Abstract
To investigate the facilitators and barriers involved in the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) by people with complex communication needs in social and therapeutic environments under family members/caregivers and speech-language pathologists (SLP) perceptions. This is a transversal quantitative and qualitative study with 20 family members/caregivers (FCG) and 20 SLP (SLPG). The data was collected by semistructured interviews with specific questionnaires for each group; recorded and transcribed for further analysis. Data was categorized in thematic axes, categories and subcategories, using recurrent and salient criteria. The two most important topics were: barriers and facilitators. Both groups indicate as barriers: high material cost, using other ways to communicate, family member as interpreter, language and cognitive deficits, acceptance of AAC for users and family members, lack of comprehension of AAC and family perceptions of AAC as speech suppress. As facilitators, both groups indicate the use of high technology, versatility and availability of AAC systems, family adherence and engagement, contextualized use of AAC outside of therapeutic contexts and the importance of therapeutic setting and team support. In this way, the main interlocutors in AAC implementation, professionals or family members can be barriers when they make it difficult for users to exercise their autonomy in communication, or facilitators when they encourage and use AAC with users.
Highlights
The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is composed of systems that are intended to benefit individuals who do not accomplish their daily communication needs by natural means, favoring the communication and quality of life of such population, as addressed in the World Report on Disability[1]
The switch of partners in the dialogue is essential for the person to communicate, including AAC users, who are involved in the world of communication through interlocutors who, in turn, assign meanings to the communication forms of users, such as gestures, symbols, alphabetic boards, among others[4]
The results show that the facilitators in the AAC use pointed out by participants are related to the contextualized use of AAC outside the therapeutic context, and to strategies used by professionals, as well as to the positive repercussions of AAC, observed by both groups
Summary
The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is composed of systems that are intended to benefit individuals who do not accomplish their daily communication needs by natural means, favoring the communication and quality of life of such population, as addressed in the World Report on Disability[1]. The ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)(2), when addressing the possibilities of inclusion by the AAC, includes the limitations of individuals with language disorders in taking part of activities, understanding it in a more dynamic and complex way. These experiences include different stakeholders, in addition to AAC users, such as family members and professionals, and situations that promote the use of such systems, devices and strategies. The switch of partners in the dialogue is essential for the person to communicate, including AAC users, who are involved in the world of communication through interlocutors who, in turn, assign meanings to the communication forms of users, such as gestures, symbols, alphabetic boards, among others[4]
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