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      AAC for autism spectrum

      AAC for autism spectrum

      Overview

      AAC journey for autism

      Many professionals working with people on the autism spectrum aren’t aware of the benefits of AAC, even though studies show that it can dramatically improve communication skills and overall quality of life. TD is here to support prescribing clinicians, including speech therapists and other medical professionals, who are interested in AAC for their clients with an autism diagnosis. We offer expertise and resources to guide you every step of the way. Let’s start by looking at each AAC journey stage:

      An autistic boy with his speech therapist during the evaluation stage of an AAC assessment

      Evaluation

      During an initial evaluation, the prescribing clinician will gather detailed information about their client’s communication abilities and needs. This evaluation will be used as a basis for recommending AAC.

      Recommendation

      During this stage, the prescribing clinician will document their client’s necessity for AAC and determine the right solution to match their needs and goals. This will be used as a basis to write a prescription for an AAC device.

      A therapist testing an SGD during the recommendation stage of the AAC process
      The TD funding team working during the funding stage of the AAC process

      Funding

      During the funding stage, the prescribing clinician submits the necessary documentation so that their client can secure financial coverage for the AAC device. This will include communicating with funding and insurance sources and assisting with the application process. It may also involve arranging device trials.

      Set up

      Once their client has received the funded device, it may be customized based on their communication goals and preferences. This will happen together with the client and their care circle to ensure they get the most out of their AAC device.

      Setting up a device after funding is secured during the AAC process
      A member of the TD support team helping a client with their SGD

      Support

      During this last stage, the clinician who helped secure funding for the AAC device often assists their client with ongoing support. They also usually help monitor and adapt the device to keep up with their client’s evolving needs.

      Autism success stories with AAC

      Discover AAC in action for people with an autism diagnosis:

      Evaluation resources

      As a speech therapist assessing autistic people for assistive communication, you will first gather detailed information about their abilities and needs. We’ve curated the following free resources to help you succeed during the evaluation stage of the AAC journey.

      Screenshot of DAGG-3 goals grid

      DAGG-3

      Make evaluations easier with DAGG-3, a reliable, ready-made assessment tool for clinicians. DAGG-3 is short for Dynamic AAC Goals Grid (edition 3). It’s a free resource used by speech therapists and other professionals to assess, develop and track communication goals for all levels. It also allows collaboration between speech therapists and their clients’ support teams to better describe and monitor communication abilities.

      Screenshot of DAGG-3 goals grid

      What’s included in DAGG-3 resources?

      • written step-by-step instructions
      • the assessment tool itself (online and print versions)
      • activities for every goal to help end-users grow their communication skills
      • a printable poster to display on the wall of a clinic, school or hospital
      Screenshot of myths poster

      AAC myth poster

      You may have heard that AAC will prevent an autistic child from learning to speak. Perhaps you’ve heard that it isn’t necessary for someone who already has basic speech. In fact, research shows the opposite is true. We’ve debunked some common myths about AAC for autistic people in a set of printable posters, to help you educate others with facts and evidence. Simply download and print this free resource to display in your clinic, school or hospital.

      Screenshot of myths poster
      Screenshot from Learning Hub website

      Learning Hub

      The Learning Hub offers self-guided training opportunities, created by Tobii Dynavox professionals, available anytime. Create a free account and log in to access a library of online courses, recorded webinars, videos, quick guides, and other valuable resources. Once logged in, you can search the course catalog for the following resources to help you learn more about the evaluation stage of the AAC journey for autism:

      Course names and numbers:

      • What is the Assessment Process? (2A101)
      • Dynamic AAC Goals Grid 3: Overview and Implementation (24204a)
      • Expert Series with Vicki Clarke: Dynamic AAC Goals Grid 3 (2A207)

      Recommendation resources

      Once the evaluation stage is complete, you’ll be ready to start recommending assistive communication to match your clients’ needs and goals. At this stage, it’s possible to help your clients find solutions to express themselves their way — anywhere, anytime with low-tech (print-based) or high-tech AAC. Here are some resources and information to get started with recommending AAC solutions for autism.

      Low-tech AAC solutions for autism

      Tobii Dynavox offers low-tech resources to support minimally speaking and nonspeaking autistic individuals:

      PCS (Picture Communication Symbols)

      A library of symbol-based visuals to help people with communication disabilities express themselves.

      Printable AAC

      A set of printable, low-tech AAC communication boards and books plus other resources to foster communication, language and literacy skills.

      High-tech AAC solutions for autism

      Tobii Dynavox makes the following purpose-built assistive communication solutions to support people on the spectrum:

      Tobii Dynavox eye gaze device feat

      TD I-110

      A Windows-based, purpose-built touch screen speech generating device pre-loaded with the TD Snap app.

      Tobii Dynavox TD Navio speech generating device with TD Snap app

      TD Navio

      An iPad-based, purpose-built touch screen speech generating device pre-loaded with the TD Snap app.

      TD Snap

      A symbol-supported AAC app offering a choice of solutions, including Core First, Motor Plan, PODD and Text page sets.

      Voice customization

      People using Tobii Dynavox assistive communication solutions can choose a synthetic voice that resonates with them. This can include anything from a specific language, to a type of accent within a language, to a voice that sounds like a certain age and gender, including many options for children and teen voices.

      Learning Hub

      The Learning Hub offers self-guided training opportunities, created by Tobii Dynavox professionals, available anytime. Create a free account and log in to access a library of online courses, recorded webinars, videos, quick guides, and other valuable resources. Once logged in, you can search the course catalog for the following resources to help you learn more about the recommendation stage of the AAC journey for autism:

      Course names and numbers:

      • Picture Communication Symbols: A Foundation Across Lite and High-Tech AAC (1A005)
      • TD Snap Core First - Research (6B501)
      • TD Snap Motor Plan Research and Development (6B503)
      • TD Snap Tools (6B305)

      Funding resources

      Now that you have recommended an AAC solution for your client, it’s time to secure funding to help them cover device costs. This will involve navigating a complex application process that takes time and perseverance. We’ve helped simplify the process as much as possible with a funding page to help guide you:

      Funding site

      A site with instructions to help clinicians navigate and help their clients apply for financial coverage of a communication device. This includes information about funding sources broken down by province and territory.

      Set up resources

      After securing funding for our touch-based speech generating devices, we offer everything you need to know about getting set up and using them. We’ve made it easy to get started with a device, its pre-loaded software TD Snap and even keyguards. We offer a getting started guide, ongoing learning resources and related low-tech solutions to complement TD Snap, including communication books and Core First Learning. If you get stuck, tech support is available every day. And if something goes wrong, there’s a comprehensive warranty.

      Tobii Dynavox eye gaze device featuring Snap Core First app

      TD I-110

      A Windows-based, purpose-built touch screen speech generating device pre-loaded with the TD Snap app.

      Tobii Dynavox TD Navio speech generating device with TD Snap app

      TD Navio

      An iPad-based, purpose-built touch screen speech generating device pre-loaded with the TD Snap app.

      TD Snap

      A symbol-supported AAC app offering a choice of solutions, including Core First, Motor Plan, PODD and Text page sets.

      Support resources

      Now that you and your clients are on their way with assistive communication, the last stage may very well be the most important one: ensuring ongoing success. You’ve helped your clients come this far, and they will continue to look to you for continued support. We are always here to help guide you with the following resources:

      Learning resources

      Boost your knowledge of our products, learn implementation strategies, stay up-to-date on best practices and more with live and on-demand learning.

      Support articles

      Search our database of frequently asked questions for answers about many of our products and services.

      Customer support

      Contact our dedicated support team and find links to common topics such as warranties, repairs and funding.

      Reliable warranty

      Get industry-leading support through a 5-year warranty, available with all Tobii Dynavox devices.

      Our role is to help you succeed

      Don’t forget that you can always reach out to a Tobii Dynavox Account Manager near you for guidance. We’re here to help you and your clients succeed on this AAC journey.

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