Purpose statement:
The main purpose of this SLP is to build knowledge, skills and expertise in the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to stakeholders who directly or indirectly support and educate children whose speech is severely affected. Individuals with speech difficulties present a continuous challenge in communication which negatively affects their learning and participation in their daily activities. There are various conditions that cause severe speech production. These conditions include:
Developmental disabilities
Developmental Apraxia of speech
Cerebral palsy
Down Syndrome
Other Intellectual impairments
Traumatic brain injury
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Fragile X Syndrome
Angelman syndrome etc.
Inclusive education, as a policy and human-rights mandate, provides a strong justification for the implementation of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in schools. Inclusive education requires that all learners, including those with complex communication needs, are supported to participate meaningfully in teaching, learning, and social interaction within mainstream and special school settings. Ability to communicate is the prerequisite of learning and participation in all educational context. In this module students will be introduced to the importance of communication in educational settings, what AAC is, importance of AAC, AAC candidates and array of symbols used to compensate speech production in non-speaking individuals.
