TOPIC

AAC research

Everything we have read on aac. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

79 PAPERS · PAGE 1 OF 2 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPRNSystematic Review2024Methods and approaches to facilitate inclusion of the views, perspectives and preferences of people with moderate-to-severe dementia in research: A narrative systematic review.International journal of older people nursingPicture symbols, personal images, simple ballots, and tailored conversation were used to support people with moderate-to-severe dementia to express preferences. These methods need time, training, and careful support, and no single tool is proven best.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Integrating Assistive Technologies and Smart Home Systems in Neuromuscular Disorders: A Systematic Narrative Review of Clinical Outcomes and Occupational Therapy Perspectives.Occupational therapy internationalAssistive technology and smart home systems may help people with neuromuscular disorders stay independent, but benefit depends on low effort, home fit and ongoing adjustment. Therapists should audit homes, set client priorities and plan for possible abandonment as disease progresses.
• PTSLPPilot2026The Aphasia Physical EXercise (APEX) study: feasibility of a new high-intensity functional interval training for stroke survivors with aphasia.AphasiologyHigh-intensity interval training was safe and well attended by 6 stroke survivors with aphasia, but language and cognitive changes did not reach significance; aerobic endurance improved.
• SLPOther2016Core vocabulary in written personal narratives of school-age children.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)In written narratives by 211 children, a 191-word core made up 70% of the total written sample. Fourth-grade samples had a larger proportion of function words and abstract nouns than first-grade samples.
• SLPPilot2017Development and evaluation of a speech-generating AAC mobile app for minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder in Mainland China.Molecular autismAll ten minimally verbal children with autism could make requests without prompts in at least three of five Yuudee app training phases, but no control group and they also received ABA, so app effect is uncertain.
• SLPNarrative Review2017Challenges and Opportunities in Reading Instruction for Children with Limited Speech.Seminars in speech and language
• SLPPilot2018The feasibility of improving discourse in people with aphasia through AAC: Clinical and functional MRI correlates.AphasiologyThe main behavioral tests did not show clear group differences. Five of six people using AAC improved enough to be counted as responders, versus two of six in usual care. Story retell changes favored AAC.
• SLPOther2018An mHealth Platform for Supporting Clinical Data Integration into Augmentative and Alternative Communication Service Delivery: User-Centered Design and Usability Evaluation.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesTen speech-language pathology participants rated a new AAC app and web portal 4.28 out of 5 for ease and efficiency, and 90% preferred it for clinical data collection. The study used simulated data, not patient outcomes.
• OTSLPPilot2019Examining sensory ability, feature matching and assessment-based adaptation for a brain-computer interface using the steady-state visually evoked potential.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyEye movement control shaped performance on a flicker-based brain-computer interface: participants with better eye control exceeded chance, while participants with severe eye movement impairment performed poorly. Direction-specific results suggest adapting the screen layout to each person's visual field.
• OTSLPOther2019An exploration of communication within active support for adults with high and low support needs.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIn group homes, good staff communication was linked to better support quality and engagement for adults with high support needs, but the pattern was weaker for adults with lower support needs. Staff reported using AAC more often than observers saw.
• SLPPilot2019Effect of mobile technology featuring visual scene displays and just-in-time programming on communication turns by preadolescent and adolescent beginning communicators.International journal of speech-language pathologyFive beginning communicators took markedly more turns using a tablet app that let researchers snap photos of ongoing activities and add words instantly. The average increase was between 13 and 26 turns per 15-minute session, though it is unclear which feature caused the gain.
• SLPOther2018Conversation-based intervention for adolescents using augmentative and alternative communication.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)In conversations that combined several supports, including a personal collage, recasts, prompts, and vocabulary targets, four adolescents using speech-generating devices increased some verbs, pronouns, bound morphemes, or clauses, but no target improved consistently across all four. Peer conversations did not show clear improvement.
• OTSLPNarrative Review2019New and emerging access technologies for adults with complex communication needs and severe motor impairments: State of the science.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)For adults with severe motor impairments, new AAC access tools may reduce positioning, fatigue, or typing effort in reported cases, but evidence is too preliminary to show they work.
• SLPNarrative Review2019Telling tales: unlocking the potential of AAC technologies.International journal of language & communication disordersThis invited lecture and narrative review describes AAC technology, abandonment and design possibilities. It reports no new methods or outcomes, so there is no evidence here to change clinical practice.
• SLPNarrative Review2019Designing effective AAC displays for individuals with developmental or acquired disabilities: State of the science and future research directions.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)How AAC displays are arranged changes what people look at and how quickly they find symbols. Cluster symbols by color or space, use photos of people in real activities, and pair adult scenes with text.
• SLPQualitative2019Design Requirements for a Digital Aid to Support Adults With Mild Learning Disabilities During Clinical Consultations: Qualitative Study With Experts.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesExperts said adults with mild learning disabilities need closed, one-at-a-time questions, avoiding jargon. They wanted symptoms shown by picture, text, and speech, with no more than four options, and clear skip and return buttons.
• SLPOther2019Error patterns and revisions in the graphic symbol utterances of 3- and 4-year-old children who need augmentative and alternative communication.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)Children using AAC make different errors depending on the sentence type. They struggle most with word order in subject-verb-object sentences and dropping small words like "is" in descriptions. They rarely pick the wrong symbol. Most self-corrections happen during construction and improve the final message.
• SLPCase Series2019The emergence of clause construction in children who use speech generating devices.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)Four children using speech generating devices produced longer, more complex clauses over 10 months. They first used simple subject-verb-object clauses, then added pronouns, inflections, articles and prepositions. More adult-supported turns were associated with more grammatical clauses.
• SLPCase Series2019Development of a new high sensitivity mechanical switch for augmentative and alternative communication access in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationA new magnetic lever switch let all 20 people with advanced ALS use their existing scanning communication or emergency bell after training. Satisfaction was high, but activation counts fell over 12 months.
• SLPOther2019Improving Patient Safety and Patient-Provider Communication.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsPatients who could not use the nurse call or speak reported more favorable experiences when given the noddle switch and noddle-chat tablet than when they had no access, but less favorable experiences than patients using the standard call system.
• SLPOther2019Forum on Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Acute Care.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsThere is no finding to act on. This forum commentary introduces other hospital AAC papers but reports no methods or outcomes.
• SLPRCT2019Intervention focus moderates the association between initial receptive language and language outcomes for toddlers with developmental delay.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)For toddlers with developmental delay who were not yet talking, initial understanding strongly predicted later language scores. Among three parent-implemented interventions, input-focused augmented communication linked understanding most strongly to overall expressive language, output-focused linked it to target vocabulary, and spoken-only showed little target vocabulary use.
• OTSLPOther2020Incorporating discriminative stimuli into functional communication training with augmentative and alternative communication devices: a tutorial.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)This tutorial describes how to embed color-coded discriminative stimuli into AAC software to signal when communication responses are reinforced. It provides a step-by-step progression for teaching functional communication and thinning schedules, but notes that formal efficacy evaluations of these specific software applications are still needed.
• SLPOther2019Developing a Culture of Successful Communication in Acute Care Settings: Part II. Solving Institutional Issues.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groups
• SLPNarrative Review2019Behind the Scenes of Noninvasive Brain-Computer Interfaces: A Review of Electroencephalography Signals, How They Are Recorded, and Why They Matter.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsEEG brain-computer interfaces translate cognitive signals like attention and motor imagery into device control for communication. Visual P300 systems show pooled accuracy of 72.94% in ALS users. Performance varies by individual profile, so these are assistive tools, not thought readers.
• SLPCase Series2019Developing a Culture of Successful Communication in Acute Care Settings: Part I. Solving Patient-Specific Issues.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsNo finding to act on. This hospital service description and case series about communication supports for inpatients reports no study method or measured patient outcome.
• SLPCase Report2020Growing up with AAC in the digital age: a longitudinal profile of communication across contexts from toddler to teen.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)One person with severe speech and language impairments used AAC from age 2 to 15, moving from symbol devices to text-to-speech on an iPhone. He communicated independently, but test scores stayed below average.
• SLPCase Report2020Using AAC to unlock communicative potential in late-talking toddlers.Journal of communication disordersTwo late-talking toddlers who did not improve with input-based therapy alone showed immediate gains in spoken words and multi-word phrases when low-tech AAC devices and output demands were added. This suggests AAC may help non-responders bypass speech motor difficulties.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021School outcomes of adolescents with cerebral palsy in Sweden.Developmental medicine and child neurologyAdolescents with cerebral palsy had significantly lower school grades and were less likely to progress to secondary school or university compared to matched peers. Communication ability was the strongest functional predictor of these poor outcomes, outweighing gross or manual motor skills.
• SLPSystematic Review2021Alternative and Augmentative Communication Technologies for Supporting Adults With Mild Intellectual Disabilities During Clinical Consultations: Scoping Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesCommunication aids like patient passports and easy-read cards help adults with mild intellectual disabilities share health information. Evidence on whether they actually improve clinical outcomes is weak and mixed, with some tools showing no benefit over standard care.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Evaluating person-centered factors associated with brain-computer interface access to a commercial augmentative and alternative communication paradigm.Assistive technology : the official journal of RESNAFour people with ALS tried a brain-computer interface to spell on a standard AAC keyboard. Two achieved accuracy matching healthy controls, but performance varied widely and no one reached the threshold for free spelling.
• SLPQualitative2021Interprofessional Practitioners' Opinions on Features and Services for an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Brain-Computer Interface Device.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPractitioners want brain-computer interface communication devices to be small, durable, and supported by separate training for the device and the software. They insist on independent clinical support, not manufacturer-led assessments. These are design preferences from 12 professionals, not evidence the technology works.
• SLPSurvey2022Speech and Language Practitioners' Experiences of Commercially Available Voice-Assisted Technology: Web-Based Survey Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesOf 230 surveyed UK speech and language therapists, 181 had not used commercial voice assistants with clients, but 166 of those wanted to try them and 198 wanted training. Therapists who had used them reported speech feedback, independence and confidence, not evidence they improve speech.
• SLPSurvey2022Speech-language pathologists' practices in augmentative and alternative communication during early intervention.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)SLPs are most likely to recommend AAC for children with no spoken words, favoring sign language and photos over devices. They cite caregiver resistance and poor carryover as the biggest barriers, not child ability.
• SLPPilot2023Evaluating the perspectives of those with severe physical impairments while learning BCI control of a commercial augmentative and alternative communication paradigm.Assistive technology : the official journal of RESNAExperiences varied widely while four people with ALS learned brain-computer spelling: satisfaction followed better control for A1 and A3, and lower frustration for A2 and A4. Mental effort was high for some, fatigue ratings changed little. This small study cannot show the system works.
• SLPCohort2022Longitudinal change in speech classification between 4 and 10 years in children with cerebral palsy.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy were more likely to move to less severe speech levels between ages 4 and 10. Speech level at age 4 predicted level at age 10. Children rated most severe at age 4 most likely remained most severe at age 10.
• SLPOther2023Building Family Capacity: supporting multiple family members to implement aided Language modeling.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn one family, training the mother to coach five relatives in aided language modeling increased their use of the child's speech-generating device. The child's independent device use rose modestly, though she still preferred signing. This shows a possible method, not proven efficacy.
• SLPCohort2022Convergent validity of functional communication tools and spoken language comprehension assessment in children with cerebral palsy.International journal of language & communication disordersThree functional communication tools agreed strongly with each other in children with cerebral palsy, from toddlers to school age. Spoken language comprehension also tracked closely with functional communication in children aged 4 and older, but less so in toddlers.
• SLPQualitative2022The impact of communication on healthcare involvement for people living with motor neurone disease and their carers: A longitudinal qualitative study.International journal of language & communication disordersPeople with motor neurone disease and their carers described maintaining healthcare involvement as exhausting effort. Communication breakdowns led to shorter answers, missed questions and reliance on carers to interpret needs. Clinicians should ask about communication preferences and allow extra time.
• SLPSystematic Review2024A qualitative evidence synthesis of the experiences and perspectives of communicating using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyPeople who use AAC devices value them for more than just sending messages. They see the tools as key to maintaining their identity and independence. However, frustration arises when synthetic voices lack personality, privacy is limited, or devices fail in noisy environments.
• SLPOther2024Are minimally verbal autistic children's modality and form of communication associated with parent responsivity?Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchParents of minimally verbal autistic children gave similar relevant responses whether the child used spoken language, gesture, gesture-speech combinations, AAC, or less precise forms. Clinicians should assess all communication modes, not focus only on intelligible speech.
• SLPPilot2024Development and preliminary evaluation of a grid design application for adults and children using scanning and bci-based augmentative and alternative communication.Assistive technology : the official journal of RESNAFive people experienced with BCI-AAC research designed personal scanning or BCI-AAC grids in an iPad app. Each made a unique display, and all rated it easy and enjoyable. They chose varied highlighting and layout settings, not one standard grid.
• SLPQualitative2024Nurse perspectives on supporting children and youth who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in the pediatric intensive care unit.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)Six pediatric ICU nurses valued AAC for children's care but said time, limited training, and shifting priorities often blocked communication access. They wanted SLP support and clear AAC options.
• SLPCase Report2024A demonstration of incorporating discriminative stimuli into an AAC device during functional communication training.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)Adding colored icons to an AAC app helped one non-speaking teen with severe behaviors distinguish when requests would be honored. He reduced aggression and increased correct requests, but this was a single case and requires more testing before generalizing.
• SLPOther2024Prosodic Preferences of Surface Electromyography-based Subvocal Speech for People With Laryngectomy.Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice FoundationPeople with laryngectomy and their communication partners rated synthetic speech with continuous pitch mapping as more natural than electrolarynx speech. They prioritized sound quality and intelligibility over ease of use, suggesting future devices should focus on voice naturalness rather than just usability.
• SLPQualitative2025Do you like my voice? Stakeholder perspectives about the acceptability of synthetic child voices in three South African languages.International journal of language & communication disordersStakeholders in South Africa accepted synthetic child voices in English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa, though they rated the English child voice as less natural and harder to understand. They emphasized that children should choose their own voice to match their identity, and that partner support is critical for adoption.
• SLPOther2025The feasibility of just-in-time programming of visual scene displays on mobile technology in AAC intervention for adult beginning communicators.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)Four adults with severe disabilities increased their communication turns when using a tablet with visual scenes created on the fly. The interventionist, not day staff, did the programming, so feasibility for routine clinical use remains untested.
• PTOTSLPOther2025The UK C-BiLLT: Validity and reliability of an online assessment of spoken language comprehension for children with severe motor disorders.International journal of language & communication disordersThe UK C-BiLLT accurately measures spoken language comprehension in children aged 18 months to 7.5 years. It is reliable for typical development and acceptable for children with severe motor disorders who use eye gaze or switches, though it may take up to an hour to complete.
• OTSLPOther2025Transition to Adulthood for Individuals With Complex Communication Needs: A Scoping Review.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthYoung adults who use AAC reported low expectations, few transition services, and limited age-appropriate vocabulary. Parents, inclusive education, employer supports, mentorship, and communication accommodations were described as helping them pursue work, college, and friendships.
• SLPSystematic Review2025Assessing Functional Communication in Persons With Aphasia: A Scoping Review of Formal and Informal Measures.International journal of language & communication disordersNo standardized aphasia assessment fully captures real-world communication. Formal tools miss multimodal or interactive elements. Informal tools vary widely in definition. Clinicians must combine tests to see the whole picture of patient function.