A brief exploration of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Symbol systems

1. David
Banes and
E.A. Draffan
AAC Introductory
Overview

2. 2
Communication
• On average we speak at 10 sounds per
second,
• we need 100 muscle groups for each sound,
• each muscle group requires 15 pieces of
information from the brain to be in the right
position and tone to make 1 sound.
• 150,000 neuromuscular events per second
when we talk. (Darley, 1974)

3. 3
Expression
• People average 140-206 words
per minute
• Communication aid user - 12-
50 words per minute
• “An AAC technique does not
result in instant
communication any more than
providing a piano results in an
instant musician.” (Beukleman
and Garrett, 1988)

4. 4
Augmentative and Alternative
Communication (AAC)
• An ‘add on’ to speech and language or
• Another way of communicating

5. 5
Ellen using AAC Assistive Technology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAdEOXD9Tvk

6. 6
Who uses AAC?
• AAC may be used if someone has
– a congenital disability (born with communication
difficulties and/or cognitive impairments) – teaching
skills, building generative language
– acquired brain damage (e.g. head injury) - rehabilitate
– degenerative disorder(e.g. Motor Neuron Disease or
ALS) - preserve
This affects the type and way AAC is used

7. 7
The Aim of AAC
• Building conversations rather than just
counting words
– Greetings, agreement/disagreement, questions,
giving information, expressing ability/inability,
making suggestions…
– Core and fringe vocabularies
– Modelling language at all times

8. 8
Practising Modelling with Core Words
https://youtu.be/QmuBaL-xWfw

9. 9
The AAC journey
• Functional language – needs and wants
• Meaningful language – understanding and
using words
• Creating language - grammar, changing word
shapes e.g. plurals and placement depending
on context
• Sounds of language – reading and writing

10. 10
Sample AAC Assistive Technologies (AT)
• Thanks to Liberator.co.uk

11. 11
Static compared to Dynamic AAC Assistive
Technologies
Pros
• Fixed in a matrix
• Available at all times
• Easier to learn positions
of symbols
• Easy to work between
computer and paper
based systems.
• Can be used to make up a
series of phrases.
Cons
• Same symbols may be used
in different situations or
combined.
• Overlays have to be
changed if alternatives
required
• Large vocabularies need
larger screens and symbols
become harder to target.

12. 12
AAC users explain the benefits of their AT
http://youtu.be/_1QIhWa_4_A

13. From the Global Symbols Team
https://globalsymbols.com
David’s YouTube video “3
Minute thoughts 3 - What is
AAC ?”
Thank you