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AAC Assessment Overview
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AAC Assessment
AAC Assessment is holistic and ongoing.Consider student’s abilities
Current communication systemReceptive languageLiteracy
Consider the communication environments—home, school, work, leisure.
Every AAC system is a work in progress!“Today vs. Tomorrow” (Beukelman & Mirenda
2013)Always honor the current communication system
as you work on the new one.
Consider--Communication partners—WE
NEED THEM!They can tell us about the current communication system.
They have background information about the student.
They will be supporting the student’s current and future communication systems.
Barriers to communicationInternalSpeech, sensory and physical impairments
Hearing testFunctional Vision Assessment
Cognitive impairments, Poor receptive languageLearned helplessness, fear of failure
ExternalIn the physical worldIn the attitudes and unexamined beliefs of other people
Background InformationMedical DiagnosisVisionHearing
History of middle ear infectionsLanguages spoken at home
Life DomainsHome
Family membersLanguages spoken by relatives
SchoolProjects and homeworkExtracurricular activities
Leisure activity settings:Travel?Outdoor activities?Religious activities?
Motor SkillsGross Motor
Walks independently?Uses a wheel chair
Manual: self propelled or partner propelled? Power chair
Fine MotorCan the student
Write?Draw?Point with an isolated finger?Use a standard keyboard?Point with the whole hand or fist?Use a pointer?Use eye gaze to point?Size of targetsSpacing of targets
Current Communication SystemReceptive LanguageCan the student understand the speech of others?Can she follow directions without gestural or
contextual cues?Does he require visual supports (pictures,
gestures) to understand spoken information?Has she completed any formal language
assessment?Some assessments can be adapted for non-speaking
students Criterion based assessment
Current CommunicationUnaided Expressive Language
Spoken words or word approximationsManual signs and natural gestures
Intelligibility in context? With familiar listeners With unfamiliar listeners
Ease of production Consistency of production
Communication should be as effortless as possible!
Speech & LanguageExpressive Language (cont.)
Manual signs Intelligible to unfamiliar communication partners
who know basic signs? Intelligible to unfamiliar communication partners?
Pre-symbolic communicationVocalizationsGesturesFacial ExpressionsMuscle tone
Behavioral CommunicationTantrumsMeltdownsSelf injurious behaviors
What is the message?I don’t want this. I want that.I’m overwhelmed. I need a break.I’m frustrated, angry, confused…
Written Language—the most complete AAC system ever!
Reading skills
Writing & spelling skills
Reading and writing are basic human rights.
Feature MatchingIdentifying the client’s strengths or needsMatching them to the features available in various
AAC tools:Language representation:
Text to speech (with or without word prediction) Picture symbols—PCSs, Wigit symbols, Pictographs, Symbol
Stix, Pixons, Bliss Symbols Photographs Braille, Morse Code
Access method: eye control, touch screen, single switch, two switches
Accessories: mounting system, pointer, key guard, sun shield, carrying case
Features: Speech OutputSynthesized speech
Allows users to generate unique spoken messages Appropriate to user’s age, gender and (in many
cases) ethnicity Delivered at consistent pace and volume Doesn’t sound like a real person
Digitized speech• Each message is recorded individually• Great for singing Happy Birthday, telling jokes,
making animal noises and vocal interjections (Ahem! Ha! Doh!)
• Not consistent, rarely age and gender appropriate.
Features: No Speech OutputTechnology free means:You can drop it, throw it, get it wet! Never needs
recharging! Sometimes users get more social attention and face to
face interaction with tech free modes of communication.PECS—Picture Exchange Communication SystemCommunication bookEye gaze board
Alphabetic Encoded w/ auditory scanning
Picture based
Features: KeyboardsAlphabetic, QWERTY, Dvorak or organized for
scanningAdapted keyboard—larger size; one handed
5-finger typingOn screen keyboardWord predictionSentence predictionSize of text
Features: Switch AccessScanning methods:
Automatic scanning Step scanning (with one or two switches) Inverse scanning Row column, sequential (linear), rotary, block, other
Scanning mode—auditory, visualType of switch—button style, wafer, sip and
puff, pillow, squeeze, proximity, motion sensingSwitch access point—hand, head, chin, foot….
Features…The list
Just Keeps
Growing…..
But that’s ok!The road is long.