AAC Weeks 3-6

Question 1

What are the four phases of AAC assessment?

Answer 1

1. Referral for AAC assessment
2. Initial assessment and intervention for today
3. Detailed assessment for tomorrow
4. Follow-up assessment for the future

Question 2

What does the Participation Model focus on?

Answer 2

Supporting individuals with CCN by identifying and addressing the gap between current communication capabilities and the participation requirements of their same-age peers. Identifying barriers, and designing interventions.

Question 3

What are opportunity barriers in the Participation Model?

Answer 3

Barriers imposed by others, such as policy, practice, knowledge, skill, and attitude limitations.

Question 4

What are access barriers in the Participation Model?

Answer 4

Barriers related to the individual’s own capabilities or the limitations of their AAC system that hinder participation, for example;

• Physical limitations (e.g., fine motor difficulties affecting device access)
• Cognitive or sensory challenges (e.g., vision, hearing, processing speed)
• Lack of skills needed to operate the AAC system effectively
• System design issues (e.g., complex navigation, limited vocabulary, poor voice output)Barriers related to the AAC user’s current capabilities or limitations of the AAC system.

Question 5

Name three types of opportunity barriers.

Answer 5

1. Policy barriers
2. Practice barriers
3. Knowledge barriers

Question 6

What is ‘feature matching’ in AAC assessment?

Answer 6

A process of identifying the most appropriate AAC system based on the individual’s needs, strengths, and capabilities.

Question 7

What is the purpose of a participation inventory?

Answer 7

To document participation patterns across key activities and compare them to peers.

Question 8

What are the four areas of communicative competence according to Light (1989)?

Answer 8

Linguistic, Operational, Social, Strategic competence.

Question 9

Why is collaboration important in AAC assessment and intervention?

Answer 9

It ensures all aspects of the client’s needs are considered and improves matching of AAC systems to individuals.

Question 10

What are the benefits of a family-centred intervention approach?

Answer 10

Empowers families, supports parental decision-making, improves AAC use consistency, and respects family needs.