AAC Assessment & Feature Matching
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Candidacy: Retire the Prerequisites
There is no minimum age, cognitive level, or behavior profile a person must reach before augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is appropriate. The question is not whether someone qualifies for AAC but which supports will let them communicate now.
| Myth | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| AAC will stop a child from talking | Speech is unchanged or improves when AAC is introduced |
| Cognition must be tested first | Cognitive scores do not predict benefit; communication is how cognition is shown |
| The device is too complex | Complexity is managed by feature matching and partner support, not by withholding words |
The National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities (NJC) rejects prerequisite-based candidacy. Its Communication Bill of Rights, now in a third edition (2024) that consolidates the 2016 list into 12 rights, includes the right to be addressed directly, to ask for or refuse objects, actions, events, and people, to express preferences and feelings, and to have individualized, working AAC and other assistive technology available at all times.
High-Yield: If an answer option says to wait until the client demonstrates readiness, it is almost always the distractor. Assess support needs and start.
The rest of this outline 7
- The Participation Model
- Feature Matching
- Assessment Components
- Trials and Data
- Funding Documentation Basics
- Common Traps
- Sources to Know
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