Teaching teachers about augmentative and alternative communication: Opportunities and challenges of a web-based course

Although augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has become a widely accepted means of supporting children who have complex communication needs, demographic data indicate that AAC instruction lags behind service delivery needs. In this paper, information is presented about a web-based AAC course for special education teachers, which was delivered primarily via distance learning. Also presented are data about (a) how the course participants responded to material presented in the online format and (b) their level of satisfaction with the learning environment. As an investigation of what might be considered current best practice, both successes and difficulties that characterized the course are highlighted. A number of suggestions are made for improvements and recommendations for the delivery of media-enhanced web-based courses in AAC.