Implications of Constraints on the Language of Emerging Aided Communicators and Intervention Decisions: A Tutorial

This tutorial offers speech-language pathologists (SLPs) an opportunity to consider the theoretical constructs of language acquisition theory and the multifactorial determinants that can impinge on the language acquisition process for children with complex communication needs. The system of constraints observed through the lens of optimality theory is discussed alongside intrinsic and extrinsic barriers associated with children who acquire their first language simultaneous to their introduction to aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. This examination calls into question whether the language competence of emerging aided communicators may be masked by their ability to produce language that accurately represents their understanding of their native language. Specific to this question is whether vocabularies available to emerging aided communicators, opportunities to access aided language models, and intervention decisions made by SLPs may be implicated in the language acquisition and development process. Suggestions for clinical practice are offered as a means of mitigating adverse outcomes related to extrinsic constraints.