Augmentative Communication Consultative Service

If your child has difficulty speaking or telling you their needs, wants, and ideas, then the Augmentative Communication Consultative Service (ACCS) can help. Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ACC)—such as pointing, picture boards, or technology—the ACCS can help children and youth learn to communicate with each other, and increase their participation in activities at home, school, or play. This service is a partnership between the IWK and Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Centres.

How we help

Depending on your child’s needs, the Speech Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, or Speech Language Technician may be involved.  

The Occupational Therapist works with parents and their child to decide how the communication system can be used in play, self-care, and school activities, and recommends how the child will access a communication system. The Speech Language Pathologist assesses the child’s communication skills, provides ideas to help improve communication skills, and recommends AAC systems including device, vocabulary, layout and/or strategies. And the Speech Language Technician assists the team during the assessment, creates materials for assessments, home programs, and classrooms, and educates parents and other team members on computer software, switch adapted websites, and switch adapted books.

Together the team talks with you about ways to expand on communication systems already being used by your child. The ACCS team may also recommend a simple or high tech device.