Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)
AAC includes all of the ways we share our ideas and feelings without talking.
Types of AAC
Communication Boards for Jersey City Public Schools
Contributed by JCEA member Maggie Cecchini, M.A., CCC-SLP
As I was browsing online, I found a fellow New Jersey speech therapist, Molly Cervini from Eat Play Learn LLC, who unveiled a communication board in her local park. A communication board is a sheet of symbols, pictures or photos that a child will learn to point to, to communicate with those around them. This sparked my interest. It was a wonderful idea to support inclusivity for nonspeaking children within their local community.
When I presented the idea of obtaining a community communication board for our district, the administration whole-heartedly supported my vision. We are extremely grateful that Subaru’s “Share the Love“ was able to fund seven communication boards for the Jersey City Public Schools. Each board will be placed near cafeterias or in outdoor courtyards at schools that have a high population of students on the autism spectrum.
The boards will enable nonspeaking students to have access to language support during lunch and recess. Not only will the boards benefit the students with functional communication skills, but they will also promote interdisciplinary collaboration for speech-language pathologists and teachers.
Watch as Ahmed Ali delivers his graduation speech via communication device.
This video gives a brief glimpse into how Tyler, who has cerebral palsy and a significant visual impairment progressed from not having a way to talk, to learning to navigate through 8 word choices, and eventually being able to navigate through thousands of words to say whatever he wants to say.
October is AAC Awareness Month
This video shows the importance of teaching core vocabulary to individuals with disabilities. It is a powerful video.
Not Being Able to Speak is Not the Same as Not Having Anything to Say
These videos show some of the different ways our kids can communicate!
Learn More About AAC
CSH Camp Chatterbox
Camp Chatterbox is a one week overnight camp for children and young adults, ages 5-22, who use synthesized Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. All campers participate in a range of social, recreational, and educational activities to promote use of their communication systems and interact with other children.
