Investigation of Knowledge and Awareness Levels of Speech and Language Therapy Students According to the Status of Taking Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems Lessons

Purpose: Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) Systems refer to various mechanisms that support, complement or replace speech in individuals whose communication skills need to be increased. Speech and language therapists (SLT’s) play an active role in the preparation and implementation of AAC Systems. Adequate and efficient training is a prerequisite for effective and successful AAC Systems services. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the level of knowledge and awareness of Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) undergraduate students in Turkey according to their taking AAC Systems course. Material and Method: 204 SLT undergraduate students from 10 different universities in Turkey, including 96 participants (47.06%) who took AAC Systems course and 108 participants (52.94%) who did not take AAC Systems course, participated in the study. Data were collected through an online questionnaire created by the researchers. The questionnaire included a total of 41 questions about the sociodemographic information of the participants and the level of AAC knowledge and awareness. Participants were recruited via social media platforms. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between those students who have taken AAC Systems course and those who did not (p