Level 1 - Fundamentals of AAC
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Glossary items will continue to be added over time. The list will include vocabulary linked to Assistive Technology, Speech, Language, Literacy and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
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Test your knowledge
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Please work through the topics below in the order they are provided, unless you feel confident that you know the subject.
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Between 12 to 36 months most toddlers will start on the exciting journey
of learning the languages around them. They can usually name the people in their family, point to pictures and objects as they are said and experiment with two to four, or more, word sentences. They follow simple instructions and will copy words
that are used by others to express their needs and wants. or just for the fun of talking.
Think how you feel when you cannot understand another 
Children normally start to understand pictures, make
gestures, point and build eye contact, use 
In the Inroduction we mentioned the difference between 
If a structured approach is needed
for a few 
Research has shown that when young chidren
are working with pictures they may find 
It is important that multiple 
level of 
When you start with one or two pictures of objects,
or simple choices with 
In this case the 
These devices tend to be battery operated and can be used
for simple messages. In the main image at the top of this topic, you can see two girls with a single 
You may not find some are available in your country, but it is learning about the types of device rather than the actual make that is important. Understanding the features available will be important when thinking about which device is most suitable for a child at a certain time for the tasks they need to undertake whilst planning to progress from one device to another in the future.
High tech systems depend on mains power and batteries.
They may be known as 
Some children who find finger pointing difficult
will use fist-pointing, where an entire closed hand indicates the 
With a 
Eye pointing
The 
With a 
Return to your 
With all paper-based 
There are problems with the old progression model. The issue being that these more simple devices or 'low tech' don’t provide space for children to grow into; to develop and explore new 
Too many 
In order to provide a more complex 
Imagine you are working with parents or carers of a child
and your are asked some 
If you did not feel very confident when answering the three 
Can you remember when you last listened to a family’s concerns and
priorities, before designing appropriate activities and educational resources for a child using 
Direct Access (usually
through touch) is the most efficient way to access a 
Depending on the devices you have to hand try “
Pointer control, as a term, relates to using a standard
mouse to access a computer. Many children with physical impairments will use specialist joysticks, trackballs, and glide pads to access their computers and/or electronic 
Using a Windows computer take a look at the ‘
It is always important to aim just that bit higher,
to encourage progress from one word to combinations, whilst the 
Fiona Age 2 needs the earliest type of 
