Tele-AAC Resolution

Authors

  • Kate Anderson University of Sydney, Australia
  • Michelle K. Boisvert University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
  • Janis Doneski-Nicol University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
  • Michelle L. Gutmann Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
  • Nerissa C. Hall University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
  • Cynthia Morelock The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Richard Steele Lingraphica, Princeton, NJ
  • Ellen R. Cohn University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2012.6106

Abstract

Approximately 1.3% of all people, or about 4 million Americans, cannot rely on their natural speech to meet their daily communication needs. Telepractice offers a potentially cost-effective service delivery mechanism to provide clinical AAC services at a distance to the benefit of underserved populations in the United States and worldwide.  Tele-AAC is a unique cross-disciplinary clinical service delivery model that requires expertise in both telepractice and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems.  The Tele-AAC Working Group of the 2012 ISAAC Research Symposium therefore drafted a resolution underscoring the importance of identifying and characterizing the unique opportunities and constraints of Tele-AAC in all aspects of service delivery. These include, but are not limited to: needs assessments; implementation planning; device/system procurement, set-up and training; quality assurance, client progress monitoring, and follow-up service delivery. Tele-AAC, like other telepractice applications, requires adherence to the ASHA Code of Ethics and other policy documents, and state, federal, and international laws, as well as a competent technological infrastructure. The Working Group recommends that institutions of higher education and professional organizations provide training in Tele-AAC service provision. In addition, research and development are needed to create validity measures across Tele-AAC practices (i.e., assessment, implementation, and consultation); determine the communication competence levels achieved  by Tele-AAC users; discern stakeholders’  perceptions of Tele-AAC services (e.g., acceptability and viability); maximize Tele-AAC’s capacity to engage multiple team members in AAC assessment and ongoing service; identify the limitations and barriers of Tele-AAC provision; and develop potential solutions.

 

  

References

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Published

2012-12-14

How to Cite

Anderson, K., Boisvert, M. K., Doneski-Nicol, J., Gutmann, M. L., Hall, N. C., Morelock, C., Steele, R., & Cohn, E. R. (2012). Tele-AAC Resolution. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2012.6106

Issue

Vol. 4, No. 2, Fall 2012

Section

Committee Report

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