Developing the ICF-CY for AAC profile and code set for children who rely on AAC

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Speech and Language Pathology

Background:

• Children with complex communication needs often require Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to develop and use communication skills.
• Effective educational planning for these children necessitates a comprehensive understanding of various influencing factors.
• Existing frameworks may not fully capture the multifaceted needs of AAC users in educational settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the ICF-CY for AAC Profile, a novel tool designed for assessing communication in school-aged children reliant on AAC.
• To establish the ICF-CY for AAC Profile as a potential code set for AAC users.
• To outline the iterative development process for this specialized code set.

Main Methods:

• The study describes the development of the ICF-CY for AAC Profile.
• The framework utilized is the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - Children & Youth Version (ICF-CY).
• The process involved iterative refinement for code-set development.

Main Results:

• The ICF-CY for AAC Profile offers a structured method to integrate diverse factors impacting communication.
• The Profile is proposed as a functional code set tailored for AAC users.
• This tool is positioned as a key component in developing educational goals.

Conclusions:

• The ICF-CY for AAC Profile provides a comprehensive, framework-based approach to understanding communication needs.
• It serves as a valuable resource for clinicians and educators working with children using AAC.
• The Profile supports the creation of individualized educational plans for students with complex communication needs.