Monday, January 25, 2010

week 2

Augmentative communication is a subset of assistive technology – understanding the differences and similarities between augmentative communication, assistive technology, high, low, and no tech AT is confusing but critical in understanding the field of assistive technology

The field of AT is very broad and it can be used to help people with a variety of needs. One of the subsets of AT is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) which is the process of using AT to communicate; this is needed to fully function in the world. Since AAC is part of AT, it is easy to believe that it is similar to the rest of AT but it is not. There are specific characteristics that make a device AAC; it must improve an individual’s ability to communicate effectively with the world around them. Not all AT is absolutely necessary for a person to function in the world but AAC is necessary.

AAC gives a person the ability to have a voice in what is going on around him or her; for young children who have verbalization difficulties it can give them the freedom of choice. The website YAACK describes the importance of AAC in the development of children. It explains that AAC is needed for young children because communication is what “cognitive, social and academic progress depends on,” and without it they would stall. (http://aac.unl.edu/yaack/toc.html) The website also suggests, when children are young they need to communicate with adults in a meaningful way to get their needs met and if they cannot they may shut down. AAC can help aid children in learning how to meaningfully and affectively communicate with the world around them. If they do not feel that they are being listened to it could cause them to stop developing all together. Also, if individuals and especially children do not have a way to communicate their needs, they will fall into learned helplessness and they will never develop the skills to do things for themselves. For adults who want to be independent of others and interact with the world as a whole they need AAC. Adults who have communication disabilities need AAC in order to be independent of others and communicate without the assistance.

AAC maybe the one area of AT where high tech devices are truly needed. Some low or no tech AAC devices may work for young children or those with limited cognitive abilities but for fully cognitive adults high tech devices are a necessity. The example of the no tech AAC that I used last week, the picture board, was great for preschool students because they did not have complex communication needs. Also at a young age children do not have a complete grasp of sentence construction or spelling. For adults a picture board would not work and would be too limiting. Adults require AAC that allows for complex communication with a wide variety of options if they desire independence. One example of an option for adult communication would be the Freedom 2000 Touchbook. (http://www.abilityhub.com/aac/aac-devices.htm) This device allows adults to interact with employees in a store to ask for assistance in finding an item, in a restaurant to place an order, or to hold a conversation with someone at work. Without the option of complex, high tech AAC devices adults will be limited in the things that they can do.

The main thing that needs to be understood about the differences between AAC and AT is that AAC is needed to truly communicate with the world. One cannot function without assistance in the world if they cannot communicate on their own. In order to be independent of others one needs AAC to help them.

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