Transition through multiple augmentative and alternative communication systems: A three-year case study of a head injured adolescent

Abstract

This paper describes augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment and intervention with a head injured adolescent over a three-year period. The case study illustrates a two pronged assessment-intervention model which not only addresses the client's needs and skills, but also provides support and training for facilitators, that is, the significant others in the client's life. The case study documents the client's transition through a range of AAC systems over the three-year period, as the client's needs and skills in face-to-face interaction and written communication changed and as technological advances in the field increased the range of options available. Changes in the client's systems and in the intervention approaches employed also reflect the learning which occurred among the clinical team as its members became increasingly aware of the complexity of issues in the AAC field.