Official documentation
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, ASHA Practice Portal, n.d.
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- The practice portal page from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association that defines augmentative and alternative communication, explains the augmentative and alternative distinction, and summarizes who may benefit from AAC.
- How much weight it carries
- Written by the professional body for speech-language pathologists and audiologists and reviewed against the research it cites. The prevalence figure is an estimate from a 2020 review, and ASHA says the number of AAC users is hard to pin down.
Facts taken from this source
- ASHA cites a 2020 estimate by Beukelman and Light that about 5 million Americans may benefit from augmentative and alternative communication.
“Beukelman and Light (2020) estimated that approximately 5 million Americans and 97 million people in the world may benefit from AAC.” (Prevalence paragraph)
- ASHA says AAC is augmentative when it supplements existing speech, and alternative when it is used in place of speech that is absent or not functional.
“AAC is augmentative when used to supplement existing speech, alternative when used in place of speech that is absent or not functional” (Definition section)
- The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines augmentative and alternative communication as an area of clinical practice that supplements or compensates for impairments in speech-language production or comprehension, including spoken and written modes of communication.
“Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an area of clinical practice that supplements or compensates for impairments in speech-language production and/or comprehension, including spoken and written modes of communication.” (Definition section)