Abstract:
Since effective and successful AAC service delivery relies on the knowledge and competence of
professionals in the field of AAC, sufficient training in AAC will equip professionals to provide quality
AAC service delivery. However, many professionals lack training in AAC and structured opportunities
for professional development are sorely needed. As there is no consensus on the amount, mode of
delivery and content of AAC training, the purpose of this scoping review was to identify AAC training
programs for professional development and to describe the characteristics and effects of such programs.
A five-pronged search strategy was used to identify relevant studies. The certainty framework
was used to appraise the quality of included studies. Charted data included general study characteristics;
participant characteristics; training characteristics (i.e., training goals; instructional materials and
strategies; training duration); quality appraisal; and reported effects of the training. The scoping review
identified 34 studies for inclusion. The results showed the potential of AAC training programs for
continuous professional development to increase professionals’ skills in AAC intervention. A range of
training characteristics was identified to guide the development of future training programs. Gaps in
the research related to the training of AAC professionals were also identified to guide future research.
Description:
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The scoping review protocol was registered with PROSPERO, an international database of prospectively registered reviews (see https://www. crd.york.ac.uk/prospero), with registration identity CRD42022377333. Data can be requested from the first author.
