AAC and Core Boards Review Flashcards

Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

  • Definition of AAC: AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. It encompasses all forms of communication other than oral speech that are used to express thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas.
  • Forms of AAC: AAC is not limited to high-tech devices; it includes gestures, symbols, pictures, and writing.
  • The User's Voice: Regardless of the technology level (low-tech, high-tech, or no-tech), the chosen mode of communication is considered the user's voice.
  • Purpose of AAC: It serves as more than just a collection of words; it is a bridge to connection. Reliable expression allows children to participate fully in play, learning, and daily routines.
  • Settings and Functions: AAC is utilized across all settings including school, home, and the community. It serves every communicative function, such as:
    • Greeting: Saying hello or acknowledging others.
    • Requesting/Protesting: Asking for items or indicating a desire to stop an activity.
    • Commenting: Sharing thoughts about the environment.
    • Asking/Answering Questions: Engaging in information exchange.

The Importance of Exposure and Modeling

  • Learning through Modeling: Students learn to use AAC through exposure and modeling from their communication partners (teachers, therapists, aides, or parents).
  • Modeling Recommendations:
    • Expansion: Model 1-2 words beyond the student's current ability level. This is similar to verbally expanding a child's message. For example, if a student says "Want ball," the partner can model "Want red ball" or "Kick ball up high."
    • Grammar: Model correct grammar using the device.
    • Rate of Speech: Model at a slow, deliberate rate.
    • Narrate and Think Out Loud: Verbally describe your thought process while navigating the device to find symbols.
  • Exposure Statistics (Jane Korsten, 2011):
    • By 18 months of age, babies have heard approximately 4,380 hours4,380\,hours of spoken language, yet we do not expect them to be fluent speakers yet.
    • If an AAC learner only sees symbols modeled for communication twice weekly for 20-30 minutes, it would take them 84 years84\,years to reach the same level of exposure to aided language that an 18-month-old has to spoken language.

Categorization of AAC Systems

  • No Tech:
    • Does not require any device or tool.
    • Examples: Gestures (pointing, head nods), hand signs (e.g., sign for "more"), facial expressions, vocalizations (sounds, grunting), verbalizations (fragmented words/sentences), and body language.
  • Low Tech:
    • Requires a personalized system that is NOT battery-powered.
    • Methods: Pointing to items/pictures or handing items/pictures to a partner (e.g., PECS - Picture Exchange Communication System).
    • Components: Physical objects, pictures (PECS or PODD boards), written words, and communication boards or books.
    • Maintenance: Requires individuals working with the student to personalize and continually add items based on changing needs.
  • Mid Tech:
    • Features a static display and requires a power source (batteries).
    • Programming: Requires manual programming to assign voices to images.
    • Capacity: Image field capacities vary from 1 up to 30 symbols.
    • Voice Output: Provides a recorded voice message. This can be a single-message device, such as a "Big Mac" switch, or a static display with multiple images (e.g., GoTalk 9+).
    • Cultural/Age Appropriateness: It is critical to tailor the voice to the age and gender of the child (e.g., a high school boy should not have a young girl's voice recorded on his device).
    • Examples: Alpha Talker, TechSpeak, Quick Talker, Switch-adapted games, GoTalk.
  • High Tech:
    • Uses a dynamic display (screen changes based on input) and synthesized voice output.
    • Features: Larger vocabulary capacity, ability to take and use personal photos, and tools for complex language and sentence building.
    • Storage: Can store commonly used phrases or messages.
    • Terminology: Often referred to as Speech Generating Devices (SGDs) or Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCAs).
    • Examples: Nova Chat, Touch Chat, DynaVox, Proloquo2Go (often used on iPads).

Functional Use of Core Boards

  • Core Vocabulary Definition: Core boards are low-tech tools featuring "core vocabulary"—the words used most frequently across all activities and settings (e.g., go, stop, help, more, want, like).
  • Benefits of Core Boards:
    • Inexpensive and highly portable.
    • Supports communication in any environment (e.g., in a car, at the playground).
    • Reduces frustration and meltdowns by providing a predictable set of words.
    • Encourages multimodal communication (pairing signs, speech, and pointing).
    • Fosters independence and inclusion.
  • Implementation Strategies:
    • Daily Routines: Place boards in high-traffic areas like snack tables or bathrooms. Use words like "eat," "drink," or "all done."
    • Reading: Point to symbols that match book actions, such as "look" or "play."
    • Play: Narrate actions like "put," "in," or "out" while building with blocks or playing with toys.
    • Self-Advocacy: Teach the child to set boundaries using "no," "stop," or "all done."
    • Validating Emotions: Model words like "mad," "sad," or "good" to support emotional regulation.
  • Aided Language Stimulation: This is the process where the communication partner points to symbols while simultaneously speaking the word (e.g., pointing to "POP" while saying "pop" during a bubble activity).

Common Myths and Essential Reminders

  • Myth: AAC prevents talking: Research indicates that AAC actually supports and encourages communication and language development; it does not stop speech development.
  • Myth: Mastering pictures is a prerequisite: Learners do not need to master low-tech pictures before moving to high-tech devices. Many benefit from using multiple types of AAC simultaneously.
  • Consistency: Symbols should be kept in consistent locations on the board to build muscle memory.
  • No Pressure: Modeling should be done without expectation or pressure on the child. Children use the board when they are ready; the focus should be on celebrating attempts and naturally expanding their messages.

Resource Examples and Vocabulary Layouts

  • Dual Language Boards: Boards like those from Willis ISD or Region 4 often include both English and Spanish (e.g., "yes/sí", "no", "ready/listo") to support dual language learners.
  • Standard Layout Core Words:
    • Actions: go, come, look, see, drink, eat, stand, get, have, do, help, like, play, say, take, sit, work, want.
    • Descriptors/Prepositions/Others: good, more, all, same, some, it, my, mine, in, on, off, out, here, there, this, that.
    • Pronouns: I, me, you, your, he, him, she, her, they, them, we, us.
  • Helpful Resources: AAC Community, AssistiveWare AAC Resources, Project CORE, and Beautiful Speech Life.