Proposals appropriate for this topic area include those that focus on AAC across the lifespan, and are inclusive of individuals who, due to disability or other conditions, cannot rely on speech alone to communicate. Sessions may highlight innovative ways that existing and emerging technologies, strategies, and techniques foster language development, improve quality of life, and promote independence for individuals with communication needs across service delivery settings and life transitions.

We welcome proposals representing basic, translational, and applied research, particularly those that bridge science and practice or offer actionable insights for clinicians, researchers, and other AAC stakeholders. Submissions that include the influence of culture and language, user, family, and caregiver perspectives are strongly encouraged. We also seek proposals on clinical innovations, assessment and intervention research, theoretical models, and collaborative care approaches.  

Research

• Dissemination of AAC research, including issues such as paywall-free publication and use of plain language
• Matters related to consent and assent by people who use AAC
• Mentoring and support for new AAC researchers
• Models and programs for training AAC researchers
• Role of people who, due to disability or other condition, cannot rely on speech alone to be heard and understood in identifying research priorities and guiding the development of research studies
• Strengthening the research base in AAC
• Support for and experiences with research collaborations and open data sets
• Translational, applied, or implementation research related to AAC
• Identifying and addressing communication barriers faced by AAC users accessing healthcare and educational services
• Social determinants of health and access to AAC-related services

Professional Education

• AAC assessment models, strategies, and tools
• Issues related to consent and assent by people who use AAC
• Training, mentoring, and support for AAC service providers and researchers
• Implementation science and AAC
• AAC and multilingualism
• Inclusive practices as they relate to AAC 
• Funding, administrative, and regulatory issues related to AAC
• Emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, and resilience as they relate to AAC 
• Employment-related issues for people who use AAC
• Ethical issues related to AAC, including privacy and confidentiality
• AAC system features (e.g.,modalities, output, access methods, language representation, voice, etc.)
• Language representation (graphic symbols, manual signs, text, etc.)
• Language and literacy development related to AAC
• Palliative care considerations, including end of life decision making 
• Partner training, coaching, and setting strategies that promote AAC competence
• Providing AAC services in telehealth and telepractice
• Quality of life and psychosocial factors for people with AAC needs
• Technology (development, devices/software) related to AAC
• Examining societal ableism in AAC practices and/or affecting AAC users
• Participatory action research and other models of inclusive research and collaboration involving AAC users to advance the field and professions

Related Topics

Proposals that include but do not focus on AAC should be submitted to the primary topic area. See the following examples:

• Proposals focusing on the use of telepractice that include technology-based approaches and outcomes at the system level should be submitted to the Telepractice topic area unless they focus specifically on the application of this information to AAC.
• Proposals focusing on policy and advocacy efforts, or barriers to equitable AAC access should be submitted to the System Action: Transforming Systems and Policies for Justice.
• Proposals with aims/goals/research questions related to autism/autistic people that happen to use AAC should be submitted to Considerations for Autistic Populations Across the Lifespan. Proposals about AAC with (some/all) participants who happen to be autistic should be submitted to AAC.