Katya Hill

The AAC Institute is making a difference in the lives of people who use and support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).  Established in 2000 as a not-for-profit charitable organization, the AAC Institute provides information and services valued by many of the stakeholders who have an interest in the field of AAC.  The AAC Institute is dedicated to advancing the communication of people who rely on AAC.  It promotes the goal of AAC, the AAC Rules of Commitment, and evidence-based AAC practice.  This mission is accomplished through a variety of resources, tools, and services that are accessed through the website of the organization at www.aacinstitute.org.  

All individuals have inalienable rights to communication regardless of their physical, cognitive, economic, or geographic challenges.  The ability to communicate directly impacts on an individual's quality of life and ability to achieve maximum potential.  The goal of AAC is to provide the supports and services that result in the most effective communication for the individual being served.  The goals of the AAC Institute are offering or promoting to the AAC community the supports and services for data collection and analysis of communication performance, outcomes measurement, and evidence-based practice that result in the goal of AAC to a worldwide constituency. 

Over the past four years, the number of registered individuals regularly receiving informational updates and benefiting from the resources at the website has grown to over 5000.  The geographic outreach is worldwide with people from outside the United States emailing requests for specific information or service delivery support from Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom to name a few.

Individuals visiting the RESOURCES area of the site can access two database directories.  The Directory of University Programs is maintained by the individual university programs through password access.  The University Directory allows visitors to search university programs providing AAC by the following categories:  AAC courses, AAC clinical activity, and AAC research.  The Directory of Local Resources allows visitors to search for individuals by region or country who have successfully completed one or more AAC Institute self-study programs and have agreed to be resources for others.  This directory lists individuals as service providers, family members, individuals who rely on AAC, as well as other stakeholder categories. 

Educational resources include the SELF STUDY PROGRAM (SSP).  The SSP offers various web-based distance-learning courses with certificates of completion and continuing education credit.  Courses can be completed at the convenience of the registrant, and are related to educating individuals on evidence-based practice, performance and outcomes measurement, and language issues associated with AAC systems.  There is no cost for taking SSP courses.

Another area is SERVICES.  Services available from the Institute include analysis of language samples collected using the LAM (language activity monitoring) tools.  This analysis results in an AAC Performance Report.  This report facilitates the comparison of performance with that of previous and future points in time for the same individual, as an indication of progress.  It also permits comparison with others with a similar profile for the identification of opportunities for improvement.

AAC Institute PRODUCTS include AAC Keys, the Performance Report Tool (PeRT), and Universal Language Activity Monitor (U-LAM).  AAC Keys is a keyboard and mouse emulation program for Microsoft Windows-based computers. AAC Keys receives commands through the computer serial port and translates them into keystrokes and mouse movements, giving full control of the computer from another device such as an AAC system.  AAC Keys implements the common GIDIE commands.  AAC Keys has been designed to work with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, and XP operating systems.  PeRT is a software application that allows for the analysis of LAM logfile data to generate an AAC performance report.  U-LAM is software to support the recording and collection of language samples from any digitized or synthesized speech AAC system.

The AAC Institute receives funding from various sources.  Grants from public and private agencies are accepted for work that relates to the mission of the Institute.  Charitable donations are accepted.  Fees from product sales and the delivery of services contribute to maintaining and growing the scope of the AAC Institute.

The AAC Institute welcomes new ideas for products, services, and information that would be valued by constituents.

Visit the AAC Institute web site at http://www.aacinstitute.org.

Contact:

Katya Hill, Ph.D. CCC-SLP
Executive Director
AAC Institute
338 Meadville Street
Edinboro, PA   16412
814-392-6625
khill@aacinstitute.org

http://www.aacinstitute.org