# AAC Specialist

*/JobTypes/AAC_Specialist*

Departments: Assistive Technology (AT) Department, Special Education / Pupil Services, Outpatient Rehabilitation, Neurorehabilitation Center, Clinical Education, Pediatric Therapy Services.

## Job Type Profile

**Produces**: Produces customized communication systems tailored to individual patient needs, alongside detailed clinical justification reports for funding agencies. Generates ongoing therapy plans and training materials for care teams to ensure device adoption.
**Ai Surface**: The process of drafting clinical reports, funding justifications, and organizing vocabulary hierarchies is highly digital and text-based. Conversely, assessing patient motor control, positioning hardware, and coaching families requires hands-on clinical judgment and physical intervention.
**Core Tools**:
- [Tobii Dynavox Snap Core First](/JobTypes/AAC_Specialist/Products/Tobii_Dynavox_Snap_Core_First)
- [Boardmaker](/JobTypes/AAC_Specialist/Products/Boardmaker)
- [Proloquo2Go](/JobTypes/AAC_Specialist/Products/Proloquo2Go)
- [Epic](/JobTypes/AAC_Specialist/Products/Epic)
- [PRC NuVoice](/JobTypes/AAC_Specialist/Products/PRC_NuVoice)
**Responsibilities**:
- Assess individuals with severe speech or language impairments for high-tech and low-tech communication devices
- Program, customize, and maintain speech-generating devices and communication apps to match user motor and cognitive abilities
- Train patients, family members, and educational staff on operating and integrating AAC systems into daily life
- Write detailed clinical evaluation reports and funding justifications for insurance and Medicaid approvals
- Monitor patient progress, adjusting vocabulary sets and access methods like eye gaze or switch scanning over time

## Neighborhood

### Parent

- [Speech-Language Pathologists](/Occupations/Speech-Language_Pathologists) — parent · Occupations

### Siblings

- [Acute Care Medical SLP](/JobTypes/Acute_Care_Medical_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Bilingual SLP](/JobTypes/Bilingual_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Early Intervention Provider](/JobTypes/Early_Intervention_Provider) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Home Health SLP](/JobTypes/Home_Health_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Outpatient Rehabilitation SLP](/JobTypes/Outpatient_Rehabilitation_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Outpatient Voice and Swallowing Specialist](/JobTypes/Outpatient_Voice_and_Swallowing_Specialist) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Pediatric Private Practice SLP](/JobTypes/Pediatric_Private_Practice_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Pediatric SLP](/JobTypes/Pediatric_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Private Practice SLP](/JobTypes/Private_Practice_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [SNF Subacute Rehab SLP](/JobTypes/SNF_Subacute_Rehab_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [School-Based SLP](/JobTypes/School-Based_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Skilled Nursing Facility SLP](/JobTypes/Skilled_Nursing_Facility_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Tele-SLP](/JobTypes/Tele-SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Telepractice SLP](/JobTypes/Telepractice_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes
- [Travel SLP](/JobTypes/Travel_SLP) — siblings · JobTypes

### Who staffs this

- [Dedicated Speech-Language Pathology Clinic](/CompanyTypes/Dedicated_Speech-Language_Pathology_Clinic) — staffs · CompanyTypes

### Required knowledge

- [Augmentative Communication](/Knowledge/Augmentative_Communication) — requires knowledge · Knowledge
- [Language Representation Methods](/Knowledge/Language_Representation_Methods) — requires knowledge · Knowledge
- [Assistive Technology Funding Sources](/Knowledge/Assistive_Technology_Funding_Sources) — requires knowledge · Knowledge
- [Speech-Language Pathology](/Knowledge/Speech-Language_Pathology) — requires knowledge · Knowledge

### Perform

- [Train clients to use hearing aids or other augmentative communication devices.](/Tasks/Train_clients_to_use_hearing_aids_or_other_augmentative_communication_devices.) — perform · Tasks
- [Reassess Device Fit Over Time](/Tasks/Reassess_Device_Fit_Over_Time) — perform · Tasks
- [Set Communication Goals](/Tasks/Set_Communication_Goals) — perform · Tasks
- [Write Funding Justification Reports](/Tasks/Write_Funding_Justification_Reports) — perform · Tasks
- [Customize Vocabulary and Page Sets](/Tasks/Customize_Vocabulary_and_Page_Sets) — perform · Tasks
- [Conduct Device Feature Matching](/Tasks/Conduct_Device_Feature_Matching) — perform · Tasks
- [Recommend AAC Systems](/Tasks/Recommend_AAC_Systems) — perform · Tasks
- [Evaluate Complex Communication Needs](/Tasks/Evaluate_Complex_Communication_Needs) — perform · Tasks

### Uses tool

- [Voice output communication aids](/Products/Voice_output_communication_aids) — uses tool · Products
- [Switch Access Devices](/Products/Switch_Access_Devices) — uses tool · Products
- [Eye Gaze Communication System](/Products/Eye_Gaze_Communication_System) — uses tool · Products

### What it uses

- [PRC-Saltillo NuVoice](/Products/PRC-Saltillo_NuVoice) — uses · Products
- [Tobii Dynavox Snap Core First](/Products/Tobii_Dynavox_Snap_Core_First) — uses · Products
- [Proloquo2Go](/Products/Proloquo2Go) — uses · Products
- [Epic](/Products/Epic) — uses · Products
- [Boardmaker](/Products/Boardmaker) — uses · Products

### Problems this exposes

- [goals written to be both clinically meaningful and measurable from the SGD's own language-activity logs for progress reporting](/Problems/goals_written_to_be_both_clinically_meaningful_and_measurable_from_the_SGD's_own_language-activity_logs_for_progress_reporting) — exposes problem · Problems
- [resolving multimodal access (eye-gaze vs switch-scan vs direct touch) when the client's motor and vision findings point to conflicting methods](/Problems/resolving_multimodal_access_(eye-gaze_vs_switch-scan_vs_direct_touch)_when_the_client's_motor_and_vision_findings_point_to_conflicting_methods) — exposes problem · Problems
- [periodic device-fit reassessments as motor and vision access change tracked with no longitudinal baseline](/Problems/periodic_device-fit_reassessments_as_motor_and_vision_access_change_tracked_with_no_longitudinal_baseline) — exposes problem · Problems
- [insurance/Medicaid SGD funding letters of medical necessity re-drafted per payer with feature-matching evidence](/Problems/insurance%2FMedicaid_SGD_funding_letters_of_medical_necessity_re-drafted_per_payer_with_feature-matching_evidence) — exposes problem · Problems
- [communication-partner training delivered ad hoc with no carryover tracking across home, school, and clinic](/Problems/communication-partner_training_delivered_ad_hoc_with_no_carryover_tracking_across_home,_school,_and_clinic) — exposes problem · Problems
- [device trials (multiple SGDs) documented for the AAC evaluation report by hand to justify the funding request](/Problems/device_trials_(multiple_SGDs)_documented_for_the_AAC_evaluation_report_by_hand_to_justify_the_funding_request) — exposes problem · Problems
- [device usage/language data logs pulled per-device and reconciled to therapy goals for progress reporting](/Problems/device_usage%2Flanguage_data_logs_pulled_per-device_and_reconciled_to_therapy_goals_for_progress_reporting) — exposes problem · Problems
- [vocabulary/page-set customization on each device rebuilt manually when a client's needs or motor access changes](/Problems/vocabulary%2Fpage-set_customization_on_each_device_rebuilt_manually_when_a_client's_needs_or_motor_access_changes) — exposes problem · Problems
- [Feature-Matching The Right AAC System To A Client And Producing The Funding-Ready Evaluation](/Problems/Feature-Matching_The_Right_AAC_System_To_A_Client_And_Producing_The_Funding-Ready_Evaluation) — exposes problem · Problems

### Uses software

- [Electronic Health Record System](/Software/Electronic_Health_Record_System) — uses software · Software
- [Feature Matching Toolkit](/Software/Feature_Matching_Toolkit) — uses software · Software
- [AAC Application Software](/Software/AAC_Application_Software) — uses software · Software

### Requires ability

- [Written Expression](/Ability/Written_Expression) — requires ability · Ability
- [Problem Sensitivity](/Ability/Problem_Sensitivity) — requires ability · Ability
- [Deductive Reasoning](/Ability/Deductive_Reasoning) — requires ability · Ability
- [Oral Expression](/Ability/Oral_Expression) — requires ability · Ability

### Required skills

- [Interdisciplinary Collaboration](/Skills/Interdisciplinary_Collaboration) — requires skill · Skills
- [Funding Report Writing](/Skills/Funding_Report_Writing) — requires skill · Skills
- [Clinical Goal Writing](/Skills/Clinical_Goal_Writing) — requires skill · Skills
- [Vocabulary Set Design](/Skills/Vocabulary_Set_Design) — requires skill · Skills
- [Feature Matching Assessment](/Skills/Feature_Matching_Assessment) — requires skill · Skills

### Engage in

- [Write Funding Justification Reports](/Activities/Write_Funding_Justification_Reports) — engage in · Activities
- [Recommend AAC Systems](/Activities/Recommend_AAC_Systems) — engage in · Activities
- [Conduct Device Feature Matching](/Activities/Conduct_Device_Feature_Matching) — engage in · Activities