Communication

What is meant by AAC?

Augmentative & Alternative Communication refers to any means by which an individual can supplement or replace spoken communication.

Unaided Communication can comprise of body language, sign language, verbal and gestural strategies.

Aided Communication can require equipment including: objects, photos or symbols (PCS) organised in charts or books and Communication Aids.

These Communication Aids are more commonly called VOCA’s (Voice Output Communication Aids) and are hardware units or laptops installed with communication software, using symbols and/or text, that produce speech with either digitised voice recordings or a synthesised voice.

What is a Communication
Aid?

What can a Communication
Aid be used for?

Why use a Communication
Aid?

	Voice for the voiceless
	Empowerment tool
	Core utility for integration
	A Tool for Life

	Communication
	Literacy
	Environmental Control
	Education
	Life Skills
	Entertainment

	To respond to others
	To encourage independence
	To state needs, wants, feelings, opinions & ideas
	To communicate spontaneously
	To interact and socialise
	To offer, ask for and receive information
	To hold conversations

Some Useful Terms

Dedicated Aid

A communication aid that has speech as its only or prime function. For example:MessageMates & the Proteor DialO.

Non-Dedicated Aid

A communication aid that can performs tasks other than speech. For example: The Cameleon & CamPac family of communicators.

Static Aid

A communication aid where the communication overlay or screen never changes when selections are made (similar to a communication chart). For example: MessageMates.

Dynamic Aid

A communication aid where the communication screen changes when selections are made (similar to a communication book). For example: Say-it! Sam or a Cameleon with Personal Communicator, Talking Screen or Speaking Dynamically Pro.

Symbolic Aid

A communication aid where the communication method is via symbols such as, PCS, Rebus or Bliss For example: MessageMates, Say-it! Sam or a Cameleon with Personal Communicator, Talking Screen or Boardmaker with Speaking Dynamically Pro.

Text-based Aid

A communication aid where the communication method is via Text (usually involving: word prediction, word learning, document reading and abbreviation expansion) For example: Proteor DialO, Say-it! Sam or a Cameleon with EZ Keys or Speaking Dynamically Pro.

Vocabulary

A coherently organised set of symbols or text that allows a communication aid user to quickly generate speech. For example our symbol vocabularies include: IDV, CCS, CALLtalk & Sensory Adult Vocabulary. Our Text vocabularies include: WordPower and MessageMaker.