AAC Practices in Special Education - Part 1

This information is summarized from a presentation given by Gail M. Van Tatenhove, PA, MS, CCC-SLP, on January 15, 2009.



A common goal for all AAC users is PARTICIPATION - or to "Talk in Class".


Challenges to AAC classroom practices:

• Communication Opportunities are Activity-based. There is limited talking outside of specific activities. It’s common to plan AAC into an activity or daily routine, yet just as important (or more so) for communication to occur throughout the school day in every situation.

• AAC users develop “learned passivity”. Students with severe communication problems are much less likely to initiate communication on their own. They often assume the role of 'responder'. The opportunities for communication then tend to be limited to responding to questions, often with yes/no answers.
  

• AAC users become prompt dependent. Some prompting is important to the teaching process, but prompts should be used sparingly since children can become dependent on them. Allow time for an AAC user to use their system when opportunities arise.

• AAC Systems are often classroom based; yet need to be flexible enough to meet communication needs in a variety of settings (community, doctors office, home).

• Technology is often emphasized over language. Consider the developmental sequence for social interaction & conversation, communication beyond making requests and having basic needs met. Such as; "mine", "my turn", "go"...
  

The majority of vocabulary should be - permanently available, appropriate high-frequency, reusable words that work in any situation. More on vocabulary selection in part 2.

-Sheri