A Collection of Resources to Connect Children to AAC

Resource Toolkit Assignment:  Resource Summary Sheet

1.     Name of the tool, or a brief description: This collection of information can serve as a resource for both SLPs and parents of children who will use (or currently use) AAC. It lists organizations that support different age groups of children as well as references for locating an AAC specialist.

2.     What type of patient(s) would you use this tool/technique with?  (Describe by characteristics or by etiology.) I would use this tool most with parents of children who will be using AAC. It also would serve as a good reference tool for myself or other SLPs who interact with young AAC users.

3.     How/why would you use this tool?  In what way will it be helpful? This tool would make a great handout for parents to take home and refer back to as they navigate through the process of obtaining an AAC device for their child. It would also be a good resource for new SLPs who are interacting with young AAC users.

4.     What are the advantages of this tool/technique? It’s a concise way to provide helpful information in language that’s approachable to both parents and professionals. Most of the resources provided to parents will offer their own set of links and resources, so you are exposing them to lots of good information.

5.     Are there any disadvantages to this tool/technique? The information included in this resource is limited and short. It’s a great way to refer people to additional resources, but it’s not complete in and of itself.

The next several questions relate to how you obtained this resource:

6.     If you used an existing tool, answer these two questions:

a)     Source/citation for this tool:   (whether published, or from a course, or SPHSC materials) This information was compiled from the YAACK (AAC Connecting Young Kids) website: http://aac.unl.edu/yaack/toc.html

b)    Did you modify this tool?  If so, in what way? Although the information in the resource has not been altered, I combined different groupings of information into a single document.

c)     Anything you still don’t like about it and may change in the future? So far, I like how concise and readable this information is.

Connecting Young Children to AAC

Where to get help

The process of designing and implementing an AAC system consists of many different steps. It typically starts with a comprehensive assessment to identify the strengths, abilities, and communication needs of the child. Based on the information gathered, a communication program can be developed, and the most appropriate AAC system selected. Implementation of the program occurs through instruction as well as adaptation of the activities and environments in which the child communicates or is expected to communicate. These steps—assessments, program development, instruction and adaptations—are carried out on an ongoing basis to keep up with the child's own progress and maturation.

Contacting an organization for services and support

The first step in the AAC process is to link up with an organization that provides services to young children with severe communication disabilities and their families. In the United States, there are resources available in every state, many of which offer information and assistance at very little or no cost. For the most part, these organizations work with children and/or adults with any type of disability, and offer a wide variety of supports with AAC being just one of many different services provided.

Organizations supporting children under three

For children under the age of three there are "zero-to-three programs" (also called "early intervention centers," "infant-toddler programs" or "infant-child development programs") located in every state. These are state-run organizations which provide comprehensive assessment, therapy, transition-assistance, information and support services to infants and toddlers who have disabilities and their families. These centers are mandated by the federal government and usually under the jurisdiction of the state department of health or education. Their services are free or on a sliding fee scale, and they maintain a "family-centered" (as opposed to a purely "child-centered") approach in which the needs and lifestyle of the entire family are taken into account when establishing a child with disability's therapy and support program.

These centers can be located by asking pediatricians and public health nurses, or by contacting the administering state department. To identify the state department that has jurisdiction over a zero-to-three program in a particular state, the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System (NECTAS) provides a listing of all zero-to-three programs by state on their web site at www.nectas.unc.edu/makecx/ptccoord.html.

OTHER RESOURCES:

• "Frequently Asked Questions: The Infants and Toddlers Program" by Susan Goodman, Esq. at at-advocacy.phillynews.com/data/faq7.html.
• "A Parent's Guide to Accessing Programs for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers with Disabilities" at www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/infantpub.html.

Organizations supporting children three and older

For preschoolers (three years and up) and school-age children who have disabilities, the public school system is required by the federal government to develop and provide, at no cost to the family, an AAC program that is designed to assist the child in receiving an appropriate education. Although the program is only required to cover the child’s educational goals, the term "special education" has been very broadly defined and individually applied. A resulting AAC program can, therefore, be very comprehensive, covering home and community needs in addition to those of school. Besides developing individualized programs of instruction, schools are also mandated to provide related services and equipment, such as an AAC device, or training in its usage.

OTHER RESOURCES:

• "A Parent's Guide to Accessing Programs for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers with Disabilities" which covers ages birth through five years atwww.kidsource.com/NICHCY/infantpub.html.
• "Questions Often Asked About Special Education Services" at www.kidsource.com/
  NICHCY/special_ed.html.
• "Educational TECH points for parents" by Gayl Bowser and Penny Reed, a guide on getting and using the right technology from your school (not necessarily AAC), at www.closingthegap.com/cgi-bin/lib/libDsply.pl?a=1113&b=5.
• "What Makes a Good Individual Education Plan for Your Child?" based on Minnesota's special education laws but useful for an IEP in any state at www.pacer.org/parent/iep.htm.

Organizations supporting children and adults

Additional support is available through the State Assistive Technology Projects, located in each state and established under the Tech Act of the federal government. These organizations provide information and assistance on all types of assistive technology, including technology-based AAC systems and devices. In addition, there are many private, non-profit and/or university-affiliated AAC resource centers located around the country. These centers specialize in AAC support and services for persons of all ages.

To locate your state's Assistive Technology Projects go to:

• The Assistive and Adaptive Computing Technology In Education website at at-advocacy.phillynews.com/data/ata.html
• The Dreamms for Kids website at www.dreamms.org/techact.htm.

To find the nearest specialized AAC center, contact your state's Assistive Technology Project (as mentioned above), or one of the listservs dealing with AAC and communication-related issues. (See On-line discussion groups.)

Finding an AAC specialist

Currently, it is not easy to directly locate an AAC specialist or a speech-language pathologist (SLP) with AAC experience. The American Speech-Hearing-Language Association (ASHA) offers a voluntary accreditation program for speech-language and audiology programs and individual speech-language pathologists. While this certification does not require AAC experience, these programs and SLPs are obligated to divulge information upon request regarding the extent to which they are familiar with AAC. A listing of ASHA-certified speech-language and audiology programs and speech-language pathologists can be obtained on ASHA’s web site at www.asha.org/consumers/find_professionals.htmor by contacting ASHA at 1-800-638-8255.

OTHER RESOURCES:

• "Finding Professionals and Services" at www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/comdis/
  kuster2/library.html#findingprofs.
• "Service Providers Network in the field of augmentative communication" at www.augcomm.com/service.html.
• "The Perfect Speech Language Pathologist for Your Child" by Megan M. Guenther, MA CCC/SLP at planet-hawaii.com/7thwave/dys.slp.html.