Ordinary + Necessary

The vision – 

The idea of aided AAC is at least 100 years old, but the variety and complexity of AAC devices has grown substantially. It's understandable that not many people know much about it. But what if we could live in a world where everyone would grow up knowing what AAC is for, and they wouldn’t think twice about using it whenever they needed or wanted?

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Device: something that helps people add onto their natural speech (also known as “mouth words”), or an alternative if natural speech is not possible for them. 

“AAC System”: All the ways a person communicates. This might include mouth words, manual signs, gestures, writing, and/or some sort of lite-tech, mid-tech, or high-tech device.

It’s important to point out that just about everyone uses some kind of “alternative” communication, at least some of the time. For example, I’m your classic millennial that prefers texting or email over calling someone. Text is an “alternative” to using speech. 

But for people with disabilities, AAC is not just a “nice-to-have” - it can be a must-have, life-saving, miracle. It’s not a last resort, it’s not a “if we get around to it”, and it’s definitely not something that should be restricted just because, “we don’t have the budget or the time”. 

The ability to communicate results in the ability to direct your own life and form relationships, and that is the core goal of public education. 

• AAC devices directly result in improved quality of life. (Actually, it doubles it.)

• Communication is a human right (see Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). 

Adult AAC users have told us in no uncertain terms: everyone should have access and choices about the ways they communicate. 

What we would do at “LUVUSD” –

As you heard in the introduction to this series, I’m going to be describing to you my dream school district. I’ve decided to nickname it: “Lift Up Voices Unified School District”, or LUVUSD for short. 

In this dream school:

1. Everyone would be given a generic AAC device automatically. This could be as simple as a lite-tech core board that all classrooms use. As an added bonus, core words have a high degree of overlap with sight words, so we’re just adding visuals to something that children already need to learn. 

2. Getting a personalized AAC device would be as simple as asking for one. Anyone on the IEP team could make this request, and the question would NOT be, “Is this child eligible?” but, “What kinds of devices and strategies might this child benefit from?” In other words, the referral process would be simple, friendly, and well known to all staff members.

3. Plus, there would be a screening process for kids with IEPs, to make doubly sure that no one ever misses out on this crucial support. 

Because of this, AAC would be widespread and common. Everyone would know that an AAC device is as crucial for communication, as a wheelchair can be for mobility, or glasses can be for sight. They would treat all these things with the same combination of respect (i.e. “I know there are people who need this thing and it’s important.”) and banality (“It’s totally normal for people to use this thing.”). 

You know the phrase, “ordinary and necessary” - referring to expenses that a business is allowed to deduct for business purposes? That phrase perfectly summarizes the attitude toward AAC that I want to see. It would be deeply ingrained in the culture: people would say “We’re a (insert name of AAC app) district” like they currently say things like, “We’re a Chromebook district”. 

It’s not just a dream - 

A few years ago, Melissa Petersen gave an incredible presentation at AAC in the Cloud, and I still refer back to her resources today. The structure that she gave to her district’s AAC program is comprehensive, evidence-based, and yet as you read it you will feel the love and care for students and staff shining through. I’m telling you, check it out: 

• Melissa Petersen: One, Two, Three - AAC – streamlining AAC at school using tiered AAC supports

• Slides & handouts from the presentation

If you’d like to work to create this culture in your school district, here are three more resources to help you out:

• Specific Language System First Approach

• AAC Screening

• Sample referral form (new freebie, just published!)

And if you are a parent trying to get access to an AAC device for your child in today’s imperfect system, here are some resources to help with that:

• AAC Advocacy for Parents

• Instagram: How to get AAC if you don't have an SLP

• Top 15 Free AAC Resources 

At this moment, not very many people who need AAC, actually have access to it because of something called "under-identification". Next month, it’s AAC Awareness month, and I’ll tell you about the one key number I want to see everyone start sharing.