Ten Ways to Boost Your Knowledge in the Area of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Are you interested inlearning more about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), but don’tknow where to start? I often get asked how I gained experience and became sopassionate about such a niche area of speech-language pathology (SLP).

For starters, it didn’t happen overnight. My exposure to AAC started in graduate school when I worked as a research and teaching assistant for an AAC professor. Fast forward to today, and it was a culmination of experiences that contributed to my knowledge and love for helping individuals with complex communication needs.

Even after working for a device company and now serving as an Assistive Technology (AT) Program Specialist, I am still learning new things about AAC. That is why I want to share 10 things you can start doing right away to become more comfortable with AAC, and help the individuals you serve to functionally communicate!

Get A Head Start!

If you are in the process ofapplying to graduate school, then seek out programs that offer AAC relatedcourses and/or clinical opportunities in the field of AAC. If you alreadygraduated or attend a university that does not offer AAC courses, then skip tothe last paragraph in this section. Here are some SLP graduate programs thatoffer an AAC course as of February 2019:

• University of Central Florida

• Nova Southeastern University

• Western Illinois University

• Illinois State University

• Saint Xavier University

• University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Penn State

This list is not exhaustive.Does your university offer an AAC course? Share it in the comments below!

I also want to mention some online modules that teach about AAC. These include the AAC Academy, POWER:AAC, and the RERC Webcasts.Speech Therapy PD also offers some fantastic CEU courses related to AAC. You can get $10 off the basic or professional subscription if you use the code SPEECHIESIDEUP.

Attend Conferences and Conventions

SLPs love conferences! What’snot to love? You get to learn, earn CEUs, hang out with like-minded people, getawesome therapy swag, and wear your favorite Peachie Speechie shirt! If you’relucky, the conference will be out-of-state, in a beautiful location, and you’llhave to pretend you’re stuck in a windowless room all day when really yoursitting by the pool before 5 o’clock.

With that being said, thereare some great conferences that are geared towards AAC. These include ATIA, AACin the Clouds, CSUN, Closing The Gap, AAC In The Desert, and ISAAC to name afew. There are smaller seminars and trainings around the country that you canalso attend, like the Minspeak Language Seminar Series and LAMP.

Visit Your Local Assistive Technology Center

Where I live in the state of Florida, we have six assistive technology centers called FAAST located throughout the state. If you don’t know whether your state has an assistive technology center, check out this AT center database. Alternatively, you can reach out to AAC groups on social media to find out. I talk about these groups in the next section.

Get Social On Social Media!

One of the most helpful resources I found to date is the AAC for the SLP Facebook group. You can post a question on there and receive a response almost immediately!

One thing to keep in mind isthat just because you see it on social media doesn’t mean it is true or bestpractice. The Core Queen and AAC expert, Gail Van Tatenhove, has discussed thepros and cons of finding AAC advice on social media. She referred to one con as“AAC assessment through social media.” This is where an AAC device orcommunication app is recommended on social media without considering theindividual’s specific needs, because it is easily accessible and more familiarto the clinician.

It is wonderful thatclinicians and parents have easy access to AAC systems nowadays. However, it isbest practice to perform an AAC assessment and device trial to determine whichsystem works best for the individual. We wouldn’t buy eyeglasses without gettingan eye exam so why would we buy a communication app for someone without gettingan “AAC exam?”

In addition to this Facebookgroup, I highly recommend following AAC/AT social media accounts. Here are someof my favorites on Instagram as of February 2019:

• emilydiazslp

• beautifulspeechlife

• talkaactome

• thedailydoseofspeech

• communicationcottage

• aaciswhereitsat

• sarahweberspeech

• aacandasdslp

• praacticalaac

• aacchicks

• aacforadults

As the AAC community continuesto grow, I am sure the list of awesome AAC accounts will increase as well. I’dlove to hear about any new accounts that you follow below.

Follow AAC Related Blogs

If you are not following the PrAACtical AAC blog, then go check it out as soon as you’re finished reading this! The blog was started by Carole Zangari and the late Robin Parker and has been instrumental in helping professionals get access to evidenced-based information related to AAC. The information is presented in a way that is easy to digest and practical to start implementing right away in therapy. I personally refer to the blog at least once a week, if not more!

Some other fantastic AAC relatedblogs include the AAC Girls blogand the Dynamic TherapyAssociates blog.

Take Trainings Offered by Device Companies

People have mixed feelings about taking device-specific trainings. But honestly, how else will you know what to recommend for your clients if you don’t know what technology is available? It may help to know that most of the consultants for these companies are therapists and are ethically bound to adhere to their organization’s code of ethics.

In addition, many of the device companies offer ASHA accredited courses so the material has been evaluated by ASHA’s continuing education board. I would just recommend taking courses offered by a variety of device companies. That way, you can make your own decisions and recommendations when it comes to AAC evaluation and implementation.

Listen to AAC Related Podcasts

There are also some great podcasts that either exclusively feature AAC episodes or interview AAC experts in the field. These include Talking With Tech, A.T. Tips Cast and the one I co-host called Speechie Side Up!

Join the ASHA Special Interest Group

If you are an ASHA accredited SLP, then you know one of the perksis joining a special interest group. The AAC group is called SIG 12. I likethis group because it is similar to the AACFor the SLP Facebook group. However, the members tend to be more involvedwith AAC on a day to day basis, and that is why they invest in the membership.

Watch YouTube Videos

If you are like me, then you love seeing therapy in action!It is one thing to learn about a concept or strategy, but it is another toimplement it with a real live person. Thankfully, there are some great videoresources available that show how AAC is being implemented in therapy. Here aresome of my favorite AAC YouTube channels/vloggers:

• Wings Works

• Lindsey Paden Cargill

• Rachel Madel SLP

I do love a lot of device specific channels as well, but Iwanted to keep this post unbiased. Most device companies do have a YouTubechannel. So if you are looking for a device-specific tutorial or implementationstrategies, then you may want to check them out.

Get FREE AAC Apps

Businessman drawing APPS concept on blurred abstract background

Did you know that as an SLP you can get AAC apps for free? Check out this blog post by Omazing Kids LLC to find out the requirements for each app.

So there you have it! Ten ways to boost your knowledge in the area of augmentative and alternative communication. I hope you found this article helpful and I’d love to know what other sources you have found resourceful in your AAC journey!