogosSignage/Logos

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

Manual signManual sign GesturesGestures Body LanguageBody Language

Facial Facial ExpressionExpression

ProximityProximity

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More Concerning

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Only 50% of the students in the emerging or pre-symbolic levels in our seven-state sample used AAC as part of their educational programs.

The make-up of communication:

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

Communication Basics

• Lack of communication competence is highly predictive of poor post school outcomes. (Kleinert et al., 2002)

• Academic content is by definition symbolic content. Access to the general curriculum is only meaningful if one can understand and express that content.

• All behaviors communicate!

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Communication Basics• All individuals communicate regardless of age OR of

disability.• All output can be communicative.• Communication at some level is possible and

identifiable for all students regardless of functional “level.”

• Every step toward improved communication, attending and interaction with others and the environment, no matter how small, leads to some increased quality of life and independence for a student regardless of disability.

Communication Basics• Communication programming goals should enhance

students’ opportunities for increased integration and interactions with peers and the community in general.

• Students with the most significant disabilities benefit from the interactions with typical peers.

• Typical peers benefit from the interactions with students with the most significant disabilities!

• No more fundamental outcome of education exists than the right and the ability to communicate.

Principles of AAC

• Everyone can communicate. Everyone DOES communicate

• Wait time!• AAC does not hinder natural speech

development or return• Everyone can benefit from augmented input

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

Feature Presentation

• Kathy Drager, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Penn State• url• Background series produced…. • Introduce…

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

Follow Up Questions:

• What forms of AAC are using and seeing in your setting?

• What are some obstacles to supporting AAC that you see?

• Who is responsible for developing a student’s AAC plan?

• Who is responsible for implementing the AAC plan across the student’s school day?

• Who is responsible for overseeing the AAC plan?

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

Resources

• http://aac-rerc.org

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

Looking Ahead…

• CEUs• Preview topics• Reviewing on the web• Feedback on topics – contact information

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education

AAC Workgroup Members• Linda Turner, SD SPED/DOE• Luke Comeau, Center for Disabilities/Sanford School of Medicine• Tammi Waltjer-Haverly, LifeScape• Cheryl Munkvold, Sioux Falls School District• Wendy Trujillo, SD DOE• Ben Morrison, SD DOE• Sarah Carter, SD SPED/DOE• Valerie Peters, Sioux Falls School District• Arlen Klamm, Lifescape• Patrick Czerny, DakotaLink• Page Hudson, DakotaLink• Elizabeth K. Hanson, Communication Sciences & Disorders - USD

©2014 South Dakota Department of Education / Special Education