Preparedness, Training, and Support for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Telepractice During the COVID-19...

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Telehealth
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adoption of telepractice for communication disorder services.
• Students using aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including speech-generating devices, require specialized support via telepractice.
• Understanding speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) professional networks is crucial for effective telepractice delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate SLPs' professional resource networks during the pandemic.
• To identify factors associated with SLPs' confidence in using telepractice for students with aided AAC.
• To compare school-based and nonschool-based SLPs' experiences with AAC telepractice.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive quantitative study using network analysis.
• 283 SLPs completed an online survey employing a resource generator approach.
• Data focused on professional resource networks for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) telepractice.

Main Results:

• SLP confidence in AAC telepractice varied significantly.
• Lower confidence was reported by school-based SLPs and those with ≤3 years of AAC experience.
• Increased telepractice usage and diverse training access correlated with higher confidence.

Conclusions:

• Access to quality training and support in AAC and telepractice is vital for SLPs.
• School-based SLPs particularly benefit from enhanced training and support systems.
• Further resources are needed to bolster SLP confidence and competence in telepractice for AAC users.