Provision of powered communication aids in the United Kingdom

Abstract

AAC service provision in the United Kingdom (UK) has evolved since the first service dedicated to the provision of communication aids opened in 1986. Within the UK, many health and care services are provided via government funding; however, the assessment and provision of AAC and specifically of speech-generating devices (SGDs) is inconsistent and inequitable. The study reported in this paper aimed to collect information on levels of current provision of powered communication aids (the term used in the study to refer to SGDs) by UK service providers in 2013 with the intention of improving future estimates for need of services. A questionnaire survey was designed and data were obtained from 98 AAC services across the UK. Service providers reported the number of individuals known to be using powered communication aids and the mean value reported was 0.0155% of the services' catchment populations. However levels of service provision reported were highly variable. Although the data reported must be treated with caution, it adds to the sparse literature on the topic, informs AAC service design and delivery in the UK, and acts as an indicative baseline measure for future service development.

What’s important in AAC decision making for children? Evidence from a best–worst scaling survey

“…The proportion of children in the UK in need of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has been estimated to be up to one in 200 (Enderby, Judge, Creer, &, John, 2013;Gross, 2010;Judge, Enderby, Creer, & John, 2017). AAC encompasses a wide range of aided and unaided communication modes.…”

Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Remote Learning

“…One commonly used AT for students with communication disabilities is AAC; it is estimated that one in every 200 children needs some form of AAC to effectively communicate with others (Judge et al, 2017). The term AAC refers to all forms of communication other than verbal speech (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, n.d.).…”

Local service provision of Augmentative and Alternative Communication and communication aids in England

“…Initially, the tool was referenced against the Communication Matters AAC Service Standards (14) and prior work surveying tertiary services (15). The tool was then developed further through consultation with a group of six expert AAC practitioners nominated by consortia representing each of four regions of England.…”