The document summarizes statistics on AAC use across 10 special education classes in Cumbria between September 2010 and February 2011. It provides data on the number of students using different AAC methods such as signs, gestures, communication books/boards, and speech generating devices. The most commonly used AAC approaches were signs from teachers, photographs used by teachers, and symbols used by teachers. The majority of AAC used was considered low-tech.

1. Statistics of AAC use in the 5 special schools in Cumbria
School classes were sampled between September 2010 and February 2011
Total number of classes visited:
Age ranges:
class age range
1 6-11
2 6-8
3 16+
4 3-16+
5 3-6
6 14-16
7 3-6
8 4-6
9 11-13
10 8-10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

2. activity sign (teacher) sign (TA) sign (student) gesture (student)
break 10 8 14
switch group
citizenship 9 11 7 3
assembly 130 70 150
chat group 18 18 11
science
switch group 9 7
xmas play prep 30 15 15
science 15 7 2
literacy 13 3

3. finger or hand point (student) eye point (student) speaking (student) OOR (teacher)
18
7
1 14
12
35
30
18

4. OOR (student) PECS (full) PECS (adapted) Photographs (teacher) photographs (TA)
9 5
1
1 4 2
8 15
12
1
31
9

5. photographs (student) symbols (teacher) symbols (TA) symbol (student)
1
10
12
7 3 10

6. communication book or board single message devices 2 single message devices digitised aid
6
1
6
5
19

7. synthsized aid touch screen cause and effect touch screen choice makingtouch screen sequencing
17
3 1
2

8. switches cause and effect switches choice making switches sequencing turn taking
12 8 9
15

9. joystick/mouse cause and effect joystick/mouse choice making joystick/mouse sequencing
9

10. using text
3
9

11. Analysis
class age range sign (teacher) sign (TA) sign (student) gesture (student) finger/hand point (student) eye point (student)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 0 0 0 0 0

12. using text
joystick/mouse sequencing
joystick/mouse choice making
joystick/mouse cause and effect
turn taking
switches sequencing
switches choice making
switches cause and effect
touch screen sequencing
touch screen choice making
touch screen cause and effect
synthsized aid
digitised aid
2 single message devices
single message devices
communication book or board
symbol (student)
symbols (TA)
symbols (teacher)
photographs (student)
photographs (TA)
Photographs (teacher)
PECS (adapted)
PECS (full)
OOR (student)
OOR (teacher)
speaking (student)
eye point (student)
finger/hand point (student)
gesture (student)
sign (student)
sign (TA)
sign (teacher)
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8

13. speaking (student) OOR (teacher) OOR (student) PECS (full) PECS (adapted) Photographs (teacher) photographs (TA)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0

14. using text
joystick/mouse sequencing
joystick/mouse choice making
joystick/mouse cause and effect
turn taking
switches sequencing
switches choice making
switches cause and effect
touch screen sequencing
touch screen choice making
touch screen cause and effect
synthsized aid
digitised aid
2 single message devices
single message devices
communication book or board
chat group symbol (student)
science symbols (TA)
symbols (teacher)
switch group photographs (student)
xmas play prep photographs (TA)
Photographs (teacher)
science
PECS (adapted)
literacy PECS (full)
OOR (student)
OOR (teacher)
speaking (student)
eye point (student)
finger/hand point (student)
gesture (student)
sign (student)
sign (TA)
sign (teacher)
1 1.2 0

15. photographs (student) symbols (teacher) symbols (TA) symbol (student) communication book or board single message devices
0 0 0 0 0 0

16. 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

17. 2 single message devices digitised aid synthsized aid touch screen cause and effect touch screen choice making
0 0 0 0 0

18. age range activity
age range activity
age range activity
age range activity
age range chat group
age range science
age range switch group
age range xmas play prep
age range science
age range literacy
1 1.2

19. touch screen sequencing switches cause and effect switches choice making switches sequencing turn taking
0 0 0 0 0

21. joystick/mouse cause and effect joystick/mouse choice making joystick/mouse sequencing using text total
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 0 0 0 0

23. no tech 666
low tech 192
basic high tech 60
19
switches with high tech 0
complex high tech 44
Types of AAC in use
no tech
low tech basic high tech
switches with high tech
complex high tech
0
44
60
192
666

24. Analysis
class age range activity
class age range activity sign (teacher) (TA) sign (student)
sign gesture (student) or hand point (student)
finger eye point (student)
1 6-11 break 10 8 14
2 6-8 switch group
3 16+ citizenship 9 11 7 3
4 3-16+ assembly 130 70 150
5 3-6 chat group 18 18 11
6 14-16 science
7 3-6 switch group 9 7
8 4-6 xmas play prep 30 15 15
9 11-13 science 15 7 2
10 8-10 literacy 13 3
234 136 202 3

25. speaking (student)
OOR (teacher) (student) (full) PECS (adapted)
OOR PECS Photographs (teacher) photographs (student)
photographs (TA) symbols (teacher)
18 9 5
1
7 1 4 2
1 14 8 15 7 3
12 12
35 1
30 31
18 9
91 44 8 10 19 61 7

26. symbols (TA)
symbol (student)
communication book or single message devices
single message devicesdigitised aid
2 board synthsized aid screen cause and effect making
touch touch screen choice
1 6
10 1 17
12 6
10 5
3 1
19
1 32 7 11 19 0 17 3

27. touch screen sequencing and effect making
switches cause
switches choice
switches sequencing joystick/mouse cause and effect using text
turn taking joystick/mouse choice making
joystick/mouse sequencing
12 8 9
3
15
9
2 9
2 27 8 9 9 0 12

28. total
71
29
59
350
79
66
55
109
96
62
972

29. class age range activity sign (teacher) (TA) sign (student)
sign gesture (student) or hand point (student)
finger eye point (student)
1 6-11 break 10 8 14
2 6-8 switch group
3 16+ citizenship 9 11 7 3
4 3-16+ assembly 130 70 150
5 3-6 chat group 18 18 11
6 14-16 science
7 3-6 switch group 9 7
8 4-6 xmas play prep 30 15 15
9 11-13 science 15 7 2
10 8-10 literacy 13 3
234 136 202 3

30. speaking (student)
OOR (teacher) (student) (full) PECS (adapted)
OOR PECS Photographs (teacher) photographs (student)
photographs (TA) symbols (teacher)
18 9 5
1
7 1 4 2
1 14 8 15 7 3
12 12
35 1
30 31
18 9
91 44 8 10 19 61 7

31. symbols (TA)
symbol (student)
communication book or single message devices
single message devicesdigitised aid
2 board synthsized aid screen cause and effect making
touch touch screen choice
1 6
10 1 17
12 6
10 5
3 1
19
1 32 7 11 19 0 17 3

32. touch screen sequencing and effect making
switches cause
switches choice
switches sequencing joystick/mouse cause and effect using text
turn taking joystick/mouse choice making
joystick/mouse sequencing
12 8 9
3
15
9
2 9
2 27 8 9 9 0 12

33. 72 AAC activity across activities
31
62
354
84
72
62
117
105
72
972
AAC activity across access methods