Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): what ASHA and IDEA say
ASHA describes augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) as an area of clinical practice that supplements or compensates for impairments in speech-language production or comprehension, and it places AAC under the broader umbrella of assistive technology. ASHA says speech-language pathologists play a central role in AAC, and that physical and occupational therapists assist with positioning and selection methods. In schools, IDEA’s regulations define assistive technology devices and services and require IEP teams to consider whether a child needs them. This page names no products.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
Sources read on November 10, 2026: ASHA’s Practice Portal page Augmentative and Alternative Communication, written for clinicians; ASHA’s public page Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC); and the IDEA Part B regulations on the Department of Education’s IDEA website: 34 CFR 300.5 and 34 CFR 300.6 (last modified May 2, 2017), 34 CFR 300.105 (last modified July 7, 2017), and 34 CFR 300.324 (last modified November 16, 2017). Product names, apps, and vendor lists on ASHA’s pages are not repeated.
What AAC is
ASHA’s Practice Portal states: “Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an area of clinical practice that supplements or compensates for impairments in speech-language production and/or comprehension, including spoken and written modes of communication.” It adds: “AAC falls under the broader umbrella of assistive technology, or the use of any equipment, tool, or strategy to improve functional daily living in individuals with disabilities or limitations.”
Its list of techniques and tools runs from manual signs, gestures, finger spelling, and tangible objects to line drawings, picture and letter boards, and speech-generating devices. It states: “AAC is augmentative when used to supplement existing speech, alternative when used in place of speech that is absent or not functional, or temporary as when used by patients postoperatively in intensive care”.
ASHA’s public page puts it this way: “Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are the ways people communicate when they have difficulty speaking.” And: “AAC is for anyone of any age.” It adds: “There are no thinking skills, test scores, or other milestones that you need to reach before AAC can help.”
Speech-language pathologists
The Practice Portal states: “Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play a central role in the screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of persons requiring AAC intervention.” On competence: “If an SLP has inadequate experience/training and is unable to assist an AAC user, an SLP refers to or (at minimum) consults with an SLP with experience in AAC.”
For school-based SLPs, its list of roles includes: “Collaboratively write and implement goals related to speech, language, literacy, participation, and use of AAC as part of the individualized education program (IEP) team.”
Occupational and physical therapists, as ASHA describes them
The Practice Portal states: “Physical and occupational therapists assist with positioning and selection methods for AAC users.” Among the professionals an SLP may refer to, it lists “rehabilitation engineer, AT professional, occupational therapist, physical therapist, music therapist, vision specialist, special educator, respite care worker”. On accessories, it says: “A team-based approach is suggested when considering appropriate accessories, particularly with considerations from physical therapy and occupational therapy.”
ASHA’s public page says SLPs “Work with other professionals—like teachers, occupational therapists, and physical therapists—to make sure you can use AAC wherever you are.” And: “Your SLP can work with you and your occupational and physical therapists to help communicate.” These are ASHA’s descriptions; AOTA’s and APTA’s pages on AAC were not read for this page.
Assistive technology under IDEA
34 CFR 300.5 states: “Assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability. The term does not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, or the replacement of such device.”
34 CFR 300.6 states: “Assistive technology service means any service that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device.” Its list includes “The evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child’s customary environment;” and “Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs;”.
34 CFR 300.105 says each public agency must ensure assistive technology devices or services, or both, are made available to a child with a disability if required as part of the child’s special education, related services, or supplementary aids and services. It adds: “On a case-by-case basis, the use of school-purchased assistive technology devices in a child’s home or in other settings is required if the child’s IEP Team determines that the child needs access to those devices in order to receive FAPE.”
Among the special factors in developing each IEP, 34 CFR 300.324 tells the IEP Team to “Consider whether the child needs assistive technology devices and services.” The IDEA regulations quoted here speak of assistive technology in general, not of AAC by name. IEP content and team rules are on IEPs and IFSPs.
Funding and disclosure, in ASHA’s words
The Practice Portal states: “SGDs are considered durable medical equipment (DME), and funding by third-party payers can vary.” It adds: “SLPs writing AAC evaluations and completing funding requests must disclose any financial relationships that they have with device manufacturers and must certify that their recommendation for device selection is based on a comprehensive evaluation and preferred practice patterns and is not due to any financial incentive.”
What this page does not do
It does not recommend any device, app, or vendor, does not say what any payer covers, and does not say what any child’s IEP must include. It is not legal, billing, or compliance advice. Confirm current rules with the agency or organization that publishes them, your employer, and your state board.