AAC and literacy

Literacy is the ability to read, write and spell.  People who use AAC may have different levels of literacy.  Some have good literacy skills, others have none, and many people who use AAC are somewhere in between.

A person’s level of literacy will depend on a number of factors (e.g. vision, intellectual ability, access to education).

When designing or choosing an AAC system for someone it is important to consider his or her literacy skills. Different communication aids and devices are suited to different levels of literacy. 

For example, some communication aids require the user to type words on a keyboard, while others require him or her to point to line drawings or photos.

Many people use AAC systems, which combine words and the alphabet for spelling out some words. 

For example, a person might point to the phrase, “I want a drink” and then spell out G-I-N on an alphabet board to indicate that he or she would like a drink of gin.