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Review of Types of AAC

Forum References FAQ's Quiz Lecture Introduction Types of AAC

AAC techniques fall into two main types. Aided and unaided techniques.

Unaided techniques do not require any external equipment. This means that the individual only uses his own body to communicate. The most common unaided systems include gestures and signs.

Aided techniques require external materials or devices, such as simple picture boards, voice output devices or complex devices with computer capabilities. Aided techniques can range from inexpensive (e.g., communication boards) to very costly (e.g., devices costing thousands of dollars to purchase).

Here is a quick glance at the variety of types of AAC available

Unaided techniques
Aided techniques
Gestures and body language Picture exchange communication system
Sign language Communication boards and books
  Voice output communication Aids (VOCAs)

One AAC technique will rarely meet all of a student’s communication needs. Most often individuals rely on a combination of both modes to communicate effectively.

Lets look at these various techniques in more depth.

Unaided techniques

Gestures and body language

Gestures are probably the most common of all AAC modes. Most of us naturally use a variety of gestures as we speak. We may nod our head in agreement, use our finger to point at something out of reach, or use a scowling face to communicate anger or frustration. These types of gestures and body language are all common types of unaided AAC. To a nonverbal child, pushing away something may communicate rejection or touching a person's shoulder may effectively secure someone’s attention. We cannot overlook the importance of simple gestures when implementing an AAC system. However, gestures are limited in nature. That is, they typically carry only general meaning and lack the specificity required to communicate more varied or detailed information. Most often formal use of signs is also needed.

Sign language

Sign language is primarily used as a method of communication for the deaf or hard of hearing. However, teaching sign language to individuals with ASD has been well documented for over 30 years. While teaching sign language is not as common as it was in previous years, it is still a legitimate method to use as an initial communication strategy or in combinations with other methods. It is useful because signs can be produced anywhere, any time and can never be taken away from a student. Through the use of signs individuals have learned to ask for help, request favorite things, or answer yes/no questions.

"More"

"Please"

"Thank you"
Figure 1. 4-year-old boy making the signs “more,” “please,” and “thank you.”

Sign Language is most often taught to children by modeling a sign for a desired word. If the child does not initiate the sign, the child's hands can be physically shaped to form the sign. Several different sign systems have been used successfully (i.e., American Sign Language (ASL) and Signing Exact English). Differences in these sign systems relate to the complexity of the signs themselves and the complexity of language structure that is used.

Unaided techniques have both advantages and disadvantage as illustrated below.

Advantages of Unaided Techniques Disadvantages of Unaided Techniques
  • Signs and gestures are fast! No setup time.
  • Some gestures are easily interpreted by others.
  • Gestures and signs are always available. They can’t be taken away.
  • Most signs are not easily understood by others unless they are trained. It is difficult to request specific items such as brand name products.
  • Sign production may be difficult for those with fine-motor difficulties.
  • Signs have no permanent display, so individuals must rely on memory to produce them. Individuals with ASD are often challenged to interpret gestures/nonverbal communication.

If you want to learn more about specific signs, you may find the following web sites helpful.

A Basic Guide to ASL - a dictionary of sign descriptions
http://www.masterstech-home.com/ASLDict.html

Basic principles of Signing Exact English - animated dictionary of signs
http://www.dpa.org.sg/signlang/html/lesson2.html

Often signs and gestures are used in conjunction with aided techniques. Let’s take a look at aided techniques below.

 

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