AAC

AAC stands for "augmentative-alternative communication," an area of speech-language pathology which teaches individuals with severe communication disorders to use compensatory strategies that can either temporarily or permanently enhance their ability to use natural speech to increase their functional communication skills.

  • What Is Augmentative-Alternative Communication and Who Uses It?

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, MS, CCC-SLP - October 19th, 2008

  • Can you imagine life without being able to speak? Maybe you have traveled in a country where you didn't speak the language or maybe you have suffered from a bad case of laryngitis and lost your voice? How did this temporary inability to speak make yo... read full details

  • Tips to Help Your Child Use Augmentative / Alternative Communication (AAC)

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, MS, CCC-SLP - December 16th, 2008

  • You've got the communication boards, picture symbols and/or voice output device but how do you put all of it into action and help your child become a functional communicator? The strategies outlined in this article are specific to AAC users but MUST ... read full details

  • Sample Adult AAC Evaluation

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, MS, CCC-SLP - December 16th, 2008

  • Here you will find a sample adult AAC evaluation report/funding request for a client with a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. This report is based on an actual report that resulted in Medicaid funding for the purchase of the recommended voice output devic... read full details

  • I Love Assistive Technology

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, M.S., CCC-SLP - June 30th, 2009

  • Join augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) expert, Nicole Lilienthal, M.S., CCC-SLP, for an exciting glimpse into the world of assistive technology. See first hand how multiple alternative communication strategies are implemented to assist... read full details

  • Example of Single Switch Scanning to Access A Dynamic Display Voice Output Communication Device

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, MS, CCC-SLP - July 30th, 2009

  • After watching the video, “I Love Assistive Technology.” you may be interested in learning more about “Mr. P’s” communication device and how he is able to co... read full details

  • What is Partner Assisted Visual Scanning?

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, MS, CCC-SLP - July 30th, 2009

  • Partner assisted scanning is an access method used by nonverbal people who cannot physically point to pictures or words themselves (i.e., they can’t select directly) when using a “no-tech” augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) system suc... read full details

  • About "I Love Assistive Technology" Video

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, MS, CCC-SLP - August 23rd, 2009

  • Meet “Mr. P” a 35 year old, nonverbal male with a medical diagnosis of quadriplegic athetoid cerebral palsy who uses a combination of “no-tech” and “high-tech” augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) strategies. The goal of this ... read full details

  • Sample AAC Report for ALS Client

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, MS, CCC-SLP - October 2nd, 2009

  • Here you will find a sample adult AAC evaluation report/funding request for a client with a diagnosis of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), for the purchase of the recommended voice output device. This report may provide assistance for your own rep... read full details

  • AAC and Autism: A Case Study

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, MS, CCC-SLP - October 2nd, 2009

  • This case study profiles one non-speaking client with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I will describe two different augmentative-alternative communication (AAC) strategies used with this client. The rational for teaching both AAC strat... read full details

  • Autism, Blindness and Sign Language: A Case Study

  • By: Nicole Lilienthal, MS, CCC-SLP - October 2nd, 2009

  • A Preschooler with Autism and Blindness: A Case Study Unlocking the Mystery of Communication Presented as a poster session at the 2003 FLASHA Convention This case study profiles one non-speaking client with a dual diagn... read full details