AAC selection through dynamic assessment for a child with intellectual disability

This study presents a contemporary assessment method for selecting the appropriate augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system for children with intellectual disabilities (IDs). This involves using dynamic assessment (DA) to identify the optimal AAC system that can improve a child's communication abilities. DA uncovers a child's capacity to acquire new skills with specific modifications and prompts. This approach was used to select the AAC systems appropriate for a boy in his middle childhood with communication impairment secondary to ID. Three AAC scenarios were gradually introduced to the child during the assessment, and the task with which it was presented (high-tech, low-tech conventional pictures and low-tech communication book with photographs) was gradually modified. The assessment outcome revealed two essential modifications to the AAC system that facilitated the child's functional communication. Despite the increasing popularity of advanced AAC systems, practical challenges such as accessibility, stimulus relevance and usability persist. Hence, it is crucial to consider a method such as DA to select the appropriate AAC system, considering the communication needs, language level and cognitive ability of children with ID.