Despite the benefits of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for people with complex communication needs (CCN), AAC abandonment rates are high. Although communication partners like parents/carers, educators, and clinicians provide essential support to AAC users, they feel limited by a lack of AAC knowledge, adverse attitudes, and insufficient resources. Join us as we present our initial feasibility study of a co-designed free, online workshop intervention focussed on overcoming these key barriers by providing communication partners the necessary skills and strategies to facilitate AAC use and acceptance.

We aimed to evaluate the initial feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention using a mixed methods approach. Post-intervention feasibility questionnaires were based on realist principles, whereas effectiveness was measured by comparing pre-, post-, and follow-up questionnaires focussed on competence and confidence.

Our results support intervention feasibility, with participants reporting an improved understanding of AAC and integration of their learnings. Competence and confidence measures significantly increased post-intervention for the parents/carers and clinicians, respectively.

Through our presentation, we will convey the vital role of communication partners in the AAC journey for people with CCN. We will provide preliminary evidence that the free, online workshop intervention can provide a positive resource for communication partners supporting people using AAC.

1. We conducted a study into the preliminary feasibility and effectiveness of a co-designed free, online workshop intervention for improving the competence and confidence of communication partners of AAC-users.
2. Our study is committed to the wellbeing of participants and strengthening the communication community through accessible support and information-sharing.
3. Preliminary results show that the intervention provides a positive resource for communication partners supporting AAC-users.