Alternative augmentative communication (AAC)
On this page you will find educational resources to support health and social care staff to understand the needs of individuals who may have difficulties as a result of impaired or no speech and who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Please note that to access some of the e-learning modules you need to be logged into your Turas account.
IPAACKS: informing and profiling AAC knowledge and skills
Augmentative and alternative communications : introduction
IPAACKS: informing and profiling AAC knowledge and skills
What is IPAACKS
IPAACKS describes the core values and commitments required of those who work with people who use, or who may benefit from, AAC. IPAACKS also highlights the AAC-specific knowledge and skills that workers should aspire to achieve in relation to the role they play in supporting individuals who use AAC. IPAACKS provides a framework for workers in health, education, social care, and the voluntary and independent sectors to identify their learning and development needs in relation to AAC.
Access the framework document below:
- Informing and profiling augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) knowledge and skills ( Download, 4 MB)
Why has IPAACKS been developed?
IPAACKS has been developed in response to A Right to Speak to improve the experiences, opportunities and life chances for children, young people and adults who use AAC by supporting the workforce to develop their knowledge, skills, values and commitments in AAC.
How can you use IPAACKS?
As an individual worker you can use IPAACKS to highlight your current knowledge and skills around AAC and to identify any learning needs. You can use IPAACKS to inform and support your professional development reviews.
As a manager you can use IPAACKS to identify staff development needs, to inform workforce planning and to assist with recruitment and selection processes.
As an education and training provider you can use IPAACKS to inform the content of courses at different levels.
Augmentative and alternative communications : introduction
This page includes five short modules at an introductory level, that are highly accessible to people without any previous specialised knowledge of communication disability, or of communication aids (IPAACKS level 0-1). The modules can be viewed one by one as ‘stand-alones’, or in sequence.
Each module takes about 5-10 minutes to view – or longer if you want to explore the many links and resources – and finishes with a ‘Test your Knowledge’ quiz, and a printable personalised certificate.
- Module 1 - Communication in everyday life
- Module 2 - Communication support needs
- Module 3 - Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
- Module 4 - Helping to make communication work
- Module 5 - Inclusive communication
Making communication even better
Aimed at health, education, social work and voluntary sector staff who want to understand how to improve communication and services for people with communication support needs, this resource features clips of people with communication support needs.
Access the document below:
Assessment modules
AAC assessment pathways and resources
These are the assessment pathways and other resources which will be useful to you to undertake these AAC modules
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AAC assessment
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AAC adult assessment tool
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good practice framework for assessing children and young people for AAC
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Pre-assessment questionnaire for children and young people
Does your role involve assessing people who may benefit from Alternative and Augmentative Communication? This series of modules will introduce a variety of AAC users and prompt you to think about what would make a good assessment and what you -and others- need to consider. AAC can be a useful way to meet communication support needs. You may be a speech and language therapist or student or a teacher or someone working in a voluntary sector organisation with responsibility for assessing and recommending devices and strategies to support. ipAACks may have helped you identify your learning needs regarding assessing for AAC and if so these modules will help you meet those needs. Please note that you need to be logged in to Turas to view these modules.
Technology modules
If ipAACks has helped you identify learning needs regarding supporting the technology for AAC users these learning modules are for you. Your role may include preparing or adapting AAC, for example adding vocabulary to the AAC, or you may be responsible for managing the resources and thinking about data privacy implications or charging the equipment. You may be a classroom assistant or personal carer for someone who uses AAC and you may find yourself the go to person for the AAC equipment. This learning has been developed with you in mind! Please note that you need to be logged in to Turas to view these modules.
Education modules
These modules are aimed at people who work with learners using augmentative and alternative communication in education and wish to develop their knowledge, skills and best practice techniques. Commissioned by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) as part of the Scottish Right to Speak initiative, CALL Scotland has produced a series of 2 online learning modules on Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Aimed at services, teams or individuals to review their current knowledge and develop best practice, and to ensure positive outcomes for people who use AAC.
You can access these modules via the website below