The rehabilitation engineering research center on augmentative and alternative communication (the rerc on AAC) will generate user-centered, evidence-based AAC technologies and other supports over…

The rehabilitation engineering research center on augmentative and alternative communication (the rerc on AAC) will generate user-centered, evidence-based AAC technologies and other supports over the five-year span of the project. The goal of the project is to promote opportunities for participation and language and literacy learning for individuals with developmental disabilities who use or would benefit from AAC through high quality research, innovative technology development, state of the art training, and effective dissemination and knowledge translation. The objectives of the project are to contribute rigorous and responsive innovations in AAC research, development, training, and dissemination, in direction collaboration with people with developmental disabilities who use or would benefit from AAC. Anticipated outcomes of the project are: (a) new AAC capabilities for individuals with developmental disabilities and their communication partners; (b) increased empirical information and instructional material for the design, development, and implementation of AAC technologies and other supports; and (c) more effective, more collaborative future AAC researchers and developers. The expected products from the project include: (a) novel AAC features and other supports made commercially available in collaboration with manufacturers; (b) freely available prototypes for exploration and further testing; and (c) publications, learning modules and other informational materials, a state of the science conference, and a freely available doctoral training course.