Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Lecture Notes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering AAC types, purposes, communicative competence, clinical roles, literacy strategies, and display layouts.

Aided (external) AAC

AAC that involves some form of equipment or technology, such as communication boards, picture systems, or computer based speech generating technology.

Unaided AAC

AAC involving the use of the body without external equipment or technology, such as vocalizations, speech approximations, gestures, signs, and eye blink codes.

Low tech AAC

Communication tools including boards, objects, pictures, photographs, visual schedules, and writing.

High tech AAC

Devices such as computers, tablets, and smartphones featuring AAC software, dynamic symbols, text-to-speech, and texting features.

AAC Population Statistics

Approximately 5 million Americans and 97 million people worldwide benefit from AAC to help their communication.

Assistive technology

Any item, equipment, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of an individual with disabilities, such as a wheelchair or walker.

Communication of wants and needs

A purpose of AAC where the scope is limited, rate and accuracy are important, and the interaction is usually dyadic (between two people).

Information transfer

A purpose of AAC where the goal is sharing information; focus is on interaction and content, the scope is wide, and the duration may be lengthy.

Social closeness

A purpose of AAC focused on establishing, maintaining, and developing personal relationships where content is important and the scope is wide.

Social etiquette

A purpose of AAC with the goal of following social norms or politeness; characterized by limited duration and high predictability.

Internal dialogue

Communicating with oneself through tools like diaries, journals, lists, future plans, and daily schedules.

Domains of Communicative Competence

The five domains include linguistic, operational, social, strategic, and psychosocial.

Content words

Vocabulary words that carry the primary meaning of a message.

Function words

Vocabulary words that provide grammatical structure to a sentence.

Core words

High frequency words used across various contexts.

Fringe words

Low frequency words, often nouns, specific to certain topics or environments.

Multi-modal communication

Relying on different modes of communication (aided and unaided) to express or comprehend a single message.

Explicit instruction

A procedure based on applied behavior analysis principles involving a stimulus, cue, response correction, and reinforcement in less natural situations.

Participation model

A systematic process for conducting AAC assessment and interventions based on the functional requirements for participating in life activities.

Shared reading (CAR)

An acronym for Comment and wait, Ask for participation and wait, and Responding by adding a little more.

Shared reading (PEER)

An acronym for Prompt student to communicate, Evaluate response accuracy, Expand on utterances, and Repeat response.

Shared reading (CROWD)

An acronym for Completion, Recall, Open-ended, Wh-questions, and Distancing.

Single word decoding

The ability to apply knowledge of letter-sound correspondences and sound blending to sound out words with regular spellings.

Sight word recognition

The ability to read or recognize words without sounding them out, especially irregular words.

Transitional communicators

Individuals who use AAC symbols and support but typically need cues from communication partners to supplement spoken communication.

Stored message communicators

Individuals who can independently locate pre-stored messages in low or high tech systems and initiate use without prompting in familiar situations.

Generative AAC communicators

Individuals who can convey novel information by formulating messages using symbols or text, requiring instruction on when to use various techniques.

Specific need AAC communication

Used by those who do not use AAC as a primary method but require it for situations needing high specificity.

Grid displays

Layout where symbols are arranged in rows and columns; best for motor planning consistency and larger vocabulary systems.

Visual scene displays

Real life photo scenes (hotspots) for context-based communication; best for young children and people with cognitive impairments.

Static display

A layout that does NOT change, such as a single laminated communication board with fixed symbols.

Dynamic displays

Screen-based layouts where the display changes or navigates between pages when symbols are pressed.

Hybrid display

A communication display layout that uses a combination of grid and visual scene elements.