AAC means all of the ways that someone communicates besides talking. People of all ages can use AAC if they have trouble with speech or language skills. Augmentative means to add to someone’s speech. Alternative means to be used instead of speech. Some people use AAC throughout their life.

Apr 1, 2025 · Looking at the results, the terms that AAC users like or report using tend to be descriptive and direct. AAC users. No matter how people communicate, the most frequently liked or used term in the whole survey is AAC users, with more than three-quarters of respondents who use AAC, liking or using the term.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an area of clinical practice that supplements or compensates for impairments in speech-language production and/or comprehension, including spoken and written modes of communication.

Stephen Hawking, probably the best-known user of AAC, had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and communicated through a speech-generating device. Modern use of AAC began in the 1950s with systems for those who had lost the ability to speak following surgical procedures.

Oct 11, 2023 · What is augmentative and alternative communication? AAC is one way that a person may communicate without talking. Augmentative means to add to someone's speech. Alternative means to be used instead of speech. You may have seen someone in your life or on TV using a tablet or different device to type or even speak their words for them.

By recent estimates, well over 2 million persons who present with significant expressive language impairment use AAC. AAC users encounter difficulty communicating via speech due to congenital and/or acquired disabilities occurring across the lifespan.

AAC devices are augmentative/alternative communication systems that allow a person to communicate with those around them without speaking. There are many different types of AAC but the most common are high-tech AAC Devices that …

Choose engaging and interesting activities, that give the AAC user motivation to communicate. Create opportunities for communication. Model on the AAC system during conversations and everyday interactions.

Use the descriptions below to determine which competencies are most appropriate to target with your user of AAC. Operational Competence: the skills required to use the AAC system or device.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a range of strategies and tools to help people who struggle with speech. These may be simple letter or picture boards or sophisticated computer-based systems. AAC helps someone to communicate as effectively as possible, in as many situations as possible.