The Development, Implementation, and Maintenance of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Through Telepractice in Peru

Abstract

The descriptive study documents the development and implementation of low technology Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) boards in Peru and conducts maintenance sessions through telepractice. The director of the Centro Ann Sullivan del Perú (CASP) selected two individuals with complex communication needs as candidates for the study. Both individuals had not had previous speech language services, access to low or high technology AAC devices, or a consistent or conventional means of communication. The development and implementation of low-technology AAC boards was in Peru. Maintenance sessions were scheduled over the course of four months through telepractice sessions conducted from the telepractice room in the Schiefelbusch Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic in Lawrence, Kansas. Upon completion, both individuals obtained a means of communication through low technology AAC boards. Parent report through a final survey indicated that AAC helped their child communicate, AAC was easy to use, telepractice maintained intervention, and telepractice was easy to use with assistance. Results from one parent’s online Communication Matrix in Spanish (Rowland, 2017) indicated that communication improved. The second parent did not complete the online Communication Matrix in Spanish (Rowland, 2017), due to difficulties with Internet connection.