The World Health Organization's international classification of functioning, disability and health: implications for clinical and research practice in the field of augmentative and alternative communication

Abstract

In 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) ratified and published a new classification system, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). There has been a varying amount of discussion and debate across the health and disability fields about what the ICF means and what it has to offer. However, there has been little discussion of its use and value in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This article describes the earlier International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps (ICIDH), upon which the current ICF was based; and outlines the ICF and the preliminary, derived Child and Youth version of the ICF (ICF-CY). The article also proposes what the ICF has to offer the AAC field, from both a clinical and research perspective; and concludes with a discussion of the advantages and challenges of using the ICF.