Augmentative Communication: Clinical Issues

Written by therapists experienced in working with nonspeaking clients and their families, this helpful book includes many issues pertinent to the assessment and training of augmented communicators. The field of augmentative communication, which is rapidly gaining recognition in all areas of rehabilitation, is thoroughly addressed here. A summary of the prerequisites for implementing a communication system will be particularly useful to anyone working with nonspeaking clients who do not yet have a method of communication. Included among the topics are assessing cognitive function in clients unable to take intelligence tests in standardized fashion, finding a match between the motor capabilities of the client and the motor demands of various aided and unaided communication systems, and promoting the involvement of the family in the development of a communication system. This indispensable resource also offers information about publication, equipment vendors, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the primary leader in augmentative communication.