Augmentative Communication

This paper traces the purpose, histoy, and development of augmentative communication and describes the state ofthe art in assessment, system/symbol selection, and range of technology available in aids. Pethaps the most important part of augmentative communication, hever, is communicative function and the facilitation of interaction. In the last 3 years, this aspect of the field bas received greater attention in both research and clinical settings. Recent comparisons of augmentative communication with spoken language and cultural gestures have identified new areas for study and application to nmspeaking individuals.