Starting from Scratch Setting up an AAC Assessment Service Alison Webb Speech and Language Therapist [email protected].

Starting from Scratch

Setting up an AAC Assessment Service

Alison WebbSpeech and Language Therapist

[email protected]

An AAC assessment service for Children in Cornwall was jointly commissioned by Health and

Cornwall Council in September 2009

The Team then

Alison Webb

SLT

1 day per week

Anne Williams

AAC Officer

1 day per week

What you will hear about• Barriers to Multi- disciplinary working• How to provide a service on limited hours, with

a limited budget• The development of our referral pack• The development of our service Pathway• Case studies through the Pathway• The need to provide training and development

on low tech solutions• The continual need to revise the above•  What worked and what didn’t!

Barriers

• Working across 2 agencies• Clarifying roles• Sharing documents• Accessing documents• Videos• Lack of time• Lack of resources• Lack of team leader

How did we do it?

• Limited hours - Involve local SLT• Limited budget - Use loan

equipment from suppliers, rather than having a bank of aids

• Strict referral criteria• New waiting list

Referral Pack

• 3 months in developmentWe used:• Previous service forms• Ace Centre Oxford forms• Discussed the importance of video• Service Leaflet

Referral Pack

• Consent to video• Child Support Team information• Background Information Form

Service Pathway

• Link to old pathway

Case studies

•Kyle•Harvey•Millie

Kyle

• Age 15• Learning Disabilities – Special School• Referred April 2010• Little experience of Speech Output• Loaned Go Talk• Lost Interest/School not supportive• Loan of Tellus Smart August 2011

Harvey

• Age 9• Down Syndrome and Learning

Difficulties• Mainstream School• Referred October 2010• Little experience of Speech Output• Using Clicker 5 at present• About to trial Fizzbook

Millie

Millie

• Age 10• Epilepsy and Learning Difficulties• Special School• Referred May 2010• Had Go Talk and Communication

Book• Had seen Dynavox Express and

trialled a Springboard Lite successfully

Millie - Decisions

• Dedicated aid• Weight and screen size important• 3 to compare• Discussed with parents• Loan of Dynavox V came available

Pre-requisites• Comprehension level is above expressive level - as determined by

SLT report • Understands and demonstrates Cause and effect• Shows Intentional Communication – the child is a Developing

Communicator (as in Communication Development Profile)• Has the ability to generate one form of consistent and reliable

movement e.g. hand, eyes, foot• Has a communication system in place, e.g. signing, communication

book with evidence of use across 2 settings (e.g. home/school)• Has had experience of speech output device, e.g. Big Mack, Go

Talk, Clicker 5 • Commitment to AAC (home/educational settings) – CAACAT

Service Leaflet shared with parents/carers/education• Has a communication passport 

What we’ve changed

• Referral system • Documentation• Service Pathway – National standards• Triage system• The team• AAC awareness in community– AAC

reps, training, equipment, shared drive information

What Works• Casework meetings• Objective sheets• Triage• Drop Ins• SLT involved• Programmer

identified• Equipment List• Team leader• Discharge from

Team• 3 heads are better

than 1

What Doesn’t• Not having a loan

store• Only having 1 day a

week• Video storage• Cross agency

documents• Not having an overall

leader• Having 2 people with

the same name/initials

The Team now

Alison Webb

SLT

1 day per week

Ann Nicol

OT

2 days per week

Anne Williams

AAC Officer

1 day per week

Team Leader – Mel Meadows