Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Course

Lesson 1 • Defining AAC and Its Scope

Introduces the formal definition of AAC, its boundaries, and how it differs from natural speech. Anchors all subsequent content in shared terminology.

Lesson 2 • Historical Development of AAC

Traces AAC from early symbol boards to modern speech-generating devices. Provides context for understanding current practices and technology trajectories.

Lesson 3 • Ethical and Rights-Based Perspectives

Grounds AAC practice in communication rights and ethical obligations. Establishes the professional responsibility to presume competence and support access.

Lesson 4 • AAC System Components and Features

Breaks down the physical and digital components of AAC systems, including symbols, access methods, and output types. Builds vocabulary for evaluating any AAC tool.

Lesson 1 • Customizing Symbols for Individual Users

Addresses personalization of symbols through color coding, size, and culturally relevant imagery. Ensures symbol systems reflect the user's identity and environment.

Lesson 2 • Iconicity and Symbol Learnability

Explains how symbol transparency, translucency, and opacity affect acquisition speed. Guides symbol selection decisions based on user cognitive profile.

Lesson 3 • Core and Fringe Vocabulary Concepts

Distinguishes high-frequency core words from topic-specific fringe vocabulary. Demonstrates how balancing both supports functional, generative communication.

Lesson 4 • Vocabulary Organization Strategies

Covers taxonomic, activity-based, and semantic-syntactic organization schemes. Enables practitioners to design layouts that reduce cognitive load and support language.

Lesson 1 • Alternative and Emerging Access Methods

Introduces voice control, brain-computer interfaces, and partner-assisted scanning. Prepares practitioners for cutting-edge access solutions in complex cases.

Lesson 2 • Access Assessment and Trials

Provides a structured process for trialing and comparing access methods with individual users. Builds skills for documenting access performance and making evidence-based decisions.

Lesson 3 • Positioning and Mounting Considerations

Addresses how body positioning and device mounting affect access accuracy and endurance. Links seating and postural support to optimal AAC performance.

Lesson 4 • Scanning Access Strategies

Explains automatic, step, and directed scanning patterns for users with limited motor control. Connects scanning type to user fatigue, speed, and accuracy needs.

Lesson 1 • Feature Matching and System Selection

Applies assessment data to systematically compare AAC system features against user needs. Produces a defensible, individualised system recommendation.

Lesson 2 • Gathering Background Information

Covers case history, records review, and stakeholder interviews as assessment inputs. Ensures practitioners collect the contextual data needed for accurate system matching.

Lesson 3 • Assessing Communication Skills and Needs

Examines formal and informal tools for evaluating language, cognition, and motor skills. Connects assessment findings directly to AAC feature selection.

Lesson 4 • Frameworks for AAC Assessment

Introduces participation-based and feature-matching assessment models. Establishes the conceptual structure that guides all subsequent assessment activities.

Lesson 1 • Building Operational Competence

Addresses device setup, navigation, and maintenance skills users and partners need. Ensures technical barriers do not impede communication access.

Lesson 2 • Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Plans

Provides data collection methods and decision rules for evaluating AAC intervention effectiveness. Builds a cycle of continuous improvement in intervention planning.

Lesson 3 • Goal Setting for AAC Intervention

Establishes how to write measurable, participation-based AAC goals tied to assessment findings. Connects goal quality to meaningful communication outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Naturalistic Teaching Strategies

Covers milieu teaching, incidental learning, and embedded instruction for AAC. Ensures intervention occurs in meaningful, motivating contexts rather than isolated drills.

Lesson 1 • Modelling AAC as a Partner

Trains partners to use the AAC system themselves during interactions to demonstrate its use. Reinforces aided language stimulation as a shared responsibility across environments.

Lesson 2 • Role of Communication Partners in AAC

Defines how partner behaviour directly enables or restricts AAC user communication. Establishes partner training as a non-negotiable component of AAC intervention.

Lesson 3 • Core Partner Interaction Strategies

Teaches evidence-based strategies including expectant waiting, open questions, and balanced turns. Partners learn to create space for AAC users to initiate and respond.

Lesson 4 • Sustaining Partner Skills Over Time

Addresses strategies for maintaining partner competencies through coaching, check-ins, and resources. Prevents skill decay that undermines long-term AAC outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Transition Planning and Adult Services

Guides AAC planning across school-to-adult transitions, including employment and independent living. Ensures continuity of AAC support as service systems change.

Lesson 2 • AAC in School-Age Populations

Addresses AAC integration into academic curricula, peer interaction, and inclusive classroom settings. Connects AAC goals to educational participation and literacy development.

Lesson 3 • AAC in Medical and Hospital Settings

Prepares practitioners to provide rapid AAC solutions for patients with acute communication needs. Covers low-tech and high-tech options for intensive care and rehabilitation.

Lesson 4 • AAC for Adults with Acquired Disorders

Examines AAC for stroke, traumatic brain injury, ALS, and progressive neurological conditions. Addresses the emotional and identity dimensions of acquired communication loss.

Lesson 1 • Program Development and Quality Improvement

Guides practitioners in designing AAC programs, measuring outcomes, and applying quality improvement cycles. Builds organisational capacity for sustainable, evidence-based AAC services.

Lesson 2 • Building and Leading AAC Teams

Develops skills for coordinating interdisciplinary teams, resolving conflicts, and distributing leadership. Positions practitioners as effective AAC team leaders and consultants.

Lesson 3 • Funding, Advocacy, and Access

Covers funding pathways, documentation requirements, and advocacy strategies for AAC access. Equips practitioners to navigate funding systems and champion user rights.

Lesson 4 • Multimodal Communication Systems

Integrates speech, gesture, low-tech, and high-tech tools into cohesive multimodal systems. Ensures practitioners design flexible systems that leverage all available modalities.