Augmentative Alternative Communication is much more than just a device which can share words or phrases with others. It really is any tool or approach that an individual can use to make sure they are able to communicate thoughts and ideas. When we think about how we approach communication, we realize that it can take many shapes. Verbal communication is only one of the ways we can send a message to others.
In neurotypical individuals, non-verbal communication is used daily to get points across. Think about how a look or how someone chooses to dress can send a message. How many times has a parent or partner given “the look” which is immediately understood by the person being addressed. In the business world, we may see individuals using certain colors or styles of clothing to attempt to gain some advantage over others.
We have also seen the development of communication via the printed word over time. Growing up in the 60s, sending letters was a way of communicating with those who did not live nearby as means of communication when the phone was not available. There was an art to writing a letter as it attempted to communicate feelings as well as thoughts. In today’s society, we have email, texting, and instant messaging which allows real-time communication between individuals without any words being spoken. Although the art of putting feelings into writing has shifted, using emoticons and other abbreviated phrases shares the feelings we may have. Think about when someone posts a sad message on a social media platform and we respond with a crying face, a hug, or a heart.
With all of these possibilities, we find that spoken communication is still the most preferred manner of sharing messages. For some of our individuals though, speaking as a form of communication is not easy or even possible. That is where the advent of devices to communicate messages has made a significant difference. For some of our individuals who have conditions like CP or ALS, using a high-tech device which may utilize eye-gaze technology is the best choice for allowing verbal communication to occur. These devices are provided through insurance and are specially aligned to make that communication as easy as possible for the individual. We have seen in the news and on TV individuals like Stephen Hawking using such devices.
However, not everyone needs devices such as these. When thinking about AAC devices, we need to start with how the device is going to best support the individual and how we can personalize it to their needs. What are those phrases that will be most important for them? How can we make sure that what is being said can communicate those ideas as best possible in the shortest amount of time, requiring the least effort by the individual as well? The goal of any AAC device should be the inclusion of that individual into the daily discussions in which they may partake with their peers, family, or colleagues.
One of the methods for this inclusion focuses on how these devices are perceived within the community. The idea of single message communicators is something that offers a quick way of sharing a single thought. These are seen in public through the idea of an “easy button” which speaks. You may have heard me discussing the use of a Big Mack device to have a “You are Awesome” button in nurse’s offices or administrative locations. Having something in more public areas that gives some thought that people want to hear helps to desensitize others to the use of such devices. That can be carried on to the use of Talking Brix throughout a classroom or area where each device shares some directions for that station or location.
In the idea of literacy development, we can also bring in AAC devices to enhance the learning of the students by adding tactile and auditory feedback of the work they are doing. Using multi-message communicators can help with that idea through having sounds, words, or phrases being able to be put together for word development. I am a big fan of using a ProxPad with tactile cards for the pairing of words to objects. These cards can be used to identify the object when questions are asked and can be an inclusive approach to the classroom. With devices like a 7 Level Communicator, literacy development can become a structured approach which builds upon earlier lessons utilizing the technology.
When we take this learning in literacy to the next level, we can then see how we can create “Read Along” books by having pictures from a page placed into the grids of a QuickTalker, allowing students to have the books read “out loud” as they follow along with the words. We can also use a device like the ProxTalker in identifying how to put words together to make phrases which communicate answers to the questions being asked or ideas that the individual wishes to share.
Many of you know that I do not like AAC or any assistive technology device sitting up on a shelf in a cabinet. Get these devices out and make them a part of how we teach literacy. This approach begins to define communication as an inclusive activity, even when some cannot physically speak. Using alternative forms of communication in literacy development also assists all students in preparation for their futures as well. In the past, we simply used paper and pencil in learning how to build words and phrases. That worked for a world that relied on those approaches in all aspects of life beyond school. However, we live in a world with technology as a central piece of how work and life get done. By bringing in AAC to literacy development, we are incorporating technology in the essence of literacy development properly. We want our students to learn how to communicate properly no matter what medium they may be using in the future.
So what innovations are out there now? We are seeing more good apps which can be downloaded to a phone. We must remember though that access will be critical for our individuals no matter how they are communicating. Please don’t simply place an app on a phone or a tablet without the proper physical training for access. Don’t solely rely on accessibility features from device platforms either without testing them out and making sure that individuals can access them if they cannot be formally set as automatically opening.
When we look at our cell phones of today, we need to understand that we are holding devices that are more powerful than some of the early computers that we built and took up full labs space-wise. When they are tailored to the needs of the individual, they can be very powerful tools. Training and modeling of how to properly use them are key to making sure that our individuals can interact with others in ways that encourage acceptance and understanding.
AI also provides another way of having communication designed for the needs of the individual. Training and proper adaptation will also be critical here. As AI applications increase, we should not fear the way that they can help some of our individuals interact within the world. We do need to monitor and select the right approaches though. Otherwise, it can become a fancy “gimmick” that does not promote inclusivity of the individual and their ideas.
AAC devices are powerful tools in helping to develop and maintain communication between people. Thinking through how to use these tools creates strategies that promote inclusion as well as effective communication. We must look at the inclusion of devices the same way we look at non-verbal forms of communication. They are alternatives to get messages across without having to rely on the physically spoken word.
Every individual has an internal voice which can bring amazing ideas to this world. We must remember that the internal voice sometimes needs alternative ways to communicate to the outside world!