General Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention
Presented by Kristy Weissling and Sarah E. Wallace
Financial: Sarah Wallace receives compensation from MedBridge for this course. There is no financial interest beyond the production of this course.
Non-Financial: Kristy Weissling has no competing non-financial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
Non-Financial: Sarah Wallace has no competing non-financial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
Although AAC interventions have been implemented by speech-language pathologists for multiple decades, some limitations exist in related to how best to provide AAC intervention services to adults with acquired communication impairments. This course will offer an overview of AAC intervention within a framework provided by the Beukleman and Miranda’s Participation Model (2013). Evidence-based strategies and tools will be discussed throughout.
Meet your instructors
Kristy Weissling
Kristy Weissling, SLP.D., CCC-SLP, is an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her B.S. and M.S. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She received her professional doctorate in speech language pathology from Nova Southeastern University in 2006. She is the on-campus clinic…
Sarah E. Wallace
Sarah E. Wallace is an associate professor and program director for the Adult Language and Cognition Clinic in the Speech-Language Pathology Department at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She also directs the Communication and…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Importance of Intervention
This chapter will cover the definition of AAC including a broad conceptualization of strategies and devices that support expressive and receptive communication abilities in individuals with complex communication needs. Additionally, this chapter will highlight that AAC and natural ability interventions do not need to be mutually exclusive. Finally, the chapter will provide descriptions of the linguistic, social, strategic, and operational competencies that should be addressed within interventions.
2. Opportunity Barrier Interventions
This chapter will cover information related to opportunity barriers. Opportunity barriers include facilitator knowledge and skill, practices, policies, as well as attitudes external to the person with complex communication needs that effect his or her successful use of AAC. Interventions relate to these barriers often include education and advocacy.
3. Direct Interventions
This chapter will include information about direct interventions that can increase the communication effectiveness of the person with complex communication needs. These are a sample of interventions that might be use with people with multiple diagnoses leading to complex communication needs.
4. Environmental Adaptations and Accommodations
Environmental adaptations can include communication partner instruction and modifications to the person’s environment that support successful communication. For example, the communication partner may learn to respond to all communication attempts. Accommodations involve modifying the expectations for a role or task to increase the person’s success
More courses in this series
General Principles of AAC Assessment in Adult Populations
Kristy Weissling and Sarah E. Wallace
AAC Assessment in Adults with Acquired Non-Progressive Neurogenic Communication Disorders
Kristy Weissling and Sarah E. Wallace
General Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention
Sarah E. Wallace and Kristy Weissling
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention for Adults with Neurogenic Communication Disorders
Sarah E. Wallace and Kristy Weissling
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Intervention for Adults with Progressive Neurogenic Communication Disorders
Sarah E. Wallace and Kristy Weissling
AAC Assessment in Progressive Neurogenic Communication Disorders
Sarah E. Wallace and Kristy Weissling
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Medbridge courses.
Who creates Medbridge courses?
We work with industry-leaders, top researchers, and consultants to build content roadmaps that are then structured into courses, filmed, and edited by our production team before being launched to our site.
How often does Medbridge release new courses?
New courses are added monthly and are automatically included in your subscription as they launch.
How often does Medbridge update courses?
Medbridge reviews its courses annually for relevance and to assess if content is up to date. Based on these reviews it may be determined that a course is out of date resulting in the course being re-filmed or retired, if the content is no longer needed (e.g. a replacement course already exists, the concepts are no longer best practice, etc.).
How many courses does Medbridge offer?
We have over 3,000 accredited courses and we are continually updating our library with new courses. Check our course library for the most up-to-date count for your discipline.
Are there any additional fees for taking a Medbridge course?
There are no additional fees for taking a Medbridge course, obtaining a course certificate of completion, earning CEUs as a subscriber, or accessing any of the additional tools your subscription may include.
Is there a limit to the number of courses I can take?
There is no limit to the number of courses you can take as a subscriber! As a subscriber to Medbridge, you have unlimited access to over 3,000+ accredited CE courses.
If you are a Premium subscriber, you also have unlimited access to our Patient Engagement Tools such as the Home Exercise Program, Patient Education Library, Orthopedic Exam Tests, and Manual Therapy Techniques. We have over 7,000 exercises and over 650+ videos and handouts of patient education resources with more exercises and patient education added to the library based on subscriber feedback, volume of request and specialities.
What is your refund policy?
You are eligible for a refund provided your request is received within 30 days of your subscription purchase and your account has no activity.