CD 485 Computer Applications in Communication Disorders and Sciences

Augmentative and Alternate Communication (AAC) Devices for Communicatively Handicapped Individuals.

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION:

There are many individuals for whom speech will never be possible. In some cases they may be children whose disorders were present at birth. In others, they may be individuals who have received some manner of trauma during life, or they may be individuals who have a progressive degenerative neurological and/or muscular disorder. For these individuals neither medical intervention nor speech training hold any hope for rehabilitation. With the advances in technology that we have today, however, new opportunities have become available for motor impaired persons to communicate with the help of some device or method. Some devices consist of a typical home personal computer with perhaps a few special accessories and/or special software. Others employ computers developed and dedicated to perform verbal communication tasks, oral or written. And still others involve methods totally alternate to a computer.

This is not to say that the concept of communication aids did not exist before computers became so accessible. Note-pads, Indian sign language (Amerind), American Sign language, letter boards and communication booklets, to mention a few, were and still are being used effectively in various situations to facilitate the communication process.

Computers, however, with their ability to organize the thought processes, to predict words and phrases, and to provide speech and/or signs, have surpassed the limitations of the older methods and are evolving rapidly into exciting and ever more effective systems with awesome capabilities.

Be that as it may, important aids to consider include all assistive technologies in general, and specifically, augmentative and alternative communication devices. An assistive technology is any device or method that helps someone get something done. A toothbrush would fall under this category as a low-tech device. An electric toothbrush would be a higher tech example. An ultra sonic tooth cleaner would an example of a very high tech device. An augmentative communication device is an assistive technology devoted to improving communication. A microphone and amplifier is a good example of one that you or I might use. An alternative communication device is one that substitutes for oral communication. Steven Hawking can say nothing, but expresses a universe of knowledge through the speech of a computer.