Communication Beyond Words: Exploring AAC Solutions

Augment and alternative communication also know as aac is a way for an individual to communicate when they do not have the physical ability to use verbal speech or writing aac system are desire to help people express their thoughts needs wants and ideas aac can range from a simple set of picture symbols on a communication board up to a computer system that is programmed to speak with words or messages AAC might be a temporary system that is used while child's speech and language impairments common causes for severe speech disability include congenital conditions

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Such as cerebral palsy and autism also many people acquire conditions that result in the less of speech some common eamples include amyotraphic lateral sclerosis or lou genrig's disease head injuries and parkinson's disease AAC can help people who are not able be a helful strategy if a child is talking but is difficult to understand the use of AAC strategies can help children improve their ability to interact with others and to communicate better at home at school and in the community using .

Parent implementation of AAC intervention within home environment and community based context can pose significant challanges . Oftentime parents don't have a background in speech language pathology or AAC they're learning with their providers . A lot of the research has indicates that there's a high level of rejection and abondonment following the introduction of AAC rejection refers to dismissing the AAC system prior to any attempt to use it at home or in the community or in the classroom .

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so it's okaythat it takes time to start to expressively use their system There are some different myths that we've talked about throughout . One of them is that AAC is a last resort in speech and language intervantion . we are implementing AAC in the very beginning of language intervention if it is needed . we don't want to wait for communication breakdowns .

AAC can also help decrease inappropriate behaviors such crying or tantrums that are often due to the child's difficulty with communication there are a wide varity of ways that people access AAC access is the way an individual makes selections on a communication board or speech generating device some of the access methods use for AAC include direct selection by pointing or reaching scanning using a switch connected device head pointing and eye conrol selecting the best way to communicate can be a complex process it's important to get an evalution by a group of professionals who are qualified to evaluted the necessary skills to use an AAC system sucessfully an evaluation should a team of professional working together in addition to the AAC uder and his or her family and caregivers this team often includes a speech - language pathologist a physician an occupational therapist or physical therapist .

Touch device which we call direct select which I think most people kind of have a clue and a lot of times you see it on ipads you see it on dedicated devices somebody that can isolates that finger or thumb and really hit those buttons .

Another things is insurance typically there always exclusions on the random plans that they usually cover about 80% you've met your deductible for the year so texas technology access program they can loan out devices to trial they can only loan them out to a speech pathologist they will not typically laon them out a parent . So they will loan it up six weeks . So your speech pathologists can reguest it they send to them for six week and that you can trial it so a lot of time that's a good way to get good data . Because they are able to give you the most data .

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