AAC2024

About the conference

AAC 2024 – 6th International Conference on Augmentative and Alternative Communication is organised by “ASSIST – Assistive Technologies” Foundation 

with the financial support by UNICEF – Bulgaria and Ministry of Education and Science and with the support of ISAAC – International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The conference presents  contemporary approaches and technologies for children and adults with communication difficulties – cerebral palsy, autism, multiple disabilities, intellectual disabilities, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and others.

The talks present:

  • modern approaches, methods, and technologies for augmentative and alternative communication, given by leading experts.
  • the experience and best practices in working and teaching children with cerebral palsy, autism, multiple disabilities and others.
  • the personal experience of users of augmentative and alternative communication.

AAC2024 was held online, using Zoom. The participation was free of charge.

The working languages of the conference were Bulgarian and English. During the conference, there was simultaneous translation into English, Bulgarian, and Ukrainian.

AAC2024 topic: AAC for Diverse Communication Abilities

This year’s conference is dedicated to the topic of diverse AAC systems for users with diverse communication abilities.

The topic emphasizes the importance of various approaches and tools for AAC tailored to the different skills and needs of users. Speakers presented the application of AAC for children and adults with permanent or temporary communication difficulties resulting from conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, Rett syndrome, developmental disorders, dementia, aphasia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and others. Topics will also cover the application of AAC in healthcare and the justice system.

A part of the conference this year is dedicated to sharing the successes and problems in the introduction and use of AAC in Bulgaria.

Talks

During the conference, talks were presented by 33 speakers from different countries.

7 official representatives from institutions in Bulgaria and international organizations took part in the conference (Representatives of UNICEF Bulgaria, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, State Agency for Child Protection, NAPWCSES, ISAAC, AAATE).

Recordings of the talks

Recordings of some of the presentations are available on the conference website. 

Recordings of some of the other presentations are made available only to conference participants.

Participants

The conference provoked a great interest in Bulgaria and abroad – 1741 participants from 51 countries took part in the conference.

The largest number of participants came from Bulgaria (1071), Ukraine (173), Romania (112), Lithuania (91).

Feedback

We received feedback about the conference from 563 participants.

99% of the respondents would participate in the next conference on a similar topic, and 99.5% would recommend the conference to colleagues or friends.

The overall rating of the conference is an excellent one. The average rating is 4.75 on a scale from 1 (unsatisfactory) to 5 (excellent).

The rating for both the content of the talks and the organization of the conference are also excellent.

Thanks and Looking Forward

Thanks to all the speakers who shared their experiences and knowledge. Thanks to you, the conference was so interesting and useful!

We thank all the organizations and institutions that supported the conference – UNICEF Bulgaria, Ministry of Education and Science, ISAAC International, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, State Agency for Child Protection, AAATE.

We also thank all the participants for their interest and for the positive feedback! This gives us the confidence and motivation to continue with this conference series.

We hope that the talks and the discussions will lead to a more successful introduction of AAC in Bulgaria and to the possibility of faster access to AAC by all children and adults with communication needs.

See you soon!

“ASSIST – Assistive Technologies” Foundation