High-Tech AAC Device Programming Flashcards

Which programming strategy best supports language development in a child who is a beginning AAC user, according to current evidence-based practice?

Answer: Providing access to robust vocabulary from the start, including core and fringe words

Evidence-based practice supports providing robust vocabulary — including core and fringe words — from the beginning, rather than withholding language.

What does 'prestored message' programming in a high-tech AAC device primarily support?

Answer: Quick access to frequently used phrases, social scripts, or narratives

Prestored messages allow users to access complete phrases or scripts quickly, supporting social interaction, narratives, and common communicative routines.

A clinician is programming an AAC device for a bilingual user. Which approach is considered best practice?

Answer: Create separate language profiles or pages for each language the user speaks

Best practice for bilingual AAC users is to create separate language profiles or pages so the user can access vocabulary in both languages appropriately.

In high-tech AAC systems, what is 'semantic compaction' (as used in Unity® vocabulary)?

Answer: A symbol-based encoding system where sequences of symbols produce words or phrases

Semantic compaction is an encoding technique where multi-hit symbol sequences (like Minspeak®) produce words or phrases, allowing efficient access to large vocabularies.

Which of the following is a key consideration when programming rate enhancement strategies for an experienced adult AAC user?

Answer: Incorporating abbreviation expansion, prestored phrases, and word prediction based on the user's specific communication patterns

Experienced adult users benefit from multiple rate enhancement strategies — abbreviation expansion, prestored messages, and personalized word prediction — tailored to their communication needs.

When setting up an environmental control unit (ECU) feature on a high-tech AAC device, which technology is most commonly used to control home appliances?

Answer: Infrared (IR) or Bluetooth wireless protocols

Infrared (IR) and Bluetooth are the most commonly used wireless protocols in high-tech AAC devices for environmental control of televisions, lights, and other appliances.

A user's AAC device frequently produces unintended activations. Which programming adjustment should the SLP trial first for a direct touch user?

Answer: Increase button size and add a touch release acceptance setting

Increasing button size and enabling touch release (activation occurs when the finger lifts, not lands) reduces unintended activations for direct touch users.