Advisory Teaching Service AAC

Nicki Grey – AAC Tutor

Communication and Interaction Team

nicki.grey@gloucestershire.gov.uk

AAC Policy and Funding development Timeline

• Post CAP - Developed county AAC Guidelines (2004). Funding of specialist assessment covered by Health and equipment funded by Education.

• Projected figures based on previous 4 years activity in county led to ring fenced AAC budget (2006)

• Budget incorporated into general Advisory Teaching Service (2008)

• Education, Health, Social Care joint funding agreement (2010).

• Specialist AAC Services – NHS England (2012-13)

• New Gloucestershire Pathway (2014)

Creating a Local Spoke

Following national guidelines a local multi-disciplinary team set up:-

• AAC Tutor

• Specialist Teacher

• Educational Psychologists

• SLT + OT + PT (not currently specific)

Equipment - newFunding from Local Authority to purchase equipment for local

spoke assessment:

• SB10 Tablet with The Grid 2

• SB18 Classroom Tablet with a Tobii PC eye tracking camera

• iPad

• iPad mini

• Partner Four plus

• Software – The Grid 2, Look to Learn

Other Equipment

Local Pathway

Step One:-

SLT make referral to Lead Advisory Teacher for Communication and Interaction following consultation between CYP; learner; parent/carers; and professionals from health, education and social care. Referral is passed to the local team for assessment of complexity. The referral will then take one of two routes.

Step Two

Either:

Local Team has competency to assess referral.

Or

Referral is made to the Hub.

Step Three

Either

Local Team assess and make recommendations

Or

Hub assesses and provides equipment

Funding

If the local team carry out the assessment funding is split between Education, Health and Social Care.

If the Hub carry out the assessment , the equipment is funded centrally.

Pilot Cases – Case 1.

Pupil, aged 8 with global delay and gross motor difficulties, no speech

• Is able to understand purpose of communication aid

• Clear discrepancy between level of understanding and ability to speak

• Has developed beyond cause and effect understanding

• Uses a communication book e.g. to communicate needs at snack-time; talk about his family and activities

• Local team carrying out informal assessment e.g. using Grid player symbol talker A

• Possible future referral to Hub

Case 2

Pupil aged 8 with PMLD, wheelchair user, working towards cause and effect

Parents requested eye gaze system – did not meet criteria for Hub or Spoke assessment

Is yet to demonstrate cause and effect understanding; currently unable to retain information on how to use equipment

Case 3

Pupil aged 4 in nursery setting. Unintelligible speech.

SLT referred to Advisory Teaching Service.

Local multi disciplinary team met and identified appropriate interventions e.g. low tech communication system.

Case will be monitored by local team.

Issues…….

• Range of equipment available for Local Spoke to loan

• Maintenance of existing equipment

• Connecting equipment to Internet

• Technical support

• Securing dedicated health professionals for Local Spoke

Other: - • Insuring equipment

• Storage of equipment - managing loan equipment

• Technical knowledge to support the loan equipment

• Training – Implementing AAC

• Support from schools – funding specialist posts to support AAC users

• Developing the skills and knowledge of the Local Team

Policy Updates

Policy and AAC Pathway to be reviewed following new national updates (April 2014)

Guidelines for Augmentative and Alternative Communication with particular reference to communication aids

www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/ats

Symbols : www.widgit.com