Central Communication Consultancy.Principal Consultant Helen Hendrickson's clear consise nd comprehensive document about Inclusive communication technology,Assistive ,Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) and Environmental Control sytems,high and low tech.Used by Speech and Language Therapists to aid understanding and enable expression,for individuals who face verbal communication challenges and require an alternative to speech/writing. For examplephotos and symbol systems ,charts and books ,and talking computers (with voice output) .contact helen via www.cencc.com

1. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
WHAT IS AAC?
 Aid to Speech and Writing.AAC can improve Speech. Eases the Burden of Communication
 A way to help people understand as well as use communication .Improves opportunities
,independence, friendships/social life ,education, leisure
 Choice ,community presence and participation, competence, relationships and respect
Total Communication
 Is about communicating in any way you can. It’s not just about talking,
 It’s about signing pointing pictures, symbols, photographs or objects
 It is also about using gesture or body movement.
 Facial expressions tell people how you feel.
 Writing, drawing, miming, drama and other art forms are all ways of communicating
 Through communication, we build relationships with other people. We let others know how we feel and
what we think.
 Being able to communicate and knowing that you are being listened to is important.
 People who do not use speech can communicate. It’s just a matter of being more creative
TYPES of AAC
UNAIDED
SIGN and GESTURE, facial expression, eye pointing, vocalisations, whole body gesture, head movements, hands,
mime, pointing
AIDED
Low tech = Picture Charts, Communication Passports, Talking Mats, symbols, spelling on a letter board, Pen and
paper, charts ,books, picture symbols, tangible symbols, photos, eye pointing frames (e-trans)
Talking Mats
Low-tech communication framework involving sets of symbols.
 It was originally developed by The AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) Research Unit to
support people with communication impairment. Since its original conception, additional research has taken

2. place and now it is an established communication tool, which uses a mat with pictures symbols attached as
the basis for communication.
 It is designed to help people with communication difficulties to think about issues discussed with them, and
provide them with a way to effectively express their opinions.
 Talking Mats can help people arrive at a decision by providing a structure where information is presented in
small chunks supported by symbols. It gives people time and space to think about information, work out
what it means and say what they feel in a visual way that can be easily recorded. Talking Mats is actively
being used across many diverse specialist areas and encompasses people with and without communication
difficulties. Individuals using Talking Mats find it enjoyable and easy to use, as it provides them with a simple
but effective, non-threatening way of expressing themselves.
COMMUNICATION PASSPORTS
I can’t stand it!
• Delete and add your own text here
So don’t say you haven’t been warned….
CALL Centre 12
A book with simple page headings (see suggestions below) and illustrated by symbols
(Boardmaker/Wigit/Makaton).Clear statements made in the first person to reduce misundersatanding and aid
essential and desirable communication between person with communication problem and carers. Topics include
 All about me
 You need to know
 My Family
 My Friends
 Special people, special things
 Things I like to talk about
 How I communicate
 How I communicate (2)
 You can help me communicate
 Fun things I like to do
 Places I like going
 Things I don’t like
 I am working on this...
 Help!
 Eating and Drinking
 What’s my eyesight like
 How you can help me to be the best I can be/this is how I work best
 My strengths/things I am good at
 Eating and drinking
 My sight
 Listening and hearing
 Things I like to talk about
 Things I can do for myself
 Things I can do with help

3.  Keep me safe-I need someone else to do these things for me
 Things I am not supposed to do……..
 Things I’m working on/ lifelong learning
 Specific information ( eg: videos I watch,computergames I play
 My best day would be……
 My worst day would be…
These Communication passports are essential really when someone is a passive recipient of care, with
multiple caregivers.It is written with close family/carers and a speech and language therapist, and uses
everyday language, simple, and natural. Even though someone is unable to communicate, they need a voice
to speak up for them and enjoy the tailored stimulation of someone talking about what makes THEM tick as
opposed to smalltalk, or talking over their head. The very presence of the book means opportunities for
communication are more likely to happen and the negative spiral of loss of/diminishing communication skills
is less likely to happen
OTHER SIMPLE AAC DEVICES
Talking Photo Album
Includes 24 pages, each with an individual message capacity of 10 seconds.
photos or picture/text cards into the transparent sleeves and record corresponding messages.
Great for talking stories, communication books, step-by-step
instructions, memory books
Easy-to-use speech output device that holds standard 4″ x 6″ photos.
COMPUTER TEXT BASED SYSTEMS
Word banks and word grids used
– A fixed list presented alphabetically or thematically
– Word positioning is constant
– Allow manual scrolling of words
– Can often be supported by symbols/pictures/photos wordlists
Computer Software
– wordlists
– pointer & keyboard interaction
– supportive speech output
– grammatical marker

4. VOICE OUTPUTCOMMUNICATION AIDS
High tech = Voice Output Communication Aids (vocas )...Computer based, single message devices, pointer
boards, electronic devices which spell or print and speak, text prediction, semantic compaction (pictures
which can be combined to make different meanings
ACCESSING TECHNOLOGY
Controlled by switches using whatever movement anyone has, given accuracy control, power, range,
dexterity.
Any part of body can be used-head, foot, suck, blow, eyes etc.
Direct selection-single or multiple press, or scanning (rows/columns/individual squares-backlight or led)
Joysticks, leaf switches, touch pads, rollerballs, keyboards etc
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS
Use of AAC to do everyday things eg use TV, phone, play music, read etc

5. COMMUNIUCATION CHECKLIST
SUCCESSFUL INTRODUCTION of AAC depends on Assessment and Optimisation of:-
ENVIRONMENT
 Need for Communication- Means Reasons Opportunities
 -Are needs anticipated?
 -What choices are given?
 -Stimulation-work, friendships ,education, leisure
 Suitability of AAC for purpose-portability, cost ,durability, versatility
PERSONAL STRENGTHS? NEEDS
 Means of Natural Communication: Strengths and Needs
 Cognitive function
 Gross motor-Initiation, maintenance and cessation of movement
 Fine Motor Finger pointingDoes the student have a hand preference.
 Do they have the ability to reach, grasp, grasp and release, isolate a finger, and/or
point?
 In what position is the student able to optimally move and respond?
 What reliable, predictable motor movements does the student have?
 Eye pointing/visual acuity-distance/size/scanning/contrast
 Vocal/verbal abilities-sound word phrase/sentence
 Comprehension of Speech
 Emotional literacy
 Tactile skills
 Head pointing/yes /no /accuracy
 Literacy
 Representational skills/symbolic understanding
 Vocabulary/pre morbid
 Memory
 Visouo-spatial skills Interests
 Motivation
 Sensory abilities (hearing, vision, perception)
 Communication
 Seating and positioning
 Mobility
 Education
 Use of technology
 Medication
 Pathology
 Prognosis
 Sequencing
CURRENT COMMUNICATION
What does the person currently use to:-
 expressively request objects,
 continue an action,
 stop an action,
 request social interaction,
 express a feeling,

6.  make a choice,
 initiate an interaction,
 terminate an interaction
 request assistance
Criteria for inclusion in AAC programme
 Ability to understand cause and effect (for example, purposeful use of switches)
 Intentional communication (that is, the ability to initiate communication in some
recognisable form)
 Turn-taking skills at some basic level
 Some form of reliable intentional movement
 The pupil should have in place a communication system, e.g. communication charts or books
or a system of signing, be using it effectively and present with a potential need for more
complex systems of communication
 There must also be a firm commitment, preferably in writing, that parents will use any AAC
provided at home and that they will work in partnership with the professionals.