The Augmentative and Alternative Communication Program at Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center provides evaluations, recommendations, and ongoing treatment for individuals of all ages, who have complex or unmet communication needs. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a term used to describe methods of communication that supplement an individual’s natural speech or compensate for an individual’s speech and language disorder to give them the ability to communicate a variety of messages with increased independence. AAC methods and systems can be aided or unaided, range from no-tech to high-tech, and are customizable to meet one’s unique communication needs.

AAC is an ongoing process that begins with an initial evaluation of current communication needs, conducted by a speech-language pathologist. Based on the assessment, various forms of AAC will be recommended for trialing to meet the unmet communication needs of the client.