Bridging the gap from values to actions: a family systems framework for family-centered AAC services

Abstract

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of family involvement in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention, little guidance exists on how professionals can establish successful collaborative relationships with families. In this paper, we discuss family systems theory and ecological systems theory as a framework to guide family-centered AAC practice, review family-focused research in AAC, consider how AAC may impact the family system, and provide examples of the clinical implications of using the proposed family systems framework to improve family-centered AAC practice.

Keywords:

• Augmentative and alternative communication
• clinical implications
• ecological systems theory
• family-centered practice
• family systems theory

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported, in part, by funding from the (a) Penn State AAC Leadership Project, a doctoral training grant funded by U.S. Department of Education grant #H325D110008, (b) Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (The RERC on AAC), funded by grant #90RE5017 from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation (NIDILRR) within the Administration for Community Living (ACL) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), (c) Hintz Family Endowed Chair in Children’s Communicative Competence, and (d) Karl R. and Diane Wendle Fink Early Career Professorship for the Study of Families.