The education and training on Augmentative and Alternative Communication for rehabilitation professionals working with people who have little or no functional speech : A scoping review

Abstract

Background: Health professionals working in rehabilitative settings often encounter clients with little or no functional speech (LNFS) who would benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), however, their lack of knowledge and skills in AAC limits their ability to assess and provide effective AAC interventions for this population. For collaborative intervention to happen, health professionals need to be equipped with knowledge and skills in AAC. However, there do not appear to be clear and consistent educational and training goals for various rehabilitation professionals working in AAC such as speech-language therapists (SLT), occupational therapists (OT), or physiotherapists (PT). Methods: The aim of this scoping review is therefore to explore and chart the literature relating to the education and training in AAC of the aforementioned professionals who are mainly involved with the rehabilitation of people who require AAC with a view to identifying any gaps within their education and training. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used to guide this study (Tricco et al., 2018). Databases searched included Medline, ERIC, CINAHL, Psych Info as well as hand searches using the forward and backward citation of the included articles. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened independently by two reviewers for inclusion. Results: Thirty-two studies met the inclusion criteria for entry into this scoping review. An extraction tool was used to extract the necessary data to answer the review questions. A sequential narrative data synthesis sketched how the results linked to the aims of the scoping review. A description of the studies in terms of their purpose, where studies took place and the AAC training undertaken or discussed in the studies was reported on. Discussion: A discussion of the studies was done in relation to the sub-aims of the study focussing on (i) the level at which AAC education and training was discussed or undertaken for rehabilitation professionals (SLTs, OTs and PTs); (ii) the extent to which the education and training of PTs in AAC was part of the included studies; and (iii) to understand unique and common knowledge and skills surrounding AAC that need to be addressed in the education and training of health professionals in undergraduate or continued education to prepare these professionals to be contributing members of an AAC rehabilitation team. Conclusions: There was limited literature that focused on the actual education and training of rehabilitation professionals in AAC. Future research should focus on AAC education and training of rehabilitation professionals and the AAC content that is covered in the education and training.