What are Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices?
Imagine not being able to alert someone in an emergency, tell a doctor what part of your body hurts, or communicate what you want to eat or wear. Many people with cerebral palsy do not have to imagine these frustrations. Without Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, they would be unable to communicate. The speech of some people with cerebral palsy is difficult to understand; others are unable to speak at all. The problem is not that these individuals can’t understand what other people say or that they can’t formulate language. The problem is in the delivery of speech, caused by damage to the part of the brain that transmits language thoughts to the mouth muscles. This brain damage may result in muscle spasticity and/or weakness in the lips, jaw and tongue just as it does in other parts of the body; this is called dysarthia. The brain damage might also cause problems in the brain’s ability to transmit instructions to the body parts used to speak; this is called aprax
