
Why Are AAC Devices Important?
AAC stands for “Augmentative and Alternative Communication.” It’s easy to break down the acronym, but what does AAC really mean? At a quick glance, an AAC device might appear like a regular iPad or tablet. In reality, it has a very specific function to assist its users by providing accessible means to communicate and interact.
One example of where an AAC device might be helpful is for a child with Autism. People with Autism often, but not always, have challenges in communicating with their neurotypical peers. This can manifest in a few different ways, such as difficulty reading body language or culturally understood social cues. People with Autism might express emotions differently than a neurotypical person. In some cases, people with Autism can be partially or fully non-speaking.
This is just one scenario where an AAC device could be an effective solution, but these devices can be used for anyone with a disparity between their communication needs and their physical or cognitive abilities. This means neurodiverse and neurotypical people alike! Some other cases where an AAC might be used could be someone with an acquired disability, such as a traumatic brain injury, or a congenital disorder like cerebral palsy. But the reality is, there’s no such thing as an “average” need for an AAC device because the assistance of an AAC will look different for every single user.
No matter how a communication deficit manifests, an AAC device offers a solution by creating alternative or augmentative means of communication for partially or fully non-speaking people. Although it may look like a regular tablet, it has special programming that makes it function for a very specific purpose. Instead of apps, the screen of an AAC device is loaded with icons to describe different nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more. The user can select from these icons, constructing a sentence one button at a time. Or, even preprogrammed sentences, like “Hi, my name is Jayden!”


Why are AAC devices important?
Let’s revisit the example from before, a child with Autism who is partially or fully non-speaking. While the cause of Autism is unknown, the conversation around this diagnosis is changing. One outdated misconception is that people with Autism are less intelligent, but this simply isn’t the case. “Non-speaking” means just that— non-speaking. It doesn’t mean non-thinking, non-feeling, non-hearing, or non-communicative. The key is to find the right tools to communicate when words don’t come easily. Rather than trying to cure or treat Autism, it’s becoming more important than ever to accept and accommodate the ways that people with Autism express themselves.
That same logic can be applied to any person who finds that an AAC device improves their ability to communicate. By providing the user with different means to interact with the world around them, an AAC can be a critical tool for the user to feel heard and understood— and ultimately, positively shift our cultural perception of what it means to be non-speaking.
For those who are partially non-speaking, an AAC device can bridge the gap at times when verbal communication challenges arise. For fully non-speaking people, these devices provide dependable means of communication for those who might not otherwise have it.
Among many important functions, AAC devices allow non-speaking people to ask for what they want and need, develop meaningful relationships with the people around them, and share their opinions, ideas, and feelings.
Assistive Technology Services
We can help you improve your skills with your low-tech, high-tech, and speech-generating AAC equipment. Our Speech Pathologists will work with families to:
- Select appropriate AAC equipment
- Establish a unique communication system
- Train caregivers
- Get the most from the current system
- Make a plan to upgrade to a more complex system
- Update equipment
- Expand usage
- Update programming and add vocabulary
- Troubleshoot other issues that arise
To learn more about our assistive technology services, email operations@therapycenter.org or give us a call at 616-559-1054
2505 Ardmore SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
(616) 559-1054
Fax: 616-559-1056
Hours
Monday – Thursday:
9am – 6pm
Friday:
9am – 5pm