Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Hindu
The Hindu
National
The Hindu Bureau

Experts from India, abroad to discuss trends in Augmentative and Alternative Communication at AIISH

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) refers to a variety of communication techniques used by people who are unable to engage in verbal communication. The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) has been working to improve the lives of children and adults who use AAC. 

Joining hands with the India Chapter of ISAAC, the Centre for AAC and Sign Language, Centre of Excellence, AIISH, Mysuru, is organising a two-day ISAAC India AAC conference 2024 on January 11 and 12. The theme of the conference is “Bridging the gap: Empowering Diverse Communicators with Recent Trends in AAC”. The conference is part of the Continual Rehabilitation Education (CRE) of the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).

“AAC is being used by more people in India and is becoming increasingly important for successful communication for persons with communication disorders. However, caring for persons who utilise AAC in India presents certain difficulties for both professionals and parents/caregivers. Hence, it is essential to disseminate the knowledge on recent trends in AACs and also to understand the difficulties of Indian AAC users and professionals,” a press release from AIISH said.

Effective solutions

Also, understanding these issues will help the Indian scientists and technologists to develop effective solutions which would benefit AAC users, their caregivers and the professionals who deal with them, it added.

The conference aims to provide a platform for all the stakeholders in the field of AAC to initiate a focussed effort towards advancement of the field in India, which will benefit persons with communication disorders, said the AIISH.

The conference has four scientific sessions, five keynote lectures, three industry presentations and 20 research paper presentations. The keynote speakers from India and abroad include Bhavna Botta (president, ISAAC India Chapter), David Goldberg (RESNA, New Jersey, USA), Vicki R. Casella (Bridge School, California), Rajinder Kaul (University of Texas, Austin, USA), and Sudha Kaul (Founder and Former Director, Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, Kolkata), the press release said.

Industry representatives will be participating and sharing their thoughts. A panel discussion on “Challenges towards effective use of AAC in India” has also been included. The conference will be attended by about 100 delegates from various parts of the country. The delegates include persons with disability who are using AAC, their caregivers, rehabilitation professionals, social workers, technologists, speech language pathologists, special educators, the release stated.

Ms. Kaul will inaugurate the conference on January 11 at 9.30 a.m. at the Seminar Hall, Academic Block, AIISH here. Ms. Botta will preside. Mr. Goldberg will be the guest of honour. Dr M. Pushpavathi, Director, AIISH, will be present.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.