Assistive Technology for Communication: AAC and Beyond
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Assistive Technology for Nonverbal Students
Some students communicate verbally. For some students, that is a much bigger challenge. Maybe they have trouble enunciating words. Maybe they have limited vocabularies. Or maybe something else is going on– but it is hard for them to make their wants, needs, or ideas known to the wider world.
That’s where AAC devices or augmented and alternative communication devices come into play. At this point, most of these are iPads. Some are activated by a gaze– a student just needs to look at a button to activate it. Some are activated by touch. Some have really simple interfaces– like a photo of a goldfish cracker and a photo of a Cheez-it. Others are much more complex, allowing the student to generate entire sentences. And some kids communicate primarily with these devices while others use them to expand their vocabulary or to help them remember what they want to say.
In the old days, people used to use PECs– picture exchange communication systems– but today iPads have almost completely replaced the old picture and velcro systems. And the iPads work better– they are much easier to customize and allow for a much wider range of communication formats– and they allow students to speak as the iPad can read their selections aloud.
Technology is not always a good thing– but in this case, it is. iPad based communication devices have made a huge difference for nonverbal students.
Understanding Technology for Speech and Communication
What is assistive technology for communication?
According to IDEA, the federal law that governs special education, assistive technology is, “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability.” (300.5 )
Assistive technology includes programs to make communication easier for students. In the old days, this was often PECS (Picture Exchange Communication Systems) where students used laminated pieces of paper to communicate with the people around them.
Nowadays, assistive technology for communication generally is technology based, including apps that students can use to share their thoughts with the world.
The bottom line is that if it is challenging for students to communicate, they should have access to assistive technology– and they need to be working with a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP). SLPs are the experts on AT for communication. If yours isn’t bringing it up, find another. AT for communication is incredibly common– and it is not 1999. Students should have their own iPads paid by districts, loaded with useful apps.
How do students get AAC devices?
Assistive technology for communication is added to an IEP by an speech and language pathologist. Like other forms of AT, it is included under special factors– but SLPs add it to the IEP. If a student has communication needs, they need an SLP! If you have an SLP who is not offering AT for Communication, push back and get a second opinion. There is no formal process in most districts for deciding who gets an AAC device– it is an IEP team and, mostly, SLP judgment call.
Are AAC devices expensive?
The short answer is yes. Typically students need an iPad, a special iPad case, and apps that cost at least $200. Districts are responsible for providing all of these– including iPads that go home with a student every night and over breaks, loaded with whatever that student needs.
It is imperative that AT be written into an IEP. That is what ensures districts and not families pay for it! Districts can then bill the expense to Medicaid, so don’t feel bad– write it into the IEP!
How do AAC devices work?
Basically, these programs are electronic versions of old fashioned communication boards (like PECS). You set how many pictures a kid sees at once, what the pictures look like, and what they do.
For a lower/younger student, they might only see two pictures—one of orange juice and one of milk. When they click the orange juice picture you give them orange juice. When they click the milk picture, they get milk. A lot of programs start with those basics—letting the kids choose a drink/snack/game from two or three choices.
As students improve, they get more choices to choose from and beginning sentences are introduced. They might click on an “I want” button and go to a page with a snack picture, a drink picture, and a game picture. When they click on the “snack” picture, they go to a page with a bunch of snacks on it and they pick the snack they want.
The programs can get even more complex—reading back sentences and allowing students to carry on conversations with menus nested in menus in menus.
Speech and language pathologists can help you figure out how complex to make the programs to start. Some kids can handle the slightly creepy stick figure drawings the programs come with and others need photos of the actual objects/foods/people.
If you are a parent, get to know the programs. They are an AWESOME tool for you to use at home. For teachers—if you kids has one of these make sure you know how to use and use it—for lots of students with limited communication these programs give them a voice.
One of my students uses his iPad differently. He takes photos and videos of things at home that when we ask what he likes or did he can look at the picture clues to job his memory and give him an idea of what to say. Really the communication possibilities of technology are pretty endless!
