Communication A to Z

Somebody hands you a leaflet that says AAC. A review mentions partner-assisted scanning. A ward asks whether your dad has a communication passport. Everyone else in the room seems to know what these words mean, and asking feels like admitting you're behind. You aren't. This library explains each one plainly: what it is, who it helps, how it works, and what you can do about it this week. Search by the word you heard.

Please note: This page is general information about communication and the ways people are supported to communicate. It is not an assessment, a diagnosis or speech and language therapy, and it does not know the person you have in mind. If you are worried about someone's speech, language or communication, ask a GP, a health visitor or a speech and language therapist. In an emergency, call 999; if you cannot speak, Relay UK on 18000 or the emergencySMS service reach the same operators.

301 topics, showing 111–120 (page 12 of 31).

F

First words

Also called First word, Early words, Emerging language

What they usually are, when they usually come, and the point at which it is reasonable to ask for help rather than wait and see.

Following the lead

Also called Child-led interaction, Following the child's lead, Responsive interaction, OWL: observe, wait, listen

Talk about what the person is already looking at. It sounds obvious. Most adults do the opposite all day.

Food and drink vocabulary

Also called Mealtime vocabulary, Food set, Eating and drinking words

Choosing what to eat is the first thing most boards teach. Saying that it is wrong, too hot, too much or making you feel sick is the part that gets forgotten.

Friendships

Also called Peer relationships and AAC, Making friends

Friendship runs on quick, unimportant talk. Here is how to make and keep friends when every sentence is slow.

Fringe vocabulary

Also called Fringe words, Extended vocabulary, Topic vocabulary

The specific words core cannot supply: names, places, foods, interests. The part of the vocabulary that makes it this person's.

Funding a communication aid

Also called AAC funding, Paying for a communication device, Communication aid grants

The NHS, the education system, social care and charities can each pay for a communication aid. Which one depends on who needs it and why.

G

Gestalt language processing

Also called GLP, Natural language acquisition, NLA, Gestalt language development

Some children learn language in whole chunks and only later break them into words: the framework, its six stages, and what to do differently if this is your child.

Gesture

Also called Natural gesture, Pointing, Deictic gesture, Gestures

Pointing, reaching, showing, waving, shrugging. The oldest communication system there is, and the one partners most often ignore.

Grammar and syntax

Also called Morphology, Syntax, Sentence structure, Morphosyntax

Word order and word endings: the difference between "dog bite man" and "man bit dog". AAC users are routinely denied both, and shouldn't be.

Graphemes

Also called Grapheme-phoneme correspondence, GPC, Letter-sound correspondence, Digraphs and trigraphs

The written form of a sound: one letter, two, three or four. Knowing that "igh" is one sound is the difference between reading and guessing.

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