Local service provision of Augmentative and Alternative Communication and communication aids in England

BACKGROUND: Provision of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) interventions have been acknowledged to be highly variable in England and elsewhere. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the project described in this paper was to provide data to inform service planning and delivery of services delivering AAC including communication aids. METHODS: A survey was developed by an expert group and administered by telephone interview to service managers of primary and secondary services providing AAC interventions at a local level in England and data were included from two hundred and twenty respondents. RESULTS: Services included had mean caseload sizes of 0.09% of the catchment population for AAC provision, with a mean of 0.017% of the catchment population for high tech communication aids. Significantly higher levels of caseload and spend were reported for services working with children and young people as compared to those working with adults. Mean levels of unmet need for AAC equating to approximately one in every eight individuals on services' caseloads were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Although these data should be treated with caution, they suggest a significant level of variation of provision of AAC by local services.