AAC
Myths


h"p://aac.unl.edu/yaack/b2.html

Myths/Fears
 Facts
 Solu1ons

AAC
should
be
introduced
 No
one
can
determine
how
someone’s
speech
will
 Speech
therapy
can
take
place
in

only
a4er
giving
up
all
 develop
 conjunc=on
with
AAC.

The
therapy
team

should
periodically
reevaluate
the

hope
of
natural
speech
 Children
with
serve
communica=on
deficits
who
only

individuals
communica=ve
ability
in

receive
speech
therapy
may
not
obtain
a
way
to

various
environments,
ac=vi=es,
and

communicate
.

rou=nes.
(Beukelman
&
Mirenda,
1992)


A
child
who
is
not
able
to
communica=on
effec=vely
is

at
great
risk
for
cogni=ve,
social,
emo=onal,
and

behavioral
problems
(Berry,
1987;
Silverman,
1980)

The
introduc=on
of
AAC
 The
introduc=on
of
AAC
correlates
with
the
 LiLle
research
has
been
conducted
to

reduces
mo=va=on
to
 improvement
of
natural
speech—‐even
in
situa=ons
in
 determine
if
certain
types
of
AAC
are
more

which
no
speech
therapy
has
been
given
(Berry,
1997;
 likely
to
facilitate
the
development
of

work
on
speech

Daniels,
1994;
Romski
&
Sevcik,
1993;
Konstantareas,
 speech.
However,
a
simultaneous

(Buekelman
&
Mirenda,
 1984;
Silverman,
1980)
 communica=on
approach,
in
which
speech

1992;
Silverman,
1980;
 is
u=lized
by
the
adult
alongside
AAC,

Studies
have
shown
that
typically
developing
children

VanTatehhove,
1987)
 seems
likely
to
assist
in
speech

with
access
to
sign
and
speech

during
infancy
appear

comprehension
and
produc=on

to
begin
to
communicate
(ini=ally
with
signs)
and

(Beukelman
&
Mirenda,
1992)

develop
spoken
language
at
a
much
younger
age
than

would
otherwise
have
been
expected
(Holmes
&

Holmes,
1980)

 AAC
Myths
cont.


h"p://aac.unl.edu/yaack/b2.html

Myths/Fears
 Facts
 Solu1ons

Whenever
present,
even
 Children
who
are
unable
to
communicate
adequately
 The
therapeu=c
team
should
assess
what

though
very
limited,
 are
at
risk
for
behavior
problems,
learned
 communica=on
means
is
most
effec=ve

helplessness,
academic
difficul=es,
and
social
failure
 with
various
partners
in
all
environments,

speech
should
always
be

ac=vi=es,
and
rou=nes.

If
speech
is

the
primary
means
of
 Children
who
use
AAC
have
shown
improvements
in
 understood
with
some
partners,
that

communica=on
 behavior,
aLen=on,
independence,
self‐confidence,
 should
be
the
primary
means
of

(Silverman,
1980)
 class
par=cipa=on,
academic
progress
and
social
 communica=on
while
AAC
is
used
with

interac=on
(Abrahamsen,
Romski
&
Sevcik,
1989;
 those
who
have
limited
understanding
of

Silverman,
1980;
VanTatehhove,
1987
 the
users
speech.




A
young
child
is
not
ready
 There
are
no
known
cogni=ve
or
other
prerequisites
 AAC
programs
must
be
individualized,
age‐

that
are
necessary
for
a
child
to
use
AAC.
(Kangas
&
 appropriate,
and
developmentally

for
AAC.(Buekelman
&
 Lloyd,
1988)
 appropriate.
For
young
children
this
o4en

Mirenda,
1992;
Silverman,
 means
play‐based
interven=ons
that
focus

Even
infants
are
known
to
engage
in
purposeful,

1980;
VanTatehhove,
 on
the
development
of
communica=on‐
communica=ve
behavior
well
before
the
development

1987)
 related
skills,
inten=onal
communica=on,

of
language.
These
early
exchanges
are
very
important

or
basic
func=onal
communica=on,
such

in
that
they
form
the
basis
for
later
formal,
symbolic

as
reques=ng
and
rejec=ng
(Buekelman
&

communica=on
(Reichle,
York,
&
Sigafoos,
1991)

Mirenda,
1992)

 AAC
Myths
cont.


h"p://aac.unl.edu/yaack/b2.html

Myths/Fears
 Facts
 Solu1ons

A
child
with
severe
 Children
with
severe
cogni=ve
deficits
are
capable
of
 AAC
interven=ons
must
be
individualized

cogni=ve
deficits
cannot
 learning
and
benefi=ng
from
AAC
(Buekelman
&
 to
take
into
account
the
strengths
and

Mirenda,
1992;
Romski
&
Sevcik,
1989;
Silverman,
 abili=es,
and
to
meet
the
needs
of
the

learn
to
use
an
AAC

1980;
Kangas
&
Lloyd,
1988)
 child
for
whom
it
is
being
designed.
This

system
(Kangas
&
Lloyd,
 may
mean
star=ng
out
teaching

1988)
 It
is
impossible
to
accurately
predict
a
child’s
abil=y
to

inten=onal
communica=on
skills
and
basic

learn
AAC
Buekelman
&
Mirenda,
1992;
Bodine
&

communica=ve
func=ons,
and
using

Bukelman,
1991)

nonsymbolic
and/or
self‐developed,

idiosyncra=c
means
of
communica=ng

(Buekelman
&
Mirenda,
1992;
Reichle,

1997)

All
individuals,
including
children
with

severe
cogni=ve
impairments,
have
the

right
to
be
given
opportuni=es
to

communicate
by
learning
communica=on

skills
that
are
effec=ve
almost

immediately,
offer
some
control
over
the

environment,
and
are
age‐appropriate

(Buekelman
&
Mirenda,
1992;
Reichle,

York,
&
Sigafoos,
1991;
Silverman
1980)

 AAC
Myths
cont.


h"p://aac.unl.edu/yaack/b2.html

Myths/Fears
 Facts
 Solu1ons

AAC
makes
a
child
look
 Acceptance
of
an
AAC‐user
by
peers
increases
 AAC
users
should
be
educated
in
regular

significantly
with
full
inclusion
and
ac=ve
par=cipa=on
 classrooms
alongside
their
peers
to

abnormal
(Silverman,
 in
regular
school‐related
ac=vi=es.
Among
young
 minimize
aVtudinal
barriers.
In
addi=on,

1980)
 children,
acceptance
appears
not
to
be
related
to
the
 teachers,
students
and
other
significant

type
of
AAC
(e.g.
voice
output
communica=on
device
 persons
who
are
to
be
involved
with
the

versus
sign
language
versus
communica=on
board)
 child
must
be
informed
of
the
nature
of

(Beck
&
Denis,
1996;
Blockberger,
Armstrong,
 the
communica=on
disability,
and
any

O’Connor,
&
Freeman,
1993)
 discrepancies
between
the
child’s

language
and
cogni=ve
abili=es.
(It
is

In
the
long
run,
a
child
is
at
greater
risk
of
being

important,
however,
to
keep
such

judged
non‐typical
when
he
or
she
does
not
have
the

informa=on‐dispensing
sessions
separate

ability
to
adequately
express
him‐
or
herself.
Teachers

from
typical
school
ac=vi=es
in
which

and
parents
o4en
judge
a
child
with
communica=on

students
par=cipate
since
the
laLer
are

impairments
as
socially
and
cogni=vely
less
capable

opportuni=es
to
de‐emphasize
differences

than
their
peers.
This
results
in
lowered
academic

between
the
AAC
user
and
his
or
her

expecta=ons
and,
frequently,
decreased
academic

peers.)
In
addi=on,
keeping
the
child’s
AAC

achievement
(Rice,
1993).
AAC
may
help
in
reducing

vocabulary
up
to
date,
age‐appropriate

the
discrepancy,
both
real
and
imagined,
between
the

and
relevant
to
the
child’s
own
interests

child’s
actual
and
perceived
cogni=ve
and
social

go
a
long
way
towards
facilita=ng

capabili=es.

acceptance
by
peers
and
others.