A is for Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Building Skills

Augmentative is adding on to their communication and Alternative is replacing something by providing a different way to communicate. Both of these methods are supplemental ways of helping someone who is experiencing a barrier to some aspect of communication with others. AAC is the abbreviated term. 

Augmentative and Alternative Communication is quite diverse and includes advanced technical equipment and very simple options such as a yes and a no picture for a person to tap on. There are versions of it meant for our youngest communicators and versions for those who are elderly and lost their ability to speak and versions for everyone in between.

We could have a discussion of all the types available to people and weigh out the pros and cons of different methods and devices. However, that is an extensive conversation that ultimately is only applicable in light of an individual's personal situation. Maybe one is ideal but is far too costly. Maybe another is too challenging for person A to access but is the right fit for person B. Quite often, a single individual needs to try out multiple strategies before they find the best one to meet their needs. And again, that selection may be the best one at this stage but may need to be changed for something else at a later date. It could be because the person's skills have advanced to a more sophisticated device or it may be that their skills declined. 

What I most want you to think about is this. When you meet a person and you do not understand their communicative attempts, please consider what you can do to help remedy the situation. Please don't just give up and choose not to put in the effort. Sometimes it is a lot of work to get a simple response but it is worth it. Humanity is meant to communicate. Yes, there are many ways to communicate but some people have multiple barriers to self-expression and we need to still connect with them. Some people have fewer challenges and yet find it frustrating to get their wants and needs expressed and we need to help make that easier for them whenever possible. 

So what can you do? First of all, listen with your whole self. Can you hear any words or sounds? Can you see any facial expressions or gestures? Can you sense their emotions? What pieces can you put together with what is evident in front of you? Then consider if you have a way to verify that your understanding is correct. Quite often, we use cues such as what a person is looking at or what is usually happening at that time to give us information that will help. However, there are times people don't give cues or they want to express something that is not immediately evident.

As a Communicative Disorders Assistant student, we had an AAC activity where we created a means to communicate were we to suddenly lose our ability to express ourselves. I chose to make a small album that could be kept with me that was transportable, with easy flip pages that were spill proof and sturdy. On page one I put pictures of my family members as I usually talk about them. I had a page for the foods I was most likely to request. I had the alphabet and numbers 0-9 so that I could point out to spell a word or share a number if I needed to. I had boxes with places I most often would want to go to or mention. Things like this. 

If your child cannot speak, try gestures (eg. yes/no, pointing). You can use objects such as showing a diaper to indicate the need for a change or shoes to indicate the request to go outside. You can offer choices. You can use pictures or visual schedules. They can tap on what item they want on a page of options. We don't want them to get frustrated and have tantrums so it is nice to give them ways to communicate that match the situation. We want to keep it simple and yet as sophisticated as they are able to consistently and readily manage. 

Please note that we want to use AAC strategies with anyone to aid our communication skills. They may be a person recovering from an accident or a stroke, an older adult with dementia, a child with apraxia or even a foreigner with minimal language skills in English. We should be ready and willing to seek and find strategies that will help improve communication at every age and stage. Granted, some methods/tools/devices are meant for specific needs but simple versions can be designed for all types of people and situations. The first step is your willingness to reach out and look for a way to communicate. 

This topic is too big for a blog lol! Just one more thing. If someone has an AAC device already, please make sure it is accessible to them and use it with them. It is often their voice and they need it to be heard.  Thank you!