Communication occurs when people come together to exchange information, socialize and interact with one another. These interactions form the social networks which bind people to each other, their communities and the world. For most people, speech is the primary means of communication. Alternative and augmentative communication occur when one of the participants in a conversation or interaction must rely on a form of communication other than their own speech. (Glennon, 1992)

What is an AAC device?
There are both low-technology and high-technology augmentative communication devices.

Low-technology devices are non-electronic and include communication boards, communication wallets, miniboards, schedule boards and conversation books. They all use pictures, symbols, and/or simple words to communicate wants, needs and feelings. They are useful for persons of all ages.

High-technology devices are electronic. They provide individuals who have speech difficulties with a variety of options, including access to large vocabularies and complex sentence structures. High-technology devices include sophisticated voice output devices like Pathfinders, Liberators and DynaVoxes which can speak for the individual. They can also offer print and rate enhancement features. Both types of AAC devices facilitate independence and participation. For individuals with severe communication impairments, AAC devices are opening the doors to education, employment, personal relationships, community participation and independent living opportunities.

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