We all use forms of AAC every day.

Speech may be replaced or augmented by: You use AAC when you use facial expressions or gestures instead of talking. Most of the devices fall between $100 to $200, however. In fact, the difference between augmentative and alternative communication is merely the difference between partial and total dependency on non-speech communication. AAC includes all of the ways we share our ideas and feelings without talking.
You may have seen someone write in a notebook to answer a question. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) encompasses the communication methods used to supplement or replace speech or writing for those with impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language. AAC can be a per… You use A… AAC is used by those with a wide range of speech and language impairments, including congenital impairments such as cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment and autism, and acquired conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Although the same systems can be used for either augmentative communication or alternative communication, there is a difference between the two. Augmentative and Alternative Communication is the formal title for non-speech communication. You may have seen someone push buttons on a computer that speaks for them.

Pal Pad Pressure Activated Switches.

Kinds of Augmentative Communication Devices . Mayer-Johnson systems include devices that range in price from roughly $30 to as much as $2,500. Sometimes, ‘alternative communication’ means providing an …

These are all forms of augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC. Maybe you have seen people using sign language or other gestures. Augmentative systems are used by people who already have some speech but are either unable to be understood, or have limited speaking ability. Examples of augmentative communication devices include the Mayer-Johnson systems, DynaVox and the Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS).


Augmentative and alternative communication can refer to simple body language all the way to high-tech devices.

With many solutions from sign language to digitized language, it can be difficult to know exactly what your student needs without understanding the small differences between augmentative and alternative.