THE AAC JOURNEY

A Journey to Autonomy
Much like any child learning to communicate, learning to use AAC to effectively communicate is a journey, not a destination. Children who use AAC are joined on this journey by supportive partners who are engaged in the process and dedicated to learning alongside the child. These AAC Guides include family members, therapists, teachers, and friends. A child's AAC journey involves lots of practice using new skills and strengthening existing skills. AAC tools and strategies are adjusted along the way as the child's needs and skills change. With appropriate and supportive therapy and education programs that presume competence, model language, and foster literacy skills, children who use AAC can achieve their full potentials and lead productive and fulfilling lives as Conquerors through powerful, independent communication.
The AAC Journey Framework is based on the work of Dr. Patricia Dowden at the University of Washington, the founder of the Continuum of Communication Independence. In this AAC Path Page, you will learn how an understanding of where a person is right now with his or her expressive communication skills provides a valuable foundation upon which to take the first and next steps in communication assessment and intervention with AAC tools and strategies.
A Map for Your Journey
The AAC Journey Framework
The AAC Journey framework closely mirrors Dr. Dowden’s continuum with one key difference-the AAC Journey framework holds in mind only those communicators who are developing language with the support of AAC tools and strategies (not those who have lost language). The AAC Journey Framework, as with Dowden’s CCI, holds typical communicative development at its core and therefore, guides intervention toward communication independence along a typical developmental path. This framework has three categories: Explorer, Navigator, and Conqueror. Learn more about each by clicking the links below.
Continuum of Communication Independence
Dr. Patricia Dowden’s continuum describes an individual's expressive communication based on observable communication behaviors. The model was developed to be used in intervention planning for communicators using AAC tools and strategies or those who may benefit from such tools and strategies. The continuum holds in mind both those who have lost language due to injury and those who are developing language. The broad communication intervention goal when using this continuum, therefore, is to support a communicator’s achievement of communication independence. Dr. Dowden’s continuum includes three categories: Emerging Communication, Context-Dependent Communication, and Independent Communication. The continuum describes the limitations and skills present in each category, progressing the communicator toward independence with language and literacy.
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION INDEPENDENCE?
Dr. Dowden captures the sentiment of this quote in more tangible, and actionable terms in her definition of communication independence-
"the ability to communicate anything on any topic to anyone"
In this definition, It doesn't matter whether or not the individual relies on a communication aid or device, as long as he or she can communicate anything to anyone he/she chooses.