About Special Interest Group 12, Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Mission

The mission of the SIG dedicated to improving the quality and availability of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) services to consumers throughout the life span, is to promote clinically relevant research, educate and mentor current and future professionals, and identify and address the needs of service providers in the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology.

Goal

It is the goal of the Special Interest Group for Augmentative and Alternative Communication to:

Promote continuing education for ASHA members at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels;
Advocate for ASHA membership regarding clinical service needs; and
Advocate for preservice and inservice personnel preparation in the area of augmentative and alternative communication.

Professional and Clinical Issues

Affiliate members have a direct voice in addressing issues that impact their profession, to communicate and network on a variety of topics, and to identify clinical issues that need immediate attention. Areas of interest include:

AAC service delivery including assessment and implementation
Functional, practical problem solving across all settings
Ethical issues in AAC
Literacy development for AAC users
Research
Networking and community

Affiliate Benefits and SIG Programs

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups is the online peer-reviewed scholarly review journal of the SIGs. SIG 12 offers new self-study CE activities through Perspectives each year.

Continuing Education

Earn ASHA continuing education units (CEUs) through

Self-study of Perspectives and pay the lowest processing fee to take the learning assessments
SIG sponsored Master Classes and one-hour sessions at the annual ASHA Convention.

Networking

SIG 12 Affiliates have access to exclusive discussion forums/groups, which provide the opportunity to interact with other SIG Affiliates who share interest in augmentative and alternative communication. Use ASHA's Member Directory to search for individuals by SIG affiliation. In addition, SIG 12 Affiliates can meet in person and online at an ASHA and SIG 12 sponsored events; typically each SIG hosts an Affiliates meeting at Convention and sponsors a virtual open house.

Representation Within ASHA

The SIG 12 Coordinator represents the Special Interest Group on Augmentative and Alternative Communication within the ASHA Board of Special Interest Group Coordinators.
The Coordinating Committee responds to ASHA requests for input regarding policy, guidelines, committees, and other issues.
Affiliates have the opportunity to provide input to the SIG leadership and ASHA.

The Edwin and Esther Prentke AAC Distinguished Lecture

The Edwin and Esther Prentke Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Distinguished Lecture was initiated in 1997 to honor the life and work of the late Edwin and Esther Prentke. The Prentkes dedicated their lives to developing technologies that liberate the lives of people with disabilities. This lecture is an invited presentation that recognizes and is delivered by an accomplished person who uses AAC. It has been a highly anticipated event of the annual ASHA Convention. Previous lectures have highlighted the extraordinary abilities of the presenters, both as accomplished individuals in their own fields and as people who use AAC. Over the years, the lectures have been insightful and profound in their content and the question-and-answer session has been personal and enlightening to many. The Lecture itself has garnered a reputation as an inspirational and informational session at the Convention.

Since its inception, the Lecture has been sponsored by Prentke Romich Company, a manufacturer of AAC devices, and Semantic Compaction Systems, the developer of Minspeak™. ASHA Special Interest Group (SIG) 12, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, coordinates the lecture each year as a member of the Annual Convention Program Committee. The annual lecture series was discontinued in 2019. Following is a list of past recipients.

Past Recipients

2019: Stephanie Faso
2018: Todd Hutchinson
2017: Yoosun Chung
2016: Martin Pistorius
2015: Kristin Rytter
2014: Noah Trembly
2013: Christopher Klein
2012: Jennifer Lowe
2011: Robert Segalman
2010: India Ochs
2009: Bac Shelton
2008: Rick Keeton
2007: Robert O'Gurek
2006: Tracy Rackensperger
2005: Michael Williams
2004: Rich Creech
2003: Jon Feucht
2002: Solomon Rakhaman
2001: Paul Pecunas
2000: Bob Williams
1999: Faye Warren
1998: Ronnie Meeker
1997: Gus Estrella

Additional Resources

Coordinating Committee Members

2024–2026 Coordinator: Barbara S Weber, Private Practice
2024–2026 Associate Coordinator: Abygail E Marx, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2023–2025 Editor: Joanne P. Lasker, Emerson College
2023–2024 Professional Development Manager: Shannon T. Paige, Texas Technology Access Program
2021–2024 Member-at-Large: Jane R Wegner, University of Kansas
Ex Officio: Jaime Van Echo, Associate Director, Clinical Issues in Speech-Language Pathology, ASHA