Keeping Up With AAC: Social Gatherings
Today’s alternative and augmentative communication users (AAC) are submerged in a fast paced environment that requires efficient use of time. Many young learners and older learners as well have a difficult time keeping up with the speed of the conversation. Our role as the advocate, speaker, and communication partner is to help bridge that gap. Ways to help you make the communicator more efficient include:
- Taking time to familiarize ourselves with the device being used.
- Planning ahead for vocabulary that is likely to come up.
- Making a cheat sheet for quick reminders of where target vocabulary is located.
- Model vocabulary as much as possible.
“The average 18 month old has been exposed to 4,380 hours of oral language at a rate of 8 hours/day from birth. A child who has a communication system (#AAC) and receives speech/language therapy 2 times/week for 20-30 minutes will reach the same amount of language exposure (in their AAC language) in 84 years”-Jane Korsten
Sara Mitchem-Speech Therapy Team