Aac and Aided Language in the Classroom: Breaking Down Barriers for Learners with Speech, Language and Communication Needs

Have you got learners in your class who have Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCNs) who would benefit from resources to support their communication skills, such as using Aided Language/ Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)?

This empowering book is designed with these questions at its heart. Written in an accessible style, by teachers for teachers, it offers guidance and support to help you to overcome barriers and successfully implement AAC. The book:

• Addresses myths and misconceptions, with discussion points to encourage the reader to reflect on their own practice.
• Shares the current evidence base around successful support strategies.
• Includes easy to implement, practical strategies that can be adopted in any classroom to have maximum impact and enhance learners’ communication skills.
• Contains a wealth of relatable, real-life examples and case studies included throughout, to bring theory to life and help you deliver effective classroom practice and support your learners with SLCN.
• Clearly outlines the variety of different assistive technologies available for facilitating communication.

Providing readers with a range of useful tools and resources to implement Aided Language/AAC, AAC and Aided Language in the Classroom builds practitioners’ confidence and enables educators to provide a universal level of support for learners with SLCN. It is valuable reading for school leaders, SENCOs, teachers, and learning support assistants, as well as speech and language therapists supporting educators with the implementation of Aided Language/ AAC.

Katy Leckenby is a Senior AAC Consultant for Ace Centre, a national charity providing support and advice to people with complex needs around the use of Assistive Technology (ATech) and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Katy is passionate about facilitating communication and removing barriers to ensure that all students can fully access education. She holds an MA in Inclusive Education and was a teacher for seventeen years, starting in Primary then moving into Special Education where she taught young people with ASC, MLD, SLD, PMLD and complex needs.

Meaghan Ebbage-Taylor is a Senior AAC Consultant for Ace Centre and a trained Primary School teacher. She has worked within a special school teaching pupils with a range of communication difficulties, including those who have made use of a wide range of AAC, both paper-based and electronic. Meaghan’s teaching background has given her a good insight into the everyday implementation of AAC within a classroom context and how to support this to meet the communication need of individuals to get their voice heard.