AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for severely communic ationally impaired people has developed with input from clinicians, us ers and their families, manufacturers, and researchers. A number of us ers of AAC are now internationally known figures. The increasing power and decreasing size and cost of computer-based technology continually offer new possibilities for improving AAC systems. It is important th at such systems take into account the real needs of users, and the com plex nature of human communication. It is also important to realize th at AAC development is not a technical question alone. Many effective t echniques do not involve sophisticated technology, and the provision o f AAC for those who need it is often a matter of policy implementation rather than technical development. AAC is a new and exciting field. I t is one which offers many challenges to all those associated with it. The benefits, however, are enormous. In order to advance the field in creased international cooperation is required with respect to interven tions, technologies, policies and services.