***** Respond following the established guidelines. The answer must be of a substantial nature and with quotes present in the textbook. Agree or disagree is not appropriate. 

***** Only use this book and specific pages.   Represent the quotes (author, year, and page) when reflecting the content in your paragraphs with concepts fundament or content about the title:  

Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Implementing AAC SAugmentative and Alternative Communication. Implementing AAC System  Chapter 15 page 236 

Textbook:   

Kuder, S. J. (2018). Teaching students with language and communication disabilities. Boston,  MA: Pearson.

Peer: Laura LLedo

Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

            Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems are designed to supplement or replace the natural language and communication of persons with disabilities. The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) has defined augmentative and alternative communication as “a set of tools and strategies that an individual use to solve every day communicative challenges” (Kuder, 2018, p. 237). AAC was implemented for school-age children with known disabilities that make it hard for them to create spoken language. These children were employed in non-productive sheltered workshop activities. Children with language or speech problems need AAC to help them communicate. That’s why technology has brought hope to them through the introduction of new approaches called augmentative and alternative communication (Taylor, 2019).

             As with any kind of intervention, the development of an AAC system begins with assessment. The most useful kind of assessment is one that is ecological in nature, that is, one that surveys the communicative environments and communicative needs in which the individual will function (Kuder, 2018). AAC includes all the ways of sharing ideas and feelings without talking. For example, a student with fragile X syndrome is said to have severe articulation problems that make his/her speech difficult to understand. He/She carries communication wallet with pictures which she shows to others for them to understand the information she is passing. Another student with cerebral palsy attends a general education classroom. The student uses a head pointer to touch electronic keyboard because of his limited motor ability. The keyboard formulates written messages and produces voice output helping the student learn with others (Taylor, 2019).

            All these individuals are using some types of augmentative or alternative communication procedures. AAC provides hope and development of communication skills for children with severe communication disorders and language (Taylor, 2019). According to Wilkinson & Hennig (2017), there are two basic kinds of AAC techniques, aided and unaided. Unaided augmentative communication techniques do not require external support devices or procedures in order to operate. They include techniques such as sign language and gestural cueing systems. Also, Bondy & Frost (2001) referred that aided augmentative communication techniques use communication means that may be as simple as communication board or as complex as a computer with synthetic speech output device. Low (or light) technology-aided systems include systems include symbol boards, communication books, or picture system such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) (Kuder, 2018).

         Unaided techniques have the obvious advantages of portability and speed of message preparation Surveys within states have indicated that more than two million people in the United States with language impairment use AAC devices. Hence the AAC system is designed to replace or supplement natural communication and language of persons with disabilities (Taylor, 2019).