AAC Flashcards
What is AAC
All forms of communication other than oral speech
What are the 5 competencies?
- Linguistic2. Operational3. Social4. Strategic5. Emotional/Psychosocial
What are the 8 areas we investigate to build an individual’s profile of abilities and needs?
- Natural speech
- Language (expressive, receptive)
- Symbol representation
- Literacy
- Cognition
- Motor (includes positioning, seating)
- Sensory/Perceptual (vision, hearing
-AAC device trials
What assessment model do we use when conducting an AAC Capability assessment?
Participation model
How do we get assessment information?
- Observe- client/family/other therapist - interviews- Case history- Trial devices
What types of tests are almost never needed/used/required/helpful to use to gather info during an AAC Capability Assessment?
STANDARDIZED TESTS
What are the two types of vocab people need on AAC system? Give Examples
- Core- Yes, no- Fringe- (Tennis)- volley, alley
What is the difference between aided and unaided AAC? Give examples
Unaided AAC- tool is NOT used- Ex. pointing, vocalizations, facial expressions, eye gaze, gesturesAided AAC- Tool is used - EX. communication board, visual scenes, symbols, photos
What are access/selection methods and examples of each?
- Direct selection- using finger to touch and select item (finger, stylus, eye tracking, head tracking)- Scanning- allowing device to cycle through selections and use switch to select once it lands on desired item
What is the SETT framework and its purpose?
- The SETT framework is used to make the Device personalized to each individual. Make it the most beneficial to them—Student/infant or Toddler/adult—Environments—Tasks—Tools
What are some items in your intensive/acute/long-term medical setting AAC tool kit?
- Low, no-, light tech communication boards- Whiteboard - Electrolarynx- Pen and paper- Mounts for communication boards/eye gaze boards
What grid size should be used?
Allow the user to access a grid size with the smallest buttons they can visually see and activate successfully/independently
What are some tools and/or tips/tricks we can use to help individuals select messages using an AAC grid display?
- Key guards- Wiki stix- Stylus- Masking, vocabulary builder/progressive language/vocab filter- Target practice
Will the introduction and use of AAC keep an individual from using or developing his or her natural speech?
No. - Gains in speech production following an AAC device vary. - AAC enhances an individual’s ability to communicate effectively and independently. - AAC is NOT a last resort.
What are the 5 opportunity barriers and how are they combated?
- Policy barriers- Advocacy efforts
- Practice barriers- advocacy and educational
- Attitude barriers- education and advocacy efforts
- Knowledge barriers- educational effort
- skill barriers- educational efforts
What is a prerequisite for AAC use?
Breathing
Practice barriers-
restrict AAC user’s communication and participation. Sometimes happens because they are not aware of the laws. Sometimes they result because people have not thought about the restrictions that their practices may impose on others.
Policy barriers
legislative or regulatory decisions that do not support the participation of individuals with complex communication needs. Policy barriers are the policies that act as barriers to an individual with complex communication needs
Attitude barriers
related to attitudes that restrict or prevent communication participation. Occur when people hold feelings that predispose them to act in ways that minimize the communication opportunities of individuals who rely on AAC. Can persist even when policy and practice barriers do not
Knowledge barriers
stem from a lack of information on the part of communication partners that minimizes opportunities for communication partners that minimizes opportunities for communication by the person with complex communication needs. Educate yourself
Skill barriers
occur when communication partners have difficulty with actual communicative interaction with individuals who rely on AAC; they can occur even when family members and other communication partners have knowledge of AAC. remediated through education efforts.
What does a robust system include?
- Lots of words: hundreds of words that include both core and fringe vocabulary
- Different types of words/word classes: adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, interjections, nouns, pronouns, verbs, etc
- Ability to make morphological changes/support grammar: tenses, pluralization, comparatives/superlatives
- Supports motor automaticity: organization allows users to learn a motor plan (think about the motor plan learned to type on a key board) for each button/word by keeping the buttons/words in the same place but allows for planned growth
- Access to keyboard: provides access to the entire alphabet to create message- Option for pre-stored message: for users to access frequently used phrases, advocacy and self-talk
What are the 3 levels of AAC- list examples
Low/no tech- PECs cards, pen and paper, white board( no voice output)Mid-tech- 7 level communicator, (digital and limited)High-tech- robust system, voice output (synthesized speech)
IDEA
Individual with Disabilities Education Act- Equal access to public education
ADA
American with Disabilities Act- prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Employment, purchasing goods and services. Requires employers to provide adequate accomodations for these individuals
FAPE
Free Appropriate Public Education- under IDEA as a requirement. Guaruntees special education programs to those who qualify under IDEA
UDL
Unique Design for Learning- Flexible learning environment to fit the needs of the individual
What are the different message type options and when are each used/needed
- Letters- used for literate individuals- Words- beginning communicators, maybe for literate individuals to communicate quicker than letter by letter- Phrases/sentences- common phrases, emergencies, stories
What are funding sources for AAC tools?
-m Insurance- device manufacturers have report templates and resources- School- If IEP team determines that an assistive device and/or service is needed for the child to successfully meet the goals and objectives of the IEP, the school system MUST provide the individual with the AT device and/or service at no cost to the parents, as part of the student’s FAPE- Funding guide- Oklahoma ABLE tech financial loan program
What are the range of symbols?
Vocalizations/speech→ Gestures→Manual signs→Real objects→partial/associated objects→Photos & videos→Line drawings→Traditional orthography
What is language modeling
Language Aided ModelingSMoRRESMaster Pal AAC
What are the 2 types of voice output? Explain the difference
- Digital- recorded by the individual/real person while they still can. They can use their own voice- Synthetic - AI created. They can choose their voice/accent
