Augmentative and Alternative Communication Month

October is an important month for everyone to become more aware of people who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication.(AAC) Augmentative and Alternative Communication is a long phrase for different means of communicating besides speech. It can be the use of:
- formal sign and gesture;
- a personalised and individual gesture system;
- a communication board using pictures to point to the message;
- a communication board using word phrases;
- a text- based mobile phone system to exchange information;
- a high tech communication system, often with a voice output system.

Email, twitter and other social media are also great ways for people who have difficult to use speech, to communicate also.

Speech Pathologists are specialists in assessing and developing functional and useful communication systems for people who have little or no speech.

The use of an AAC system will not stop a person from using speech if they are able to.

Cathy is registered with DisabilityCare, now called the National Disability Insurance Agency. Contact Cathy for an assessment or ideas for implementing your Augmentative and Alternative Communication system. Cathy can also provide training to staff working with someone who uses an AAC system.

Cathy
cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au
0466 579 855

DisabilityCare

DisabilityCare Australia is the national disability insurance scheme - a new way of providing community linking and individualised support for people with permanent and significant disability, their families and carers.http://www.disabilitycareaustralia.gov.au/

Cathy is now a registered provider for DisabilityCare Australia. Talk to your case manager about  how to use the services of Access Easy English for training, assessment or implementation for communication or access to written information in a way you can understand, i.e. Easy English. Easy English  you may need,  could be written information for you to more meaningfully participate in your meetings to decide on your plan, or the plan that is developed, or other reports, brochures and information you need to make meaningful decisions for linking to your community.

Cathy  cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au  0466 579 855