What Research Says about AAC

Here at AbleNet, we believe everyone should have access to robust communication. Our mission is to help all people find their voice- no matter the age or diagnosis. Let’s dive into what research has found on the impact of AAC on individuals with different diagnoses and unique needs!

Developmental Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder

AAC interventions, including SGDs, do not hinder speech production. Instead, many studies have shown an increase in speech output among individuals with ASD who use SGDs (Sterrett, K. et al., 2022).

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Cerebral Palsy

Both speaking and non-speaking children with CP benefit significantly from SGDs as part of their education plan (Hustad and Miles, 2010).

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Down Syndrome

SGDs can improve communication, cognitive skills, and social interaction for individuals with Down Syndrome (Barbosa, Renata Thaís de Almeida et al., 2018).

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Articulation Disorders

Childhood Apraxia of Speech

SGDs can significantly improve communicative and linguistic competencies in children with severe CAS, facilitating language development and academic achievement (Lüke, 2016).

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Phonological Disorders

SGDs can serve as an augmentative tool for individuals with phonological disorders. Conversational repair and quickly augmenting speech with a word or phrase should be the focus on the device for this population (Lawrence, 2017)

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Neurological Disorders

ALS

The use of AAC devices should be "standard practice for adults with neurodegenerative disease," (Fried-Oken, Mooney, & Peters, 2015).

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Dementia

AAC interventions can "increase the quality of life and decrease the stress of family and professional caregivers of individuals with dementia" (Beukelman, et al, 2007).

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Aphasia

Effective communication support is essential in the rehabilitation process and can reduce risks associated with poor medication adherence and other serious medical events (Bartlett, et al., 2008).

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Learn More about Research on AAC:
Check Out Our blog:

AAC for All: A Comprehensive Guide on AAC Research for Speech-Language Pathologists

Resources To Learn More

AbleU Professional Development

SLP Resources

Parent Resources

All Resources

Ready to discuss high-tech AAC options for your caseload?

Schedule a meeting with one of our expert SLPs to dive deeper into the research and find out how we can help.

Together, we can empower each individual to reach their full potential.

^{Barbosa, R. T. A., de Oliveira, A. S. B., de Lima Antão, J. Y. F., Crocetta, T. B., Guarnieri, R., Antunes, T. P. C., Arab, C., Massetti, T., Bezerra, I. M. P., de Mello Monteiro, C. B., & de Abreu, L. C. (2018). Augmentative and alternative communication in children with Down’s syndrome: a systematic review. BMC pediatrics, 18(1), 160. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-018-1144-5}

^{Bartlett, G., Blais, R., Tamblyn, R., Clermont, R. J., & MacGibbon, B. (2008). Impact of patient communication problems on the risk of preventable adverse events in acute care settings. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l’Association medicale canadienne, 178(12), 1555–1562. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.070690}

^{Beukelman, D. R., Fager, S., Ball, L., & Dietz, A. (2007). AAC for adults with acquired neurological conditions: A review. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 23(3), 230–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434610701553668.}

^{Fried-Oken, M., Mooney, A., & Peters, B. (2015). Supporting communication for patients with neurodegenerative disease. NeuroRehabilitation, 37(1), 69–87. https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-151241}

^{Hustad, K. C., & Miles, L. K. (2010). Alignment between Augmentative and Alternative Communication Needs and School-Based Speech-Language Services Provided to Young Children with Cerebral Palsy. Early childhood services (San Diego, Calif.), 4(3), 129–140.}

^{Lawrence, L. J. (2017). Tapping into the ‘augmentative’ of AAC: Who can benefit from augmentative communication and how do you choose a system? Here are some tips. The ASHA Leader, 22(2), 38-39. https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.MIW.22022017.38}

^{Lüke C. (2016). Impact of speech-generating devices on the language development of a child with childhood apraxia of speech: a case study. Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technology, 11(1), 80–88. https://doi.org/10.3109/17483107.2014.913715}

^{Sterrett, K., Holbrook, A., Landa, R., Kaiser, A., & Kasari, C. (2023). The effect of responsiveness to speech-generating device input on spoken language in children with autism spectrum disorder who are minimally verbal†. Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985), 39(1), 23–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2022.2120070}