Augmentative and Alternative Communication strategies are used by individuals who have communication dificulties resulting from developmental or acquired conditions. Suppliers aim to meet the needs of individuals, children and adults, who need to use aided communication by providing appropriate systems. The AAC evidence study is seeking to identify the role of suppliers in meeting the needs of pwuAAC.
Could please provide information for the following Topics? Thank you. Alex John, Researcher
Needs
a How are usually contacted regarding products or devices?
b Do you have any role in terms of identifying the needs of the person?
c Do you assist in assessing the person for suitability of just your product? (e.g. is it technically possible for the person to use it?)
d What are the usual steps in providing the most suitable aided communication system for the individual? (e.g. demonstration, trial, loan, length of time provided)
Provision
a Can you describe people’s aspirations when accessing communication devices?
b How is the communication aid usually provided by your company? e.g. sent to AAC specialists/ education services - individual – demonstrated to individual – set up for individual.
c. Do you give technical assistance in providing a communication aid?
d Do you advise on positioning? (placing, mounting, access issues)
Support and Training
a What do you perceive as the issues for the successful use of a communication aid or piece of software? b What is the role of the company in supporting aided
communication?
c (Individual, family, NHS, education)
d What is the role of the company in the provision of training? (To the individual? To the family? To professional staff? )
- Supporting use - Supporting staff?
What is the role in repair of devices? (Time scales, use of device while repairs are undertaken, funding of repairs)
What steps are taken to ensure conidentiality of content on a communication aid you are repairing or replacing an aid or software system?
Funding
a What is the main system for funding aided communication?
b Are there any systems in place for facilitating the purchase of your product?
c Are there more individuals paying for their own devices?
d Is more funding coming from one particular source e.g. education, health charity? Has that changed over time?
e Is acquiring funding for devices becoming easier or more dificult?
f Are they aware of any particular delays related to funding?
Supply Trends
a How did supply and/or funding change during CAP and after?
b Have there been changes in funding relative to the age of the individual? e.g. child - adult
c. How has product mix changed over the years?
Charities Survey
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Evidence Base Research Project
I am a researcher working on the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Evidence Base research project. Part of this AAC Evidence Base study aims to identify and describe the ways in which charities provide resources to people who use AAC, who could beneit from using AAC and family and communication partners.
AAC Evidence Base Study
The Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Evidence Base research project began in June 2010, a three-year project funded by the Big Lottery Fund, and led by Communication Matters, the UK charity for people of all ages and abilities who need to use AAC. Communication Matters is working with three research partners: the University of Shefield; Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; and Manchester Metropolitan University.
Project Aims
1 To gather fundamental evidence of the need for AAC in the UK and current provision and use of AAC. It is hoped that this information will be used to improve AAC services across the UK.
2 To provide access to current knowledge related to AAC in an online AAC Evidence Base that will present information in a variety of accessible formats. 3 To support and encourage research into AAC in the
UK by building a list of people who are interested in taking part in research (the Communication Matters Research Involvement Network).
Objectives
The University of Shefield and Barnsley Hospital are seeking to identify the number of people across the UK currently using AAC and the various routes that they use to obtain appropriate AAC, including through health, education, commercial suppliers and the voluntary sector. Importantly, it also seeks to deine the need, speciically how many people could beneit from AAC; the provision of resources for AAC and use, exploring how AAC is being used by those currently in receipt of it. In parallel, Manchester Metropolitan University is investigating the type of information required to be included in an AAC Evidence Base, and the formats preferred by those seeking information. The aim being to establish an online AAC Evidence Base in collaboration with Communication Matters.
How You Can Help
The success of the project depends on the active engagement of all those involved in any way in work with AAC.
We are seeking information at three levels:
1 The role of the Charity and speciically the role in supporting those members who may need or use AAC.
2 Enabling those members who may need or use AAC to contribute to the AAC evidence project by describing their own experience of AAC, whether that was a successful or unsuccessful experience.
3 Identifying unmet need.
The types of roles undertaken by a Charity may include:- • Helpline/Information
• Advocacy • Signposting • AAC brokerage • Specialist AAC services • Education/Training
• Day services/Respite Services • Residential Services
• Making Grants • Campaigning • Fundraising • Research
If you can give information relating to any of the three levels identiied above, please contact Alex John, Research Associate at [email protected] or 0114 222 2978.
For more information on the progress of the project contact Katie Holmes, Research Manager, katieholmes@ communicationmatters.org.uk or visit the Communication Matters website www.communicationmatters.org.uk.
This research project is led by Communication Matters (ISAAC UK), a registered charity, no. 327500, and a company registered in England and Wales, no. 01965474. The project is funded by the National Lottery through Big Lottery Fund. The research partners are Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Metropolitan
University and the University of Shefield.
This survey is part of the “Communication Matters - Research Matters: an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Evidence Base” research project. The project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the research is being carried out by Communication Matters in collaboration with Shefield University, Barnsley Hospital and Manchester Metropolitan University. This survey is being conducted by Shefield University. The project aims to improve the quality of life of people in the UK with severe communication impairments who need AAC by producing fundamental evidence of the need for, and provision of, AAC which can be used to improve services across the UK. To do this we need to establish what the current service provision is across the UK and also provide accurate information about the population who use or need AAC.
Please ill this survey in if you are an AAC practitioner and/or provide a service related to aided communication. We need your help to collect this data so that we can provide accurate evidence to decision makers in national and local government, commissioners of services and those who work within the ield.
Please ill in as much of the survey as you can and return it even if you cannot complete all the questions.
Thank you for taking time to complete the survey. If you have any questions about the survey or would like more information about how you can contribute further to the study, please email Sarah Creer at [email protected]. uk or telephone 0114 2222 978.
If you prefer you can ill this survey out online by visiting: www.communicationmatters.org.uk/surveys/