What is AAC?

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a term covering a wide range of techniques, systems and approaches used to support or replace spoken communication.

It includes pictures, gestures and pointing, as well as more complex techniques involving computer technology. AAC techniques are also used to support an individual’s understanding of what is said.

AAC is part of everyday communication for everyone, for example, waving goodbye or giving a thumbs up instead of speaking.

For AAC to work you need to:

• understand your communication causes someone else to respond
• understand the purpose of a communication aid
• use communication systems wherever you go
• have other people using your systems with you
• be motivated to use systems.

Examples of AAC

There are lots of different examples of AAC, working together to help a child communicate.

Paper-based resources

• Can be used to communicate for all reasons.
• A good way to learn how to use AAC to communicate with others.
• Easy to use with family, friends and/or carers.
• Can be used in lots of different places, such as the swimming pool, in the bath or at the beach.
• Easy to transport.
• No battery, so you won’t run out of charge.
• Can have multiple copies to share with friends and family to keep in different settings.
• Easy to use and navigate.
• Can easily grow with the child.

Paper-based AAC is for life and although dynamic screen technology is good to aim for, paper-based can meet many communication needs and can be more flexible.

Because of this, paper-based often continues to be used when a dynamic screen device is also in place.

Sometimes when a child has developed good paper-based skills they may move towards a dynamic screen with voice output. The skills which they have learned using paper-based AAC will be transferred to the use of a dynamic screen.

Skills to develop when using paper-based resources

• Understand the function of the communication aid, for example when I exchange a symbol with a communication partner I get what I want.
• Communicating ideas through photos and/or symbols, such as I touch the happy face symbol to show I like something.
• Pointing to more than one symbol to make a sentence, for example [I] + [like] + [sandwiches].
• Understanding and use of different types of words beyond objects, including using doing words and describing
• Categorising and understanding words fit into groups, such as foods, animals, and transport.
• Sharing communication with others.
• Non-verbal communication skills, for example pointing, using eye contact, facial expression, gesturing alongside pictures and/or symbols.
• Choice making.
• Repairing misunderstandings.
• Extending communication with a visual model, such as making longer sentences and for different purposes.
• Intonation and exaggeration.

As these communication skills develop it is good to work on communicating for lots of different reasons:

• Greeting others.
• Being able to refuse something.
• Making requests, including requesting more of something and requesting help.
• Giving information, including responding to a direct question, ‘I like bananas’.
• Describing something or someone, such as ‘it is stinky’.
• Directs a person or activity, or example ‘play music loud!’
• Asks questions, such as ‘mummy?’
• Comments, like ‘I see bird’.
• Repairs misunderstandings, for example ‘did you mean blue? ‘Points to [yes/no symbols] in communication book.
• Reasons or negotiates, for example a child points to [ipad] + [lunch] symbols and then uses facial expression to show they will do work only if they get the iPad at lunch.
• Expresses feelings, for example points to [hate it] when eating school dinner.