Supporting AAC For Loved Ones With Aphasia

This is the third article of a three-part series on AAC and aphasia created from an interview with the co-authors of the AAC vocabulary Communication Journey: Aphasia. Special thanks to Lois Turner, Anne MacCallum, and Sarah Douglas for their kindness and dedication in helping individuals with aphasia find their voice.

Everyone has the right to communicate. For individuals with moderate to severe aphasia, Communication Journey: Aphasia can help improve their communication skills. This diagnosis-specific vocabulary gives them an alternative way to engage meaningfully with others and with content they value. If your loved one needs to incorporate augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) into their lifestyle going forward, your support encourages their success.

The Importance of the AAC Team

The AAC team is critical. Your role and connection to your loved one are significant.

“Getting the app for your loved one is the beginning of the work,” said Turner. “It’s the start, but not the goal. AAC technology is a tool that needs human guidance from trustworthy people.” The entire team—individual with aphasia, family members, friends, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, caregivers, and others—are important to the success of AAC.

Communication Journey: Aphasia contains starting-point vocabulary commonly required by adults with aphasia. To work effectively, it MUST be customized by those who know the individual well—their history, interests, likes/dislikes, relationships, and more.

Families can be most helpful with Communication Journey: Aphasia by learning how to use the file:

• Familiarize yourself with page navigation and where words are located
• Learn how to edit a button or add new words especially those of your family’s culture
• Understand how to use the file to help correct a missed communication
• Select buttons in the file when you communicate to show your family member how to use it

Be mindful of when it might be time to add more words and pages to their vocabulary:

• New member of the family, friend group, or support team
• Recent move or another change of environment
• New hobby or interest area
• Change in health situation
• Current events in your community or even larger ones like the Olympics
• Follow your loved one’s lead to add vocabulary that would spark joy and connection

“The change in environments from a hospital environment to a less supported community environment can bring up a need for new words or a different emphasis,” said MacCallum. She remembered a client needing new words for transportation. Adding a button with the phrase, “please let me off here” gave him confidence and independence when talking to the bus driver.” Perhaps this example of file customization will inspire an idea for your loved one’s communication needs.

Below are images of the social pages in English, Spanish, and French.

Learn more about setting up the Communication Journey: Aphasia vocabulary file.

Communication Partner Tips

Be your loved one’s best communication partner by embracing some core principles of AAC. Implementing these tips shows respect and encouragement as your loved one learns a new way of communicating.

• Make sure your loved one’s customized vocabulary file is always available (and powered up) for them; the AAC device or app is their voice or way of communicating
• Select buttons on the device to support your own words and communication as well as helping your family member learn to communicate language as often as possible
• Wait at least 10 seconds for your loved one to process what you have said, decide on their response, and then find the buttons to select
• Acknowledge what your loved one communicates and respond naturally with words, actions, and/or using the device; this could mean asking a follow-up question or addressing their need if they asked for water or food; it could also mean responding with kindness and curiosity to what you suspect is an inaccurate button hit; if they say hamburger in response to “How are you?”, you could say, “You said ‘hamburger’, is that what you meant?" and point to the image with a hamburger.
• Consider placing some lite-tech or paper versions of certain pages around your loved one’s home as a back-up support to the device or app

Remember: In addition to a high-tech AAC app or device, your loved one’s daily communication system is likely made up of sounds, gestures, body movements, signs, facial expressions, and paper-based, or lite-tech systems. Take it all in as valid ways of communicating.

Aphasia proves that communication ability does not determine someone’s intelligence. Giving your loved one an effective AAC solution and supporting its use can help them demonstrate their abilities and experience spontaneous and meaningful conversation.

Connect with your local PRC-Saltillo consultant to explore your options to help your loved one achieve their highest level of communication.