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 231–240 (page 24 of 31).

S

Segmenting

Also called Sound segmentation, Phoneme segmentation, Sounding out for spelling

Pulling a spoken word apart into its sounds so you can write it: ship is sh-i-p, three sounds, four letters.

Selective mutism

Also called SM, Situational mutism

A child who talks freely at home and can't speak at school isn't choosing silence; it's an anxiety condition, and pressure to talk is the thing that makes it worse.

Self-advocacy

Also called Speaking up, Self advocacy groups

Speaking up for yourself, with whatever you speak with, and the groups where people who use AAC teach each other how.

Semantic-syntactic grids

Also called Fitzgerald key, Modified Fitzgerald key, Sentence-order layout, Colour-coded grid

Layouts that put words in sentence order, left to right, so grammar is built into the board and a sentence is a sweep of the hand.

Semantics

Also called Word meaning, Semantic knowledge, Lexical semantics

What words mean and how they connect to each other. A word you can say but can't define is only half learned.

Sensory needs and communication

Also called Sensory processing and AAC, Sensory overload, Sensory environment

Noise, light, touch and smell can shut communication down before a word is said. The environment is part of the system.

Sentence building

Also called Combining symbols, Message construction, Multi-symbol messages

How a person moves from pressing one word to putting three or four together, and why the second word is the hardest one to teach.

Sentence starters

Also called Carrier phrases, Openers, Frame phrases

'I want', 'I feel', 'Can I': the openers that get a sentence moving, and the trap of a board that only offers one of them.

Sentence strip

Also called Message window, Message bar, Sentence bar

The line where chosen words collect before they are spoken, and the difference between a person who labels and a person who talks.

Siblings

Also called Brothers and sisters, Sibling carers, Young carers

Brothers and sisters are often the best communication partners in the house. They are also children, and they need something too.

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