AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. It is used for people with severe communication disabilities and allows for more interpersonal and social interaction, and easier participation in employment, education, volunteering etc. There are numerous tools out there to help with communication so that people with disabilities can have a higher quality of life. They can be non-technical (like pictures that show what is being communicated) or high-tech (text to speech, speech to text, and more).
A great tool that is non-technical that helps with communication is the use of pictures. The website Do2Learn.com has ready to print picture cards that are grouped together in categories such as Social, Safety, Self-help, Activities, Calendar, and Home and School. Under the Social Category, there is a behavior page, and an emotion page. Some self-help examples are toileting, clothes, personal care, and more. For safety, there is fire safety, street safety, and safety signs. For activities, there are everyday activities and leisure. For home and school, the subcategories are home, school, and food. for Calendar, the subcategories are holidays, summer, and days & weather. This is a great resource because there are so many pictures available. There are 34 pictures just in the Toileting section. They can be printed as full-size coloring pages, in two-inch sizes with or without words, and in one-inch sizes with or without words. Printed and cut out, these can be used singly or grouped together. Ways to use these pictures include schedules to organize activities, strips to tell a story, and individual cards exchanged with another person as a form of visual talking. For students who do not speak, they can show pictures of what they are trying to say, or for students who do not understand language very well, seeing a picture can be very helpful in understanding what someone else is trying to tell them.
A high-tech tool that is very useful for communication if the TextSpeak Large Keyboard. It is suited to aid voice impaired individuals because when typing, it generates speech out of speakers. The keyboard is twice as large as a regular one so it is easy to see the keys and does not require as much hand-eye coordination. Another great thing about this device is that it does not require a computer, yet still can transfer an unlimited vocabulary to speech! It is portable, has male and female voices and can have 30 programmable phrases that are used frequently, so that not as much typing is required. It can be taken anywhere because it is light and battery operated, but would be ideal in a school setting where a student is not able to speak, but might not want to use pictures. The speed of speech and volume of speech can be manipulated. In a classroom, this is useful for students who are learning to type, and allows them to be heard without them actually having to speak.
A useful hardware for accessibility in the classroom is the IntelReader, which is about the size of a paperback book and weighs just over a pound. This amazing technology is a device that has a high resolution camera that is used to take pictures of printed text, and then converts it into digital text, which is then read aloud to the student. This easy to use technology is great for students who are visually impaired, or are struggling readers. This allows students to read any printed resource, whether it be a library book of their choice, magazine, or a book assigned for the class. The student can even use the IntelReader to take pictures of printed out instructions from the teacher for any assignment they are doing. All it takes is to point, shoot, and listen to the device read the printed text. The buttons are easy to locate, and the menus are straightforward enough for students to learn to use with only limited help from an adult.
Another awesome tool that helps with accessibility for special needs students is the software called ZacBrowser. It is the first internet browser developed specifically for students living with autism or variants of autism. It was created for a specific boy, Zackary, who was always frustrated with computers, especially the right hand click on a mouse, and having to minimize and maximize pages in order to see the task bar. With the new browser, ZacBrowser, the functions are limited to only essential ones, so as to avoid confusion. Since students with autism have been known to respond well to pictures (PECS), they created an icon based navigation system, and also blocked inappropriate sites. It is colorful, kid-friendly and free! Additionally, it is offered in English, Spanish, and French. It is compatible with MACs, PSs, laptops, netbooks, touchscreens, and tablets. It is a more simple, and safer way for students with autism to search the web, as well as play games and be entertained with computers. It can be used in classrooms as a way for all students, not just ones with autism, to search the web.
A useful hardware for accessibility in the classroom is the IntelReader, which is about the size of a paperback book and weighs just over a pound. This amazing technology is a device that has a high resolution camera that is used to take pictures of printed text, and then converts it into digital text, which is then read aloud to the student. This easy to use technology is great for students who are visually impaired, or are struggling readers. This allows students to read any printed resource, whether it be a library book of their choice, magazine, or a book assigned for the class. The student can even use the IntelReader to take pictures of printed out instructions from the teacher for any assignment they are doing. All it takes is to point, shoot, and listen to the device read the printed text. The buttons are easy to locate, and the menus are straightforward enough for students to learn to use with only limited help from an adult.
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