Augmentative and Alternative Communication Certificate

The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) certificate is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to effectively support and develop the communication of individuals with limited or no verbal skills. Speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) and other educational and healthcare staff are charged with the development, programming, teaching, and maintenance of a range of AAC systems. In this certificate, students will learn the fundamentals of AAC, including the collaborative process of AAC implementation, components of low-tech to high-tech AAC systems, principles of AAC interventions for different types of communicators, teaching and learning with AAC systems, and methods for facilitating communication partner competency. Emphasis will be placed on evidence-based approaches and culturally responsive practices for AAC users with a variety of neurodevelopmental or acquired conditions. This certificate is open to SLPA majors and students of related majors as well as medical and educational personnel who regularly interact with individuals with complex communication needs.

Based on the number of students who apply to the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) Associate of Science degree program each year (50-60), it is estimated that about 25-35 would enroll in the certificate each year. This number may be higher with recruitment efforts also directed towards Cerritos SLPA alumni and school districts, as well as special education, education, child development, and healthcare majors at Cerritos.

The Augmentative and Alternative (AAC) Certificate prepares speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) and other healthcare workers and support staff in educational settings to support the implementation and use of communication systems for individuals with complex communication needs. In this program, students will obtain the knowledge and skills required for effective facilitation of a broad range of communication systems and strategies which will lead to improved outcomes for the patient or student and will enhance overall job skills and employability in the workforce. Current Cerritos students in the SLPA Associate of Science (A.S.) degree program will be well position to complete this certificate along with the other A.S. degree requirements or upon graduation from their A.S. degree in SLPA.

Program Objectives:

• Gain fundamental knowledge of typical and atypical development in learning and language
• Explain the general processes and principles of assistive technology and AAC implementation
• Demonstrate basic operational competency in the development, programming, and use of AAC systems across a range of technologicalcomplexity
• Model strategies designed to facilitate communication between AAC users and communication partners
• Evaluate the use of appropriate AAC interventions for different stages of AAC acquisition and AAC user profiles

This certificate was designed to build on existing coursework in the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) Associate of Science (A.S.) degree program and provide more specialized training in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and intervention. Students will obtain a foundation in motor, sensory, cognitive, social, and communication development through the CD 110 (Child Development) and SLP 105 (Speech and Language Development) courses. PSYC 251 (Developmental Psychology) was added as an alternative to the human development component in the event that students working for an Associate's degree in special education always wish to obtain this certificate, since this course is a requirement for that program. Fundamental to this certificate is SLP 101 (Introduction to Communication Disorders) which provides a knowledge base of different types of disorders and conditions that cause communication challenges and may require AAC.

Students will also be required to take an overview of assistive technology to learn basic principles of differentiated instruction for learners with special needs in the educational setting including accessibility requirements and principles of universal design (EDT 140: Exploring Assistive Technology in Education). This will support SLPAs when they do push-in therapy services in special education classrooms as well as understanding basic software used for students in the educational setting. SLP 230 (Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication) is a required course for the SLPA A.S. degree program and provides them with the fundamentals of AAC, including general principles of evaluation and intervention, and an overview of different types of AAC, including low and high tech systems, access types, and vocabulary selection methods.

SLP 232 (Communication Partner Strategies) and SLP 234 (Interventions in Augmentative and Alternative Communication) were new courses written for this certificate. In SLP 232, learners will develop knowledge of research-based strategies to support communication interactions between communication partners and users of AAC systems. This certificate is designed for SLPA students and other medical and educational personnel who work with individuals with complex communication needs. Opportunities for guided practice will be provided in all the SLP courses.

In SLP 234, students will learn and apply interventions to facilitate the development of language of AAC systems. Learners will examine and practice evidence-based intervention approaches designed to support AAC users at different levels of independence and varying neurodevelopmental conditions. This course is also not just designed for SLPA students, but also those who work with children and young adults with complex communication needs in clinical, home health, or educational settings.

The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) certificate will be an additional certificate within the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) Department. Currently, the SLPA Department offers a Speech-Language Pathology Aide certificate and an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in SLPA. The AAC certificate requires a total of 7 courses (21 units), four of which are already required for the A.S. degree (12):

CD 110 (Child Development)

SLP 101 (Introduction to Communication Disorders)

SLP 105 (Speech and Language Development)

SLP 230 (Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication)

SLPA students who wish to earn the AAC certificate would need to take 9 more units (EDT 140, SLP 232, SLP 234). They would have the option to take those while completing the SLPA program or upon graduation.

There is no similar certificate program at the community college level that offers this type of training for a speech-language pathology assistants as well as other disciplines. The only augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) courses available for most professionals is for speech-language pathologists in master degree programs, and beyond graduate school there are rarely any continuing education opportunities beyond day-long workshops. Pasadena City College is going to start offering an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) course, but does not currently offer a certificate in this area.

A certificate in assistive technology (AT) is listed at California State University-Dominguez Hills but assistive technology is not the same as AAC. Speech-language pathologists will utilize technology recommended by assistive technologists in the evaluation process and benefit from any  needed training about the technology from AT specialists during the implementation process (as needed), but assistive technologists do not address the daily implementation of specific aspects of communication development or teach the individual how to use their new communication system. AT specialists are important partners of the AAC process, but AAC interventions are more focused on utilizing the equipment and technology for the purpose of developing communication skills in the individual, whereas AT looks at how technology can solve problems for any individual in need across multiple aspects of their life. This program will offer a knowledge base and skill set that is needed by SLPAs and those who work with individuals with complex communication needs on a regular basis in homes, schools, communities, and healthcare settings.

It is estimated that 25-35 students will enroll in this certificate annually.

Not applicable.