ABSTRACT
The area of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is perhaps one of the most important areas that speech and language clinicians need to have a good knowledge of when working with adults with learning disabilities. Symbol communication systems vary from simple, finite sets of symbols to more sophisticated systems. Dedicated communication aids were designed solely for the means of providing an alternative to oral speech, or to augment an individual’s oral speech. Computer-based communication aids consist mainly of software programs which can transform a computer into a communication aid, although most systems still maintain use of the equipment as a computer as well. The three important areas to assess in order to devise an appropriate low-tech AAC system for someone are comprehension, vision and motor skills. Many AAC users employ a number of different forms of AAC-a mixture of unaided and aided communication systems.
