Affiliation:
1. Judy K. Montgomery is currently the director of Program/Student Services in Fountain Valley School District, California. She received the PhD from Claremont Graduate School. Trained as a speech and language pathologist, she has a clinical interest in the needs of severely handicapped individuals and their use of augmentative communication systems.
Abstract
This paper traces the purpose, histoy, and development of augmentative communication and describes the state ofthe art in assessment, system/symbol selection, and range of technology available in aids. Pethaps the most important part of augmentative communication, hever, is communicative function and the facilitation of interaction. In the last 3 years, this aspect of the field bas received greater attention in both research and clinical settings. Recent comparisons of augmentative communication with spoken language and cultural gestures have identified new areas for study and application to nmspeaking individuals.
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Education