Augmentative and Alternative Communication

People young and old with disabilities sometimes cannot speak at all on their own. They need some form of physical or mechanical assistance to communicate. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is used by those with a wide range of speech and language impairments, including congenital impairments such as cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment and autism, and acquired conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) and Parkinson's disease. AAC can be a permanent addition to a person's communication or a temporary aid.