Which scenario would most likely benefit from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention?

• A. A preschool child with a language-learning disorder and highly unintelligible speech
• B. A teenager with repaired cleft palate who continues to experience hypernasality
• C. A young adult with severe cerebral palsy precluding functional oral communication
• D. A 55-year-old man who has had a laryngectomy

Answer: (A)

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is used when speech alone isn’t enough to convey messages reliably. In a preschool child with a language-learning disorder who has highly unintelligible speech, getting ideas across can be very difficult for teachers, peers, and family. AAC provides a stable way to express wants, needs, and thoughts through symbols, pictures, or a simple device, so the child can participate in classroom activities and social interactions even as spoken language is still developing. Using AAC early can support language growth and early literacy by giving concrete representations of concepts and facilitating turn-taking and communication routines. While AAC can be beneficial in other scenarios too—such as after a laryngectomy or for someone with severe cerebral palsy—the combination of limited intelligibility and ongoing language development makes AAC the most clearly advantageous choice for this preschooler.