Augmentative and Assistive Communication with Children : A Protocol and Intervention Plan to Support Children with Complex Communication Profiles

This practical resource is designed to help the families and professionals who support children who use augmentative and assistive communication (AAC) to interact with the world around them. The research-based Hear Me into Voice protocol, presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Annual Convention in 2018, the California Speech-Language Hearing Association Annual Convention in 2017, and the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Conference in 2016, provides communication partners with a functional knowledge of the child’s communication skills and provides a practical intervention plan to carry forward. Through this protocol and intervention plan, communication partners can engage with the child’s personal voice, through their varying multimodal forms of communication; the child is given the space to grow into a competent and confident communicator.

Key features include:

• Photocopiable and downloadable resources, including the Hear Me into Voice protocol, an AAC report shell template, an AAC report teaching template, and tools including how to make a communication wallet, and a Let’s Chat communication partner tip card template.
• Guidance for offering AAC intervention sessions, including an intervention plan supported by case studies
• Practical activities that can be used to engage children with complex communication profiles

Engaging and easy to follow, this resource is not only essential for professionals and students looking to support children with complex language needs, but also families looking to understand their child’s unique communication style.