COMMUNICATION
Expert Tips for Getting the Most
Out Of an AAC Device
By Rebecca EISENBERG, MS, CCC-SLP
I
n my recent article published in Autism Parenting
Magazine, Issue 67, I focused on the augmenta-
tive and alternative communication (AAC) evalu-
ation process and on answering commonly asked
questions.
Many people have a misconception that once you re-
ceive an AAC communication device, this is the end
of your journey. This is just the beginning! Receiv-
ing an appropriate communication system for your
child is a very important part of the process, but it is
not enough to get your child started on becoming a
functional communicator.
In this article, I want to discuss the necessary steps
that parents should take upon receiving an AAC de-
vice for their child.
1.
Request school training from a
speech-language pathologist (SLP)
that specializes in AAC
One of my main responsibilities is training the
AAC user’s school staff and working individu-
ally with the AAC user. Many people wonder,
“Why can’t the child’s speech-language pa-
thologist train all the staff?” This can be the
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 74 |
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