Exam 15: Augmentative and Alternative Communication

As the speech-language pathologist assigned to the brain and spinal cord injury unit for adolescents at the local children's hospital,you work with many,previously socially and physically active,teens suffering from acute brain injury secondary to motor vehicle accidents.

Benjamin was not making progress with achieving functional communication use of his AAC system.His choice of symbols to select referents was randomly made at best.His speech-language pathologist was at a loss about what to do next.He should

AAC symbol sets represent abstract and concrete referents equally well,whereas AAC symbol systems do not.

Speech-language pathologists who engage in evidence-based AAC clinical practice

Bradley's communication goals include increasing functional use of AAC and increasing speech intelligibility.The two goals will

AAC symbol sets do not have specified rules for expansion while AAC symbol systems do.

J has ALS.He requires an AAC system that

The success of AAC depends on the matching of communication strategies to the needs of the individual and creating an environment that supports the use of AAC.

Augmentative communication strategies supplement residual speech,while alternative communication strategies replace speech.

Exemplary clinical practice promotes the concept of viewing AAC users as multi-modal communicators.

Scanning selection methods are preferable for individuals with limited motor abilities.

Ideograms are real life pictures to be used on communication boards.

To teach the scanning method of symbol selection

Bradley is a six-year old with spastic cerebral palsy characterized by quadriplegic hemiparesis,poor posture,and poor head control.His speech is characterized by severe spastic dsysarthria which makes him unintelligible to unfamiliar listeners 90% of the time.Bradley demonstrates the cognitive and academic skills of a first grader and he and his parents are anxious for him to be placed in a regular classroom.Bradley requires an AAC system that will allow him to communicate spontaneously with his teachers and peers.Based on Bradley's motor,cognitive,academic and social needs,the speech-language pathologist selects an

American Sign Language may be viewed as an aided symbol set.

Bradley's AAC system was designed to allow him the use of a pneumatic sip-and-puff switch to select symbols presented in a row-column array screen to communicate.Bradley's 'means to select' is referred to as

Cultural background and practices as well as visual,motor and cognitive skills should be considered when selecting a symbol set or system for an AAC user.

Amy's AAC system seemed to be a perfect fit.She had the knowledge of the symbol system to produce original utterances.She managed the direct selection device with ease and she was able to use the system to address most breakdowns in communication.Yet,Amy did not use her system often to interact in class,in the cafeteria or on the playground.Amy's overall communicative competence using AAC was limited because of a lack of

Assisting AAC users to communicate effectively with a small number of supportive individuals is an appropriate intervention goal.

The purpose of communication for persons with disabilities differs from the purpose of communication for persons without disabilities.