The first step in the AAC assessment process, assessing current functional communication skills and needs and screening access needs to identify key features for AAC tools.

1. PART 1: FUNCTIONAL
COMMUNICATION ASSESSMENT
Instructor, Tanna Neufeld, MS, CCC-SLP
2021, AACCESSIBLE, www.aaccessible.org

2. OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER
Part 1: Functional Communication Assessment
Part 2: AAC Feature Matching
Part 3: AAC System Design
Part 4: AAC System Trials
OUR GOAL FOR TODAY
Learn how to modify your traditional communication
assessment approach to obtain the information you need for
successful treatment planning and the AAC feature matching
process. Gain strategies for access screening.

3. TODAY’S
PATH
1 The AAC Journey &
Compass Frameworks
2 Assessment Areas
& Strategies
3 Pulling it all
Together with a Case

4. THE AAC JOURNEY & COMPASS
FRAMEWORKS

5. THE AAC JOURNEY FRAMEWORK
EXPLORER NAVIGATOR CONQUEROR
Pre-intentional or intentional
Mostly or exclusively non-symbolic
means
May be starting to use clear and
simple symbols, but stagnant
development and likely inconsistent
use and inconsistent discrimination.
Relies on a familiar communication
partner to be a successful
communicator in all contexts.
Limited to communication about the
“here and now”.
Literacy skills not present.
Skills below age and needs
Intentional communication is present.
Mostly symbolic means, some non-
symbolic may remain
Limited in terms of vocabulary,
syntax, grammar, partners, and
communication contexts.
May rely on familiar partners in some
contexts.
No literacy or limited literacy,
continues to rely on partner to
program system.
Some skills may be at age
expectations, expression is below age
and needs.
Literacy skills at a third grade level
or higher.
Can communicate in all contexts with
all partners through use of spoken,
pictured, and/or spelled language.
Does not rely on partner to program
system.
Has achieved competence and
independence in communication.
@ 2020 Adapted by Tanna Neufeld, MS, CCC-SLP, based on the CCI, developed by Dr. Patricia Dowden, University of Washington Speech and Hearing,
http://depts.washington.edu/augcomm/
LANGUAGE and
LITERACY are the
catalyst for
INDEPENDENCE

6. SUPPORTING
COMMUNICATORS
WITH COMPLEX
NEEDS
Communication
Assessment
Access
Assessment
AAC Feature
Matching
AAC System
Trial
AAC System
Decisions &
Delivery
Dynamic
Intervention
The AAC Compass
Framework

7. OUR FOCUS
TODAY IS ON
COMMUNICATION
AND ACCESS
ASSESSMENT
Chart Review
Assemble Your Team
Interview
Observation
Dynamic Informal
Assessment
Formal Assessment
Interpretations & Recs
The AAC Compass
Framework

8. FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION
ASSESSMENT – STEPS 1-7

9. STEP 1: CHART REVIEW
Purpose: To obtain information on the
communicator’s basic profile to help plan
your assessment.
Key Info to Look For:
•Verbal abilities
•AAC systems in place
•Challenging Behavior
•Vision issues or risks
•Hearing issues
•Motor issues
Chart Review Resources in
your Field Guide

10. STEP 2: “ASSEMBLE” YOUR TEAM
Purpose: AAC is a team effort and you’ll
need the input of this “village” to navigate
the communicator’s skills and needs outside
of your domain of expertise.
Key Team Members
Essential for all communicators:
 Family
 SLP
 Education (if applicable)
Based on communicator needs:
 Vision
 Motor
 Hearing
 Behavior
 Other Supporters

11. STEP 3: INTERVIEW
Purpose: You will get the majority of
the data you need about functional
communication skills, needs, contexts, and
partners by interviewing those closest to
the communicator (primary communication
partners).
Interview methods:
Pre-assessment Survey/Questionnaire
Live Interview
Interview Resources in your
Field Guide
Tell me
more about
your story

12. STEP 4: OBSERVATION
Purpose: To supplement what you have
learned through chart review and interview
and to identify any confounding factors.
Observation methods:
•Direct observation
•Indirect observation
What to look for:
Partner Motor
Communication Vision
Engagement Tech Use
Preferences AAC Use Assessment Resources in
your Field Guide

13. STEP 5: INFORMAL
ASSESSMENT
Purpose: To more directly assess specific
skill areas compared to age norms and to
supplement information gathered from
observation and interview. This time may
also be used to dynamically assess use of
current AAC systems in place.
Skill areas to consider:
•Language
•Literacy
•Speech
•Access
•Scaffolded use of AAC
Many options of methods
Assessment Resources in
your Field Guide

14. STEP 6: FORMAL ASSESSMENT
Not a necessity, but might be for some
cases
What to do:
 Review reports available if current
 Choose an appropriate measures
 See a starter list in your Resources
 Stick with the procedures whenever
possible
 Vary when needed and document such
Formal Assessment Resources
in your Field Guide

15. LIMITATIONS OF FORMAL ASSESSMENT
• Receptive
•Cognitive and motor load for a complex communicator, especially one
with vision, motor, and/or sensory processing challenges is much
greater than pointing to a test item for an “able bodied”
communicator
•This may lead to an underestimate of actual skills
• Expressive
•Research studies have shown that children who use AAC:
• Perform more poorly on tasks that require “labeling” or “showing” and
better on “requesting” social interactions
• Why might this be?
• “labeling” may be a novel pragmatic skill for some individuals and not
reflect their underlying semantic knowledge

16. STEP 7: INTERPRETATIONS
& RECS
•Focus on communication interpretations
and recs first
• Typical communication development
• Next steps for this communicator
•Compare to age expectations and needs
•Do your best with access
•Include context, partner, and needs
interpretation
•More assessment as a rec is always an
option
AAC Compass Checklist
&Resources in your Field
Guide
Scanning?

17. NORMAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT & AAC
Using normal language development to inform AAC decision making is the best
roadmap we have. These articles are a must read.
• Normal Language Development, Generative Language, and AAC” Gail Van Tatenhove, SLP
• The Importance Of Merging A Normal Language Development Model with AAC Service Provision”
~collection by Jennifer Kent-Walsh PhD, SLP & Cathy Binger PhD, SLP
• Communication and Language Development Broad Overview (Binger, PDF)
Pragmatics Semantics Syntax

18. PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

19. CHART REVIEW
Cerebral Palsy, 2.5 years old
Early intervention
Previous AAC evaluation suggested no
technology
Was using Sounding Board with some
success for requests
Partner assisted scanning otherwise
Significant motor impacts
CVI
OT, PT, ED, TVI
Scheduled for a tele-AAC session
A COMMUNICATOR WITH
COMPLEX NEEDS WHO CAME
TO ME FOR AAC SUPPORT

20. INTERVIEW
Pre-assessment survey
Brief interview with TVI who referred
prior to session
Brief follow-up on current AAC system
and needs from family
Brief follow up with TVI, OT, PT during
session about access and adaptations
for vision and motor needs
slp
family

21. OBSERVATION
Methods: Direct, Kyle interacting
naturally with his mom
Interacting naturally with his therapists
via our virtual session
Using his iPad with Sounding Board to
control Alexa
Interacting with toys
Key findings:
• Intentional
• Receptive strengths
• Primarily non-symbolic means
• Limited functions
• Stagnant symbol use
• Here and now, familiar partners
• Access a big issue
Where do you think Kyle is
on his AAC Journey?
An explorer
With significant access needs

22. INFORMAL/FORMAL
ASSESSMENT
I didn’t choose to conduct additional
assessment secondary to vision and
motor challenges
I also got what I needed from
interview and observation to plan
intervention goals
Further assessment of access method
and receptive language skills were on
my list
Is kyle a good fit for
formal tests?