Janice Light (1989) defines communicative competence as “… the ability to communicate functionally in the natural environment and to adequately meet daily communication needs.” For students who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and are in inclusive settings, this goal is very appropriate … and challenging! WHERE do we find the time to support students in learning the linguistic, operational, social, and strategic skills they need to engage in successful interactive communication? One approach is to form “Communication Circles” or circles of peers who support AAC users in learning and practising skills. These circles work with students weekly, keeping data and anecdotal notes.

Communication Circles can support a range of skills, ranging from: operational skills (providing support to students struggling with direct selection or switch access), linguistic skills (helping AAC users practise locating and using language on their devices, practising linguistic forms such as negation or question-answer), social skills (guiding AAC users in the parts of a conversation), and strategic skills (reminding students of strategies to the efficiency of communication). This seminar will include lecture, demonstration, brainstorming and case studies.