Avagyan A, Ashekian T, Snkhchyan A, Mkrtchyan H, Petrosyan T
1ARMAV Continuous Education Center, Yerevan, Armenia.
Harmony Speech Therapy & Diagnostics, Glendale CA, USA.
Georgian Med News. 2025 Feb(359):63-71.
Individuals with severe disabilities often require Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems to support their communication needs. However, the implementation of AAC is frequently hindered by a lack of awareness among professionals and insufficient prioritization within healthcare systems.
The online survey method was used to collect data from the participating professionals for the report. We used the Tennessee Talks Virtual AAC Institute questionnaire.
This paper identifies three main factors contributing to the limited use of AAC: high rural populations and economic challenges leading to inadequate rehabilitation services, lack of prioritization of communication rehabilitation by healthcare management, and limited awareness of AAC's potential benefits. Additionally, professionals' prior experiences and motivations significantly influence the adoption of AAC systems.
To enhance the effective use of AAC, it is essential to provide instruction aligned with the specific needs and cultural contexts of local communities, ideally facilitated by experienced professionals. By exploring the current AAC practices and barriers faced by professionals in Armenia, this study aimed to develop strategies and programs that promote the broader adoption and effectiveness of AAC systems in practice.
重度残疾人士通常需要替代性和辅助性沟通（AAC）系统来满足其沟通需求。然而，AAC的实施常常因专业人员缺乏认知以及医疗系统内未给予足够重视而受阻。
采用在线调查方法从参与报告的专业人员处收集数据。我们使用了田纳西州谈话虚拟AAC研究所问卷。
本文确定了导致AAC使用受限的三个主要因素：农村人口众多和经济挑战导致康复服务不足、医疗管理部门未将沟通康复列为优先事项以及对AAC潜在益处的认知有限。此外，专业人员的既往经验和动机对AAC系统的采用有显著影响。
为提高AAC的有效使用，必须提供符合当地社区特定需求和文化背景的指导，最好由经验丰富的专业人员提供便利。通过探索亚美尼亚专业人员当前的AAC实践及面临的障碍，本研究旨在制定促进AAC系统在实践中更广泛采用和提高有效性的策略与方案。
