About this course
This course equips direct support professionals, paraprofessionals, and aides with foundational knowledge and practical strategies to effectively facilitate, model, and maintain access to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems. Learners will explore the spectrum of AAC tools, debunk common myths, understand ethical and legal considerations, and develop skills to support AAC users in diverse environments.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Define Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and its purpose
- Differentiate between low-tech and high-tech AAC tools and access methods
- Debunk common myths about AAC and speech development
- Explain principles of AAC access, including availability and ethical use
- Model and facilitate AAC use in daily routines
- Recognize the roles of support professionals in AAC success
- Collaborate with speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and teams