October is AAC Awareness Month! AAC stands for Alternative and Augmentative Communication. Instead of spoken language, many communicators use gestures, sign language, pictures, body language, and dedicated technology devices (both low-tech like a picture board and high-tech like a speech generating device). It's important to remember, not everyone uses spoken language to communicate, but everyone has something to say! Respecting others' preferred communication methods makes us better communication partners.
AAC can be used by spoken language users as well and research has shown AAC actually helps expand verbal communication skills and language growth. There is no age requirement and there are no prerequisite skills to using AAC.
Here's a helpful breakdown:
AAC- Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Augmentative- enhances and supplements spoken language
Alternative- used instead of spoken language
AAC can be aided or unaided.
Aided- requires a tool or device (paper, picture board, tablet)
Unaided- doesn't require tools or devices (body language, gestures, signing)
2 tips for supporting and communicating with AAC users:
1) Model without expectation
Provide aided language input (ALI) without requiring imitation or responses. Just like babies were exposed to hours of spoken language, AAC learners need similar modeling exposure.
2) Give constant access.
Their AAC system is their voice and it is their human right to always have access to communication. Always keep within reach!
Check out our other AAC blog posts in our Learning Center and follow along on Instagram and Facebook @scoopspeech for more!
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