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"To date, there are few guidelines to support clinicians and manufacturers in the design of effective AAC systems for beginning communicators. When AAC systems are well designed, they may enhance communication and language outcomes for beginning communicators with complex communication needs. However, poorly-designed AAC systems may potentially interfere with language learning and communication effectiveness. In this session, we will discuss guidelines for the design of effective AAC technologies for beginning communicators with complex communication needs, including infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with developmental disabilities (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome) as well as older individuals with significant cognitive impairments. The session will present research results from recent studies and will suggest clinical guidelines to improve the design of AAC systems based on these research results. "

"So, is AAC about the technology or not? This paper presents a broad picture of technology as consisting of both hard and soft technologies. The article supports both types of technology as necessary for successful AAC implementation. For many individuals, hard technologies are necessary to support expressive communication. High-tech hard technologies have many options, but only a few fundamental principles, with truly unique new characteristics rarely being introduced. What does change, however, is the platform upon which the AAC devices are built. Originally, AAC devices were based on simple electronic circuits, then specialized computers, and, finally, general computers. Most recently, smart phones and pad computers have been used as the platform for AAC device functions. In this paper, I contend that it is not the technology that is critical; rather, it is our ability to take advantage of that technology for the benefit of people with complex communication needs."

"With the proliferation of AAC apps, it seems that many people quickly get or want to get an AAC app for their child with an autism spectrum disorder. It is awesome and amazing to see so many people who need AAC begin to have access to AAC. But once there is accessibility, it is not always readily apparent what to do and it is like any technology or gadget, if you don't learn how to USE it, it could become like the 'proverbial treadmill clothes hanger' or abandoned musical instrument."

"Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies assist people with severe communication disabilities to participate more fully in their social roles including interpersonal interaction, learning, education, community activities, employment, volunteerism, care management, and so on. This AAC website is designed to provide access to a wide range of information and resources related to the AAC effort. It is maintained by the Barkley AAC Center and the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska."

Are you overwhelmed with the number of Apps available? Have you purchased an AAC App and found that it was not what you expected? The AAC Apps Assistant can help ! ! ! The AAC Apps Assistant is a unique and powerful fee-for-service tool for researching AAC communication Apps for iOS devices (iPads,iPhone, iPods with other platforms to be added). It provides information based on our review of over 100+ current communication Apps on the market.

free preview until Jan. 15, 2012

"AAC/SGD Evaluation Step 1-2: Client Information Form - to be completed by the patient's team prior to the AAC/SGD evaluation. AAC/SGD Evaluation Step 3-4: Hands-On AAC/SGD Evaluation Protocol - to be completed during the course of the AAC evaluation with the patient and patient's family/team."

"With over 300 AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) apps available, finding the right one for your needs can be very difficult and time-consuming. With AAC apps ranking among some of the most expensive apps available, it is also costly to make mistakes! The AAC Ferret helps you to quickly find the AAC app(s) with the exact features you need!"

"MOBILE DEVICES & COMMUNICATION APPS: An AAC-RERC White Paper The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC) offers this paper as a means for raising issues related to mobile technologies and AAC Apps and to encourage discussion and collaboration among AAC stakeholders. "

"A "flash mob" is planned for Mohawk College in Hamilton, Canada, in celebration of International AAC Awareness Month. This will happen in November instead of October, as this works better with the students' schedules. Students from Mohawk will be helping to organize the event. A person who uses AAC in Hamilton has written a song, "I've Got a Lot to Say," which has been professionally recorded (ISAAC International helped with the production costs). The song will be programmed onto a number of AAC devices used by clients of the Technology Access Clinic at McMaster Children's Hospital. This is what will be used for the flash mob. The event will be videotaped, uploaded to YouTube, and posted on the ISAAC website"

"Although students may not become augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) clinical specialists, they often will work with individuals demonstrating complex communication needs who benefit from AAC. This necessitates knowledge of some basic principles of assessment including AAC assessment as a team process involving planning and implementing interventions for current and future communication needs; the inclusion of no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech communication systems; and assessing communication needs with partners in the individual's social network. The assessment also must include a capability profile and feature matching to select the appropriate components of the AAC system. Because the system we provide for today will become the system we use tomorrow, assessment must be considered an ongoing process throughout the lifespan of the individual."

Welcome to AAC at Penn State! The Penn State AAC community of faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students are dedicated to enhancing communication and improving the overall quality of life for individuals who have complex communication needs and their families. We are seeking to improve outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental apraxia, traumatic brain injuries, aphasia, ALS /Lou Gehrig's disease and many other disabilities through the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)  such as signs, light tech symbols, high tech speech generating devices, etc.

"t IPAT, one of my jobs is to provide information on AAC devices and apps, and I was having a hard time keeping track of prices, platforms, and features and how they compare to each other and Proloquo2Go. So I decided to create a comparison matrix for myself and others to ferret out the information to help make better AAC choices. All info was obtained from the manufacturers websites and interaction with the apps here in my office."

"The AAC-RERC is a collaborative research group dedicated to the development of effective AAC technology. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) refers to ways (other than speech) that are used to send a message from one person to another."

Welcome to the AAC Language Lab The AAC Language Lab is designed to help you teach language for a lifetime, thus empowering the AAC communicator to develop expressive language to his or her optimum potential.

Facts on AAC funding, programs and other resources. Contains an AAC Report Coach to guide writing AAC reports for funding. from Assistive Technology Law Center

A great resource for AAC funding

"During Autism Awareness Month, an exploratory survey on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and iPads, iPod touches and iPhones was distributed as part of research collaboration between AssistiveWare and professors from the University of San Diego and the California State University at San Marcos. In this blog post we provide an overview of the key facts and findings of the survey that among others revealed that in the opinion of respondents, Proloquo2Go and other full-featured AAC Apps together with Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod touch can deliver an AAC solution that supports considerable improvements in key areas such as independence, behavior, interaction with others and learning."

"This article is a list of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) apps for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch). Some of them are specifically designed for AAC use; others are serendipitously useful. As new apps are released, this list will be updated."

"Beliefs about AAC exist among families, caregivers and professionals. Some are true, others are false. Our "AAC Myths Revealed" series discusses common myths about AAC and the research that proves them to be inaccurate. "

"Alexicom is the only Internet-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system available today. There is no longer a need to purchase a large bulky device that can cost thousands of dollars. You can now have an AAC system that will work anytime and anywhere, online or offline, at a fraction of the cost compared to any other systems available today. Designed by parents of an AAC user and speech-language pathologists, Alexicom is extremely affordable. At only $40 a month with no contracts or $408 per year, Alexicom is designed to be extremely user-friendly and has the ability to grow with the user as his or her needs change."

"My First AAC is an affordable augmentative and alternative communication application for the iPad that is specifically designed for toddlers and preschoolers with delayed speech or severe speech disorders. Intuitive and child-friendly, My First AAC helps young children to communicate with family, caregivers, teachers and other people they meet in everyday life."