1. AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATIONAlexander Utlang, OT II

2. Stephen HawkingTony Nicklinson 3. Overview 1 2 3 4. 4 5 6 Communication What is AAC? Who uses AAC? When does a person needs AAC? Types of AAC Myths about AAC Role of OT in AAC 4. YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO COMMUNICATE BEFORE YOU CAN COMMUNICATE TO LEARN Gail Van Tatenhove 5. Communication and language Communication and language skills allow a person to Initiate, maintain, and terminate conversation Establish/maintain Interpersonal relationships Share ideas Express feelings Give information Ask questions Describe events Solve problems Direct others Entertain Show imagination Refuse Learn Function with greater independence 6. Communication Communication requires that all parties have an area of communicative commonality. There are auditory means, such as speaking, singing and sometimes tone of voice Nonverbal, physical means, such as body language, sign language, paralanguage, touch, eye contact, or the use of writing 7. Facts Estimated 1 - 1.5% of total population in developed countries have such significant communication disabilities that they cannot rely on their natural speech to meet their daily communication needs 8. What is Augmentative and Alternative Communication? AAC is a set of tools and strategies that an individual uses to solve everyday communicative challenges. - ISAAC AAC involves attempts to study and when necessary compensate for temporary or permanent impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions of persons with severe disorders of speech-language production and/or comprehension, including spoken and written modes of communication - ASHA 9. Augmentative and Alternative Communication AAC is a means to enhance overall communicative effectiveness is to use the most effective communication possible that may require a multimodal approach in order to be able to communicate for different purposes in a variety of contexts Natural Communication will always be encourage and remain an integral aspect of the total communication (multimodal) approach - ASHA 10. Disabilities Affecting Speech, Language, and Communication Dysarthria is a disorder of motor speech control resulting from central or peripheral nervous system damage that causes weakness, slowness, and a lack of coordination of the muscles necessary for speech production. 11. Disabilities Affecting Speech, Language, and Communication Apraxia is a disorder affecting the coordination of motor movements involved in producing speech caused by a central nervous system dysfunction. Aphasia is a language disorder that occurs as a result of a cerebral vascular accident to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It can affect both expression of spoken and written language, e.g. some people can forget names, places, or events. Others may lose the ability to understand spoken language. 12. Specific groups of AAC users Cerebral palsy Intellectual impairment Autism Developmental dyspraxia Muscular dystrophy Traumatic brain injury Locked-in syndrome Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Parkinson's disease Multiple sclerosis Dementia Deafness or hearing impairment Blind or visually impaired 13. When does a person need AAC? To augment natural speech production Provide a means for communication when other means are not available or diminished To promote speech/language development To address written communication or text needs when handwriting is impaired 14. Assistive TechnologyAugmentative Communication Continuum 15. AAC unaided and aided range of technology used as an intervention No Tech Systems: does not require a power source or an external tool, and include facial expression, vocalizations, gestures, and sign languages and systems. Low Tech Systems: defined as those that do not need batteries, electricity or electronics. These are often very simple communication boards or books, from which the user selects letters, words, phrases, pictures, and/or symbols to communicate a message Mid High Tech Systems: dedicated devices developed solely for AAC, or non-dedicated devices such as computers that run additional software to allow them to function as AAC devices. 16. Low Tech Devices 17. Mid Tech Devices 18. High Tech Devices 19. AAC intervention is the process of enhancing and optimizing daily functional communication across all communicative contexts This process takes time, as well as hours of work by the augmented communicator and the team of stake holders providing and supporting the needed intervention and follow-up activities and services 20. AAC Device Features Generally, the selection of the most appropriate communication system is a process of matching the abilities and needs of the user to the features of the AAC device. That is the meaning of providing the best fit 21. The following features of the AAC device or system should be considered Communication potential Access options Symbol system(s) Display Device Output Portability Compatibility Dedicated or computer-based Durability and support Cost 22. Chris Klein 23. Myths about AAC AAC is a last resort in speech language intervention AAC hinders or stops further speech development Individual must have a certain set of skills to be able to benefit from AAC Speech-generating AAC devices are only for individual with intact cognition Children have to be a certain age to be able to benefit from AAC 24. No piece of equipment in an of itself eliminates delay in language development or any communication problem 25. Role of OT in AAC Assesses visual screening Perception Hand-eye coordination Means of access Functional communication skills of writing and typing Also assessed in conjunction with PT are seating, positioning, and placement of the augmentative communication system 26. QUESTIONS? 27. Preferences https://sites.google.com/site/louisvilleaacpro viders/ 28. Stephen Hawkings AAC Device