AAC School-Based AAC Integration 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under IDEA, which document must explicitly address a student's AAC needs if they are required for FAPE?
- Behavior Intervention Plan
- Individualized Education Program (Correct answer)
- Section 504 Accommodation Plan
- Transition Services Plan
Correct answer: Individualized Education Program
IDEA requires that the IEP document include AT/AAC devices and services whenever they are necessary for the student to receive a free appropriate public education.
Question 2: A paraprofessional reports that a student never uses their SGD during lunch. The most appropriate first step for the SLP is to:
- Remove the device during unstructured times
- Observe the student at lunch to identify barriers (Correct answer)
- Increase pull-out therapy frequency
- Recommend a simpler low-tech system for lunch
Correct answer: Observe the student at lunch to identify barriers
Direct observation in the natural context allows the SLP to identify specific participation and access barriers before making intervention changes.
Question 3: Which principle best describes embedding AAC use into math, reading, and science classes rather than only in therapy?
- Aided language stimulation
- Naturalistic language intervention
- Curriculum-based AAC integration (Correct answer)
- Aided AAC modeling
Correct answer: Curriculum-based AAC integration
Curriculum-based AAC integration means vocabulary and communication goals are embedded within academic subjects to promote generalization across settings.
Question 4: A teacher asks why the AAC system uses fringe vocabulary alongside core vocabulary. The SLP should explain that fringe vocabulary:
- Is more important than core vocabulary for daily communication
- Provides topic-specific words that complement high-frequency core words (Correct answer)
- Should replace core vocabulary for academic tasks
- Is only needed for students with complex communication needs
Correct answer: Provides topic-specific words that complement high-frequency core words
Fringe vocabulary consists of personally relevant, topic-specific words that work alongside core vocabulary to allow complete and meaningful communication.
Question 5: Which team member is primarily responsible for programming an SGD with curriculum vocabulary before a new instructional unit?
- Classroom teacher alone
- SLP in collaboration with the teacher (Correct answer)
- Paraprofessional assigned to the student
- AT specialist without team input
Correct answer: SLP in collaboration with the teacher
Programming decisions should be collaborative, with the SLP providing AAC expertise and the teacher contributing curriculum content knowledge.
Question 6: During a classroom activity, a peer asks a student what game they want to play and the student uses their AAC device to respond. This scenario best illustrates:
- Scripted role play
- Naturalistic communication opportunity (Correct answer)
- Structured drills
- Discrete trial training
Correct answer: Naturalistic communication opportunity
A peer-initiated, real-life choice-making moment in a natural setting exemplifies a naturalistic communication opportunity that supports authentic AAC use.
Question 7: A family disagrees with the school's recommended AAC system, preferring a different device their child uses at home. The most appropriate team response is to:
- Proceed with the school's recommendation to maintain consistency
- Defer entirely to the family's preference without assessment
- Conduct a comparative feature-matching evaluation with family input (Correct answer)
- Request a due process hearing to resolve the dispute
Correct answer: Conduct a comparative feature-matching evaluation with family input
A feature-matching evaluation that includes the family's preferred device respects family voice while ensuring the selected system meets the student's documented communication needs.
AAC School-Based AAC Integration 2
Under IDEA, which document must explicitly address a student's AAC needs if they are required for FAPE?