Purposes of AAC Therapy

1. Enhance Communication Abilities:

• Expressive Communication: To provide children with ways to express their needs, wants, thoughts, and feelings.
• Receptive Communication: To improve understanding of communication from others through visual, auditory, or tactile means.

2. Increase Participation:

• Social Interaction: To enable children to participate more fully in social interactions with peers, family, and educators.
• Educational Activities: To facilitate active participation in educational settings, enhancing learning and academic success.

3. Support Language Development:

• Language Skills: To support the development of vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.
• Speech Development: For some children, AAC can serve as a bridge to developing spoken language.

Types of AAC

1. Unaided AAC:

• Gestures and Body Language: Using natural gestures, facial expressions, and body language to communicate.
• Sign Language: Teaching children to use sign language as a primary or supplementary form of communication.

2. Aided AAC:

• Low-Tech Systems: These include picture cards, communication boards, and books that do not require electronic devices.
• High-Tech Systems: These include speech-generating devices (SGDs), tablets with communication apps, and specialized computer software.

Techniques and Strategies in AAC Therapy

1. Assessment and Customization:

• Comprehensive Evaluation: Conducting a detailed assessment to understand the child’s communication needs, abilities, and preferences. This involves input from parents, teachers, and other professionals.
• Individualized AAC Plan: Developing a personalized AAC plan tailored to the child’s specific needs, considering factors such as motor abilities, cognitive skills, and communication goals.

2. Selection of AAC Tools:

• Symbol Systems: Choosing appropriate symbol systems (e.g., photographs, line drawings, written words) based on the child’s cognitive and visual abilities.
• Device Selection: Selecting the most suitable AAC device, whether it’s a low-tech communication board or a high-tech SGD, based on the child’s needs and preferences.

3. Teaching and Modeling:

• Direct Instruction: Providing explicit teaching on how to use AAC tools and devices. This includes demonstrating how to select symbols, construct messages, and operate devices.
• Modeling: Consistently modeling the use of AAC during natural interactions to demonstrate its use in real-life contexts.

4. Building Vocabulary and Language Skills:

• Core Vocabulary: Focusing on teaching core vocabulary words that are commonly used and versatile, forming the basis of most communication.
• Fringe Vocabulary: Including more specific vocabulary related to the child’s interests, needs, and daily activities.

5. Facilitating Social Communication:

• Interactive Activities: Engaging children in interactive activities that encourage the use of AAC in social contexts, such as games, role-playing, and group activities.
• Peer Interaction: Facilitating opportunities for interaction with peers, teaching both the child using AAC and their peers how to communicate effectively together.

6. Supporting Literacy Development:

• Literacy Integration: Integrating AAC into literacy activities to support reading and writing skills. This can include using symbol-supported text, reading books with AAC, and writing using AAC tools.

7. Training and Support:

• Family Involvement: Training parents and family members to use AAC tools and strategies at home, ensuring consistent and supportive use of AAC.
• Teacher and Caregiver Training: Educating teachers, caregivers, and other professionals on how to support the child’s use of AAC in various settings.

Specific Areas of Focus

1. Communication Functions:

• Requesting: Teaching children to use AAC to make requests, express needs, and make choices.
• Commenting: Encouraging children to comment on their environment, share information, and express opinions.
• Social Greetings: Teaching the use of AAC for social greetings, farewells, and polite social interactions.

2. Communication Partners:

• Collaborative Communication: Involving communication partners (e.g., parents, siblings, peers) in AAC training to promote effective and naturalistic communication exchanges.
• Responsive Interaction: Training communication partners to respond to AAC use appropriately and encourage continued use.

3. Device Management:

• Operational Skills: Teaching children how to turn on, navigate, and use their AAC devices independently.
• Maintenance: Ensuring that devices are charged, updated, and in good working order, and teaching children basic troubleshooting skills.

Overall Approach to AAC Therapy

1. Initial Assessment:

• Detailed Case History: Gathering comprehensive information about the child’s communication abilities, challenges, and goals.
• Multidisciplinary Evaluation: Collaborating with other professionals, such as occupational therapists, physical therapists, and educators, to conduct a holistic assessment.

2. Direct Therapy Sessions:

• Frequency and Duration: Regular therapy sessions, typically once or twice a week, lasting 30 to 60 minutes.
• Engaging Activities: Using activities that are interesting and motivating for the child to encourage active participation.

3. Family Involvement:

• Parent Training: Educating parents about AAC tools and strategies, and involving them in therapy sessions when possible.
• Home Practice: Assigning home practice activities to reinforce AAC use outside of therapy sessions.

4. School Collaboration:

• Teacher Education: Informing teachers about the child’s AAC needs and providing strategies to support AAC use in the classroom.
• Classroom Integration: Ensuring AAC tools are available and used consistently in educational activities and social interactions at school.

5. Progress Monitoring:

• Regular Evaluations: Periodically reassessing the child’s AAC use and progress towards communication goals.
• Feedback and Adjustment: Providing ongoing feedback to the child and their family, and making adjustments to the AAC plan as needed.

6. Transition and Generalization:

• Gradual Independence: Encouraging the child to use AAC more independently over time, with decreasing support.
• Generalization Activities: Ensuring that the child can use AAC effectively across different environments and with various communication partners.

Benefits of AAC Therapy

1. Enhanced Communication:

• Increased Expressive Abilities: Providing children with effective means to express themselves, leading to decreased frustration and increased participation in social interactions.
• Improved Receptive Skills: Enhancing understanding of communication from others through multimodal support.

2. Greater Independence:

• Self-Advocacy: Empowering children to communicate their needs and preferences, promoting greater autonomy.
• Academic Participation: Facilitating participation in educational activities, leading to improved academic outcomes.

3. Emotional and Social Benefits:

• Reduced Anxiety: Decreasing communication-related anxiety by providing reliable means of expression.
• Social Integration: Promoting social inclusion and interaction with peers, leading to improved social relationships and self-esteem.

Conclusion

AAC therapy for children is a comprehensive and individualized approach to enhancing communication abilities for those with significant speech and language difficulties. Through a variety of tools, techniques, and strategies, SLPs help children develop effective communication skills, increase participation in social and educational settings, and support language development. The therapy process involves detailed assessment, direct intervention, family involvement, school collaboration, and continuous progress monitoring, ensuring that each child receives the support they need to become effective and confident communicators.