Speech & Language are focus at National Star College

This week the Speech & Language Therapy Department at the National Star College are taking part in a week long campaign to raise awareness of the importance of communications devices (often referred to as AAC) for people with limited or no speech.

The campaign will also recognise the ‘Hello’ National Year of Communication, ISAAC AAC Awareness Month and the RCSLT ‘Giving Voice’ campaign.

The team have customised National Star College t-shirts to convey important AAC messages that raise awareness about the significance of AAC and its users. Messages include ‘Let’s be Heard’, ‘Help put the see into AAC’ and ‘Charge it, Communicate with it!’

An AAC Challenge has also been organised to give staff and students at the College the opportunity to borrow an AAC device to get a feel for what it is like to communicate without speech and better understand the difficulties people can face.

AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) covers a wide range of techniques that supports or replaces spoken communication. These can range from high tech Electronic Voice Output Communication Aids, as well as gesture, signing, symbols, word boards, communication boards and books. As well as using the devices for speech, some students at National Star College also use their communicators to operate their televisions, stereos, open doors, switch on lights and close curtains using infrared technology. This opens up an even bigger world of independence for students who have never been able to do this sort of thing for themselves before.

Jon Brough from the Speech and Language department at the National Star College said:

“At National Star College many of our students rely on AAC devices to help them communicate. It’s really important to raise awareness of the fact that not everyone can communicate using speech and also enable people that can to understand what it would be like if they didn’t. ”