Why is the potential of augmentative and alternative communication not being realized? Exploring the experiences of people who use communication aids

Communicative Competence for Individuals who require Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A New Definition for a New Era of Communication?

“…Table II role in the attainment of communicative competence than in the past. Intervention is required to foster these protective factors to ensure that individuals with complex communication needs have the drive to communicate, the willingness to use AAC and the actual propensity to do so, and the perseverance to communicate despite the many challenges and potential failures encountered (Hodge, 2007;Smith & Connolly, 2008). To date, these issues have largely been neglected in the fi eld; future research is required Table I.…”

“…Now that the possible has been established, the challenge will be to ensure that it becomes the probable and that every individual with complex communication needs has access to effective evidence-based AAC intervention to maximize participation and communication (Beukelman et al, 2007;Rispoli, Franco, van der Meer, Lang, & Camargo, 2010). There remain far too many individuals with complex communication needs who do not receive the effective, culturally competent, evidence-based AAC services that they require to realize communicative competence and achieve their full potential (Baxter, Enderby, Evans, & Judge, 2012;Hodge, 2007). Communicative competence is essential to the enhancement of the quality of life of individuals with complex communication needs; it is fundamental to the attainment of the basic human need, the basic human right, the basic human power of communication.…”

“…As Mirenda (1993) suggested, achieving true membership in communities is not just about policy and practice supports, it also requires the elimination of attitude barriers. Attitude barriers occur when people hold negative feelings that predispose them to act in ways that limit the communication opportunities of individuals who require AAC (Hodge, 2007;McCarthy & Light, 2005). Bob Williams (2000) described the problem of pervasive attitude barriers for individuals who require AAC:…”

“…Operational skills involve skills in the technical operation of AAC strategies and techniques, including: (a) skills to produce the hand or body positions, shapes, orientations, and movements for gestures, signs, or other forms of unaided communication (e.g., eye blink codes, head nod/shake); (b) skills to utilize selection technique(s) for aided AAC systems (e.g., direct selection with a fi nger or fi st, eye gaze, scanning with a single switch); and, (c) skills to navigate and operate aided AAC systems accurately and effi ciently (e.g., navigate between pages, enter codes to retrieve pre-stored vocabulary items). These operational skills must extend across the full range of modes used by the individual with complex communication needs, including both unaided and aided means of communication, and both low tech and high tech systems (Beukelman, Fager, Ball, & Dietz, 2007;Hodge, 2007). Randy Horton described the signifi cant demands of learning the operational skills for a single AAC system (approximately 96 hours in Randy ' s case) and the lack of instruction typically provided to support the development of these skills:…”

Multimedia Speech Therapy Tools and Other Disability Solutions as Part of a Digital Ecosystem Framework

“…Communication within the family is an important part of rehabilitation and the therapy tool could help in promoting this. The high cost of therapy is relieved but not replaced by this augmentative system [13].…”