Augmentative communication--an approach for the severely physically handicapped person without oral speech.

Many individuals are unable to communicate, due to severe neuromuscular impairments. In the past they were assessed by the speech pathologist for their ability to produce oral speech. When the oral musculature and respiratory system were found to be too weak to support sustained phonation for speech, they did not receive further treatment. This severe dysarthria resulted in unintelligible or no useful speech. Both children and adults experienced the extreme frustration of no human communication despite, in many cases, their intact intellectual functioning. Augmentative communication offers supplementary systems for these individuals to express their thoughts and resume or begin some measure of a productive life. This article describes the potential of speechless individuals, the assessment process, some of the existing technology and the role of health care professionals in this new field.