Abstract
Abstract This study describes AAC availability and use in 55 young children in the United States. The children, aged 15 to 75 months, had not yet started kindergarten, had used their latest AAC system for 6 to 24 months, and had a variety of developmental disorders resulting in a severe communication disorder. The primary caregivers, all mothers, completed an 81-question case history about demographics, child's age at diagnosis and AAC receipt, and current AAC availability and use at home. They reported that the children waited an average of 6 months between a diagnosis and acquisition of their first AAC system. Forty children (73%) had received a different AAC system since acquiring their first AAC system. Most had multimodal AAC systems, which included both aided and unaided components, although 11 had used only the unaided AAC system of sign language. More than half of the AAC systems included voice output components. Sign language was the most frequently used AAC within the children's homes. The primary caregivers reported satisfaction with their children's AAC systems. Additional research is needed to describe current AAC practices with young children. These practices should then be evaluated for their effectiveness on both short- and long-term outcomes.
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