The Augmentative Communication Service provides specialised assessment for complex augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. The service has been identified by NHS England as one of 13 services nationwide offering this service. This will include assessments for devices, provision of equipment and training, maintenance and support.
If a comprehensive assessment has taken place, you will need to provide a report using this template to our team. All Equipment Only Requests will be assessed against the nationally agreed referral criteria and Quality Assurance Framework. Appointment(s) will then be arranged to trial, set up and mount (where appropriate) any equipment.
Our service prioritises paediatric referrals from within the Greater London Area, although referrals from further afield may be considered, depending on capacity. Again, please contact the team to discuss such referrals.
Where children do not meet criteria for this part of the service, it may be possible to arrange an appointment in our Developmental Communication Service to address more general questions about assessment, language understanding, cognition etc. This would always be done in consultation with the child’s family and local team.
The following eligibility and prioritisation criteria are taken from the NHS service specification. You can keep up to date with information about National AAC Commissioning through Communication Matters.
Our standard assessment takes place over two or three appointments. In some cases it may be possible to complete the process more quickly, depending on the complexity of the case and the amount of information provided at referral. Appointments will generally include a Speech and Language Therapist, an Occupational Therapist and an Assistive Technologist.
An initial appointment will be arranged with the full team at which we will meet with the child and family to identify what assessments or investigations are required. The team then work/play with the child to complete any remaining aspects of the assessment necessary. Parents are present throughout all parts of the assessment. At the end of the assessment, the child, parents, local team and specialist team members meet together to discuss findings and conclusions.
Where appropriate, our team is able to provide communication aids on loan for approximately six weeks, with mounting solutions put in place to allow children to access them in their preferred seating systems. We will agree targets with the family and local team for the duration of this loan. An evaluation appointment will be arranged to observe and discuss progress made during the loan period. Where a child meets all aspects of the Service Specification, a device will be purchased and provided on long-term loan, with a review appointment scheduled annually.
Communication Matters - A UK charity representing people who use AAC and their families, as well as professionals and researchers working in their field.