October is International AAC Awareness Month! AAC Awareness month seeks to raise awareness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and to inform the public about the many different ways in which people communicate using AAC.

What is AAC?

AAC is all of the ways that someone communicates besides talking. People of all ages can use AAC if they have trouble with speech or language skills. Augmentative means to add to someone’s speech. Alternative means to be used instead of speech. Some people use AAC throughout their life. Others may use AAC only for a short time, like when they have surgery and can’t talk.¹

AAC Webinar Series

In recognition of AAC Awareness Month, The Temple Institute on Disabilities is hosting a series of weekly lunch & learn webinars. On select Wednesdays & Thursdays at noon in October, a Speech-Language Pathologist from the Institute will present a free one-hour webinar on a different topic.

• OCTOBER 8 – Unconventional AAC: Supporting Vocabulary Access for Swearing, Slang, & Sexuality Learn how supporting access to explicit and taboo language/concepts impacts an AAC user’s autonomy in communication.

REGISTRATION FOR OCT 8 Unconventional AAC Webinar

• OCTOBER 16 – Cultural and Linguistic Considerations for AAC
  Learn about elements of AAC systems that should be taken into consideration when working with clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

REGISTRATION FOR OCT 16 Cultural and Linguistic Webinar

• OCTOBER 22 – Let’s Give ‘Em Something To Talk About
  New AAC users and their teams can learn how to adapt daily activities, what Assistive Technology helps and how to DIY.

REGISTRATION FOR OCT 22 Something To Talk About Webinar

• OCTOBER 30  – Communication Partner Instruction: Considerations for Supporting Adults who use AAC
  Learn about how to support and empower the teams of individuals who work with adult AAC users.

REGISTRATION FOR OCT 30 Communication Partner Webinar

MORE DETAILS ABOUT OCTOBER AAC SERIES
ON THE INSTITUTE WEBSITE

• All webinars begin at 12 Noon Eastern Standard Time.
• Registration is required for each webinar.
• Zoom captioning will be available.
• For reasonable accommodations, email tue50065@temple.edu by October 

1. AAC defined by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association ↩︎