FREE
Augmentative & Alternative Communication
(AAC)
For Children & Adults
(Some may be used interchangeably)
AAC for Adults
Below are various types of communication boards for adults who may not be able to communicate using their voice. These types of boards are extremely important to arm yourselves with when your loved one who may have difficulty communicating for any reason and is in the hospital. The patient needs to have efficient means of communication with medical professionals during hospital stays. AAC boards will allow the patient to not only communicate with loved ones and caregivers but most importantly they will allow the patient to communicate their wants and needs to their nurses and doctors while in the hospital.
There are various different kinds of Communication Devices which is why we refer to it as AAC (Augmentitive & Alternative Communication Devices). What you see below is called "low tech" ie, paper/pen, pictures, hand gestures,etc. High tech can be anything that speaks for the person by pressing a button (which most apps on the iphone do now) or a blink of an eye from the patient or even a blow through a straw; anything that requires a battery. Those devices are very "high tech"! The patient's using them have to have a certain amount of cognitive awareness, in other words, they need to understand how to use the device as well as understand the language they will express through the device. If you are unsure if they need a high tech device, you may want to call in an AAC professional to do an evaluation for an adult or a child. They are more adept at knowing what type of device is best for your patient.
The BEST device is what we call a "multi-modal" approach which incorporates as many different ways to communicate as possible. In other words, it provides the patient many different options for communication in case there is miscommunication or difficulty communicating. These can include your high tech device, a quick AAC board, a dry erase board, a pen and paper, or a simple yes/no board. Anything to make communication easier for both parties.
Working in various Hospitals or SNF's. I've come to notice that this is something that is often either forgotten or simply not dealt with by hospital staff. That is why I created this page. Advocate for your patients or your relative. There's no wrong way to assemble the communication board, but teaching it can be somewhat difficult. Get the communication board and contact your local speech therapist to begin the process.
After looking through the pre-made AAC boards on this page, if you can not find what you are looking for in the Adult or Child section, please feel free to contact Amy at help@amyspeechlanguagetherapy.com to discuss what you are specifically looking for!
There are various different kinds of Communication Devices which is why we refer to it as AAC (Augmentitive & Alternative Communication Devices). What you see below is called "low tech" ie, paper/pen, pictures, hand gestures,etc. High tech can be anything that speaks for the person by pressing a button (which most apps on the iphone do now) or a blink of an eye from the patient or even a blow through a straw; anything that requires a battery. Those devices are very "high tech"! The patient's using them have to have a certain amount of cognitive awareness, in other words, they need to understand how to use the device as well as understand the language they will express through the device. If you are unsure if they need a high tech device, you may want to call in an AAC professional to do an evaluation for an adult or a child. They are more adept at knowing what type of device is best for your patient.
The BEST device is what we call a "multi-modal" approach which incorporates as many different ways to communicate as possible. In other words, it provides the patient many different options for communication in case there is miscommunication or difficulty communicating. These can include your high tech device, a quick AAC board, a dry erase board, a pen and paper, or a simple yes/no board. Anything to make communication easier for both parties.
Working in various Hospitals or SNF's. I've come to notice that this is something that is often either forgotten or simply not dealt with by hospital staff. That is why I created this page. Advocate for your patients or your relative. There's no wrong way to assemble the communication board, but teaching it can be somewhat difficult. Get the communication board and contact your local speech therapist to begin the process.
After looking through the pre-made AAC boards on this page, if you can not find what you are looking for in the Adult or Child section, please feel free to contact Amy at help@amyspeechlanguagetherapy.com to discuss what you are specifically looking for!
How to use AAC
Augmentative Communication Boards
When speech-language pathologists receive a consult for AAC in acute care, they go to the bedside and rapidly determine what a patient can do, including cognitive and physical abilities and limitations. In an acute care situation, and even not, you're looking to build upon what's easiest for the patients as far as cognitive, emotional, linguistically, as well as physically. If they just had a stroke and may be having weakness/numbness in an extremity then an AAC board with a lot of options may not be the best choice as pointing may prove to difficult initially. However, it won't kill you to try different ones if you are not sure what will work! Always print and bring a few different options with you.
In Acute care it's vital to consider pt's current medications, along with the chart review and current mental status. I once did a bedside follow up while I was being supervised. My supervisor saw him the day before and said he was completely fluent (tho keeping this information from me at first). When I went to see him, he was completely unresponsive to any stimuli I presented. His brother was there and told me he'd been following directions. I immediately pulled out a simple AAC board and taught him how to use it. THAT he was stimulable for and was able to use. However when I reported in to my Supervisor his immediate response was shock, then yelling at me (thinking what did I do) so he ran with me to the pt's room to see he was as I had explained (at the time his Dx was questionable, but I suggested Global Aphasia due to the presentation). My Supervisor then continued to teach me an extremely memorable moment that the person he was seeing in the room that day was not the person he saw the day before. We went to the chart (which I had reviewed) but took a much closer look at what had incurred during the patients' last day. His medications jumped out at us. We spoke to the Doctors asking about when he took what, why, how long, and we described what we saw; a man who was completely functional go to completely dysfunctional. It turned out there was another medication choice and we suggested the Dr. choose option B due to the circumstances.
I know as SLP's we don't always know what the medications are or mean, but 1, you learn as time goes on, and 2, at least write them down so you can reference them.
Patients may need to communicate with a wide range of hospital staff, including nurses, physicians, occupational and physical therapists, social workers and audiologists and of course, family members.
The more familiar speech-language pathologists are with AAC techniques, the better advocates they become for augmented communication in acute care. "We first need to make sure to have staff in hospitals that have training and experience with assistive technology and AAC," Dr. Hurtig said. "Unfortunately, if one takes a look at the caseload of most hospital-based speech-language pathologists, the overwhelming part of their scope of practice relates to swallowing. Less and less of their typical caseloads involve language assessment intervention."
"To integrate AAC into acute care, we need to have staff members that are trained, a commitment on the part of the institution to meet certain standards. All health care personnel who interact with patients should be familiar with AAC techniques, especially nurses, he said. "Nursing administration and acute care nurses understand how important AAC is and are very open and supportive in providing assistive technology and AAC to patients. They're the strongest advocates in the system."
In Acute care it's vital to consider pt's current medications, along with the chart review and current mental status. I once did a bedside follow up while I was being supervised. My supervisor saw him the day before and said he was completely fluent (tho keeping this information from me at first). When I went to see him, he was completely unresponsive to any stimuli I presented. His brother was there and told me he'd been following directions. I immediately pulled out a simple AAC board and taught him how to use it. THAT he was stimulable for and was able to use. However when I reported in to my Supervisor his immediate response was shock, then yelling at me (thinking what did I do) so he ran with me to the pt's room to see he was as I had explained (at the time his Dx was questionable, but I suggested Global Aphasia due to the presentation). My Supervisor then continued to teach me an extremely memorable moment that the person he was seeing in the room that day was not the person he saw the day before. We went to the chart (which I had reviewed) but took a much closer look at what had incurred during the patients' last day. His medications jumped out at us. We spoke to the Doctors asking about when he took what, why, how long, and we described what we saw; a man who was completely functional go to completely dysfunctional. It turned out there was another medication choice and we suggested the Dr. choose option B due to the circumstances.
I know as SLP's we don't always know what the medications are or mean, but 1, you learn as time goes on, and 2, at least write them down so you can reference them.
Patients may need to communicate with a wide range of hospital staff, including nurses, physicians, occupational and physical therapists, social workers and audiologists and of course, family members.
The more familiar speech-language pathologists are with AAC techniques, the better advocates they become for augmented communication in acute care. "We first need to make sure to have staff in hospitals that have training and experience with assistive technology and AAC," Dr. Hurtig said. "Unfortunately, if one takes a look at the caseload of most hospital-based speech-language pathologists, the overwhelming part of their scope of practice relates to swallowing. Less and less of their typical caseloads involve language assessment intervention."
"To integrate AAC into acute care, we need to have staff members that are trained, a commitment on the part of the institution to meet certain standards. All health care personnel who interact with patients should be familiar with AAC techniques, especially nurses, he said. "Nursing administration and acute care nurses understand how important AAC is and are very open and supportive in providing assistive technology and AAC to patients. They're the strongest advocates in the system."
Communication boards AAC for Hospital stays
| hospital_1.pdf |
| hospital_2_.pdf |
Alphabet Boards & Yes/No
| abc_hospitalboard_dowdocx.pdf |
| abc_hospitalboard_color.pdf |
| abc_hospitalboardbw.pdf |
| abc_board.pdf |
Fill in booklet
| aug-cc-booklet-1.pdf |
Accident & Emergency Communication Board
| a-e_communication_passport.pdf |
FREE
Communication Boards
for Children
Below are examples of various types of PECS (Picture Exchange Communication Symbols) communication boards made for children to enhance communication. who may have difficulty communicating verbally or whats known as the traditional way. It is highly encouraged to model verbal communication and gestures (multi-modality) while using PECS and any other type of communication board in the hopes that the child will take in that vocabulary receptively and hopefully one day, expressively.
Pictures and picture symbols can be used for a variety of reasons/activities. You can use them as part of a communication system, for scheduling purposes, for social stories, and to support literature (to name just a few). I like to use a combination of real photos and picture symbols. Some children will need the concrete nature of the photographs, and others will pick up the abstract drawings without difficulty. Many times I use photographs because I can’t find a picture symbol that adequately illustrates the item I want to represent.
Individuals with Aspergers' Syndrome may also find AAC pictures useful in many different ways (Ie) assisting in processing information as visual aids, etc. as they often face challenges related to their ability to interpret certain social cues, relating to others, and Executive Function skills. Executive Functioning includes skills such as organizing, planning, sustaining attention, and inhibiting inappropriate responses.
Pictures and picture symbols can be used for a variety of reasons/activities. You can use them as part of a communication system, for scheduling purposes, for social stories, and to support literature (to name just a few). I like to use a combination of real photos and picture symbols. Some children will need the concrete nature of the photographs, and others will pick up the abstract drawings without difficulty. Many times I use photographs because I can’t find a picture symbol that adequately illustrates the item I want to represent.
Individuals with Aspergers' Syndrome may also find AAC pictures useful in many different ways (Ie) assisting in processing information as visual aids, etc. as they often face challenges related to their ability to interpret certain social cues, relating to others, and Executive Function skills. Executive Functioning includes skills such as organizing, planning, sustaining attention, and inhibiting inappropriate responses.
Different ways to use
Low-tech devices
AAC Boards
There are many different ways that you can print these low tech communication boards. Mostly dependent on the childs'needs, ability and the use. Therefore you must always consider each child individually and conduct an AAC evaluation.
Wants/Needs Communication Boards/AAC Boards
I want Communication Board/AAC Board
| planning_board.pdf |
First/Then Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| howto-firstthen.pdf |
Calming Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| calming_boards_page1.pdf |
Communicating Feelings; Communication Board/AAC Boards
| feelings1.pdf |
| feelings2.pdf |
Communicating Actions; Communication Board/AAC Boards
| actions1.pdf |
| actions2.pdf |
| actions3.pdf |
Communicating Wanting/Labeling Toys/AAC Boards
| toys1.pdf |
| toys2.pdf |
| toys5.pdf |
Feeding/Food Communication Boards/AAC Boards
Kitchen Communication Board/AAC Board
| kitchen_board.pdf |
Food Pictures Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| food1.pdf |
Breakfast Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| amy_breakfast.pdf |
Lunch Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| amy_lunch1.pdf |
| amy_lunch2.pdf |
| amy_lunch3.doc |
Snacks Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| amy_snack1.pdf |
| amy_snack2.pdf |
| amy_snack_3.docx |
Bathroom Routine Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| bathroom_routine_simple.pdf |
Grooming Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| grooming2.pdf |
Body Parts Communication Board/AAC Boards
| bodyparts1.pdf |
Seasonal Communication Boards/AAC Boards
Summer Vocabulary Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| summer-vocabulary-words.pdf |
Christmas Vocabulary Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| christmas-vocabulary.pdf |
| christmas-vocabulary-2.pdf |
Mixed Holiday Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| holidays1.pdf |
| holidays2.pdf |
| holidays3.pdf |
| holidays4.pdf |
| holidays5.pdf |
Hospital Stays/Operation Communication Boards/AAC Boards
Child Hospital Stay/Operation Booklet Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| child_daycase_operation_booklet.pdf |
Child Hospital Stay/Operation Flashcards Communication Boards/AAC Boards
It is ideal to print these cards, laminate them, hole punch one punch in the top left hand corner, and put these flashcards on a "ring"/key chain so the child can easily flip through them.
| child_daycase_operation_flashcards.pdf |
Child Hospital Stay/Post-Operative Chart Communication Boards/AAC Boards
| child_daycase_operation_post-op_chart.pdf |
Accident & Emergency Communication Board/AAC Boards
| a-e_communication_passport.pdf |
Learning Materials for Children with
Autistic/PDD
Teaching New Skills
| teachingnewskills.pdf |
Bedside Messages Provided by Patient Provider/Communication
Bedside Messages
| bedsidemessages.pdf |
AAC Websites & Resources
1. I think whenever possible, it's always a great idea to go onto google images and print lifelike, concrete pictures for the adult or child. It's cheap, it's easy, and it's most adapt to real life.
2. Boardmaker Software Family The possibilities are endless with this traditional program by Mayer Johnson featuring PECS. There is then an additional website called Boardmaker Share www.boardmakershare.com/ where teachers/SLP's etc share their already made PECS boards as they are the widely used but sometimes time consuming brand.
3. LessonPix Custom Learning Materials http://lessonpix.com/ is a web-based program that allows users to create picture symbols and a large variety of other materials for learning. With Boardmaker you can create your own board, add your images, while with LessonPix you cannot create your own board designs, but they offer a ton of pre-made activities..
4. Wikipedia has an article on PECS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_Exchange_Communication_SystemWelcome to PECS USA
Exclusive home of PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) and the Pyramid Approach to Education. Internationally acclaimed workshops and ...
www.pecsusa.com/
5. Example of high tech devices from one company called "Dynavox" http://www.dynavoxtech.com/start/autism/
6. Accessible Curriculum Resources
7. Autism Helper
8, AT4Kids AAC
9. Baltimore County Public Schools
10. Chapel Hill Snippets
11. Children with Special Needs
12. CurriculmSET
13. FLDRS Region 3 Literacy Visuals
14. LiveSpeakLove
15. NYC Adapted Books
16. OATC Exchange
17. PictureSET
18. PrAACtical AAC Toolbox
19. Practical Autism Resources
20. Project Participate
21. SCOPE See and Sign Nursery Rhymes
22. Speaking of Speech
23. Spectronics NZ Activities Exchange
24. University at New Mexico Story Boards
25. Widget
26. Below is a document titled Applications List provided by www.aphasia.org that provides APPs as AAC devices.
| applicationslist.pdf |
Reference
- Bartlett, G., Blais, R., Tamblyn, R., et al. (2008) Impact of patient communication problems on the risk of preventable adverse events in acute care settings. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 178 (2).