Augmentative Communication

Students who lack the ability to speak are at a serious disadvantage in school. They face a number of problems including being unable to express their ideas and opinions, participating in class discussion, demonstrating what they have learned, and engaging in social situations. A category of assistive technology tools that addresses these communication issues in nonverbal students is augmentative communication. Augmentative communication serves as an alternative to speech for these students who lack the ability to speak. As with all assistive technology, augmentative communication devices range from low tech options to high tech options and are chosen based on the individual needs of the student. Augmentative communication systems can unaided, which only use a person’s body for communication (i.e. sign language), or aided, which involves the use of external equipment (i.e. alphabet boards). With any augmentative communication system that is chosen, the common goal is to help students without the ability to speak to communicate effectively. These tools increase independence of students and remove barriers between these individuals and the rest of the world.