Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
68 results found in AAC.
- AAC Corpus (AAC Text Corpus, Augmentative Communication Corpus)
- A collection of text produced by or representative of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device users, used for training and evaluating language models and word prediction systems. AAC c…
- AAC Symbol Set (Symbol Set, Communication Symbol Set, Pictographic Symbol Set)
- A standardised collection of pictographic images used in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to represent words, phrases, or concepts. Each symbol in a set is mapped to specific vocabular…
- Aided AAC (Aided Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
- The branch of Augmentative and Alternative Communication that relies on an external tool to produce or carry the message — ranging from low-tech paper communication boards and picture-exchange cards t…
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
- A set of tools, strategies, and techniques used to supplement or replace spoken or written communication for people with complex communication needs. AAC ranges from low-tech options like picture boar…
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
- A range of methods, devices, and strategies used to supplement or replace speech for individuals who have difficulty producing or comprehending spoken language. AAC encompasses both unaided approaches…
- BIGmack Switch (BIGmack, BIGmack Communicator)
- A single-message assistive technology device that allows a user to press a large button to play a pre-recorded message. BIGmack Switches are widely used in special education and communication interven…
- Blissymbols (Blissymbolics, Bliss Language)
- A symbolic language created by Charles K. Bliss, consisting of several hundred basic symbols that can be combined to create new meanings. Unlike pictographic symbol sets where each image represents a …
- Buddy Button
- A widely used commercial assistive technology switch manufactured by AbleNet, designed for single-switch access to computers, communication devices, and adapted toys. Buddy Buttons are large, colorful…
- Choice-Making (Choice Board, Aided Choice)
- A structured communication and learning strategy in which an individual is presented with two or more options and supported to make a selection, often using pictures, objects, or symbols. Choice-makin…
- Clutching (Clutch Mechanism, Clutch Gesture)
- In gesture- and motion-based input systems, a mechanism that lets the user temporarily disengage the recogniser so that everyday, non-communicative movements — reaching, adjusting posture, gesturing s…
- Communication Asymmetry (Interaction Asymmetry, Communication Imbalance)
- The imbalance in communication capabilities, speed, or modalities between conversation partners. In AAC contexts, communication asymmetry arises because AAC users communicate at 12-18 words per minute…
- Communication Breakdown (Conversational Breakdown, Communication Failure)
- A disruption in conversation where the intended message is not successfully conveyed or understood, leading to confusion, misunderstanding, or loss of conversational coherence. In AAC communication, b…
- Communication Partner (CP, Conversation Partner)
- A person who communicates with an AAC user, whether through speech, sign, or other means. Communication partners play a critical role in the success of AAC interactions — their willingness to wait, th…
- Computerized Visual Communication (C-VIC)
- A computer-based assistive technology system that enables people with aphasia to communicate by arranging icons and images on screen to form sentences, which can then be translated into spoken or writ…
- Conversational Management (Conversation Management, Interactional Management)
- The processes by which interlocutors jointly regulate the structure of a conversation - taking and ceding turns, pre-empting interruptions, shifting attention and topic, repairing misunderstandings, a…
- DECTalk
- A text-to-speech synthesis system originally developed by Digital Equipment Corporation in the 1980s, using rule-based formant synthesis to generate speech from text input. DECTalk offered several pre…
- Delegated Agency (Delegated Technical Agency)
- Delegated agency occurs in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) when a close conversation partner (such as a parent or aide) acts on behalf of an augmented communicator to advance the comm…
- Digital Storytelling (Multimedia Storytelling, Personal Digital Narrative)
- The use of digital media — including photographs, video clips, audio recordings, and text — to create and share personal narratives. In the context of accessibility and AAC, digital storytelling offer…
- E-Tran Frame (Eye-Transfer Frame, Eye-Pointing Frame, ETRAN)
- A low-technology augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device consisting of a transparent frame or board that allows a person to communicate by directing their eye gaze toward symbols, lett…
- Ethnomethodology
- A sociological approach, founded by Harold Garfinkel, that studies the everyday methods people use to make sense of and produce social order in interaction - the implicit rules and shared practices th…