AAC Evaluation Kit for Speech-Language Pathologists: Guide
An AAC evaluation kit for speech-language pathologists is a working set of materials for exploring how a person communicates and which supports may help. It can hold assessment forms, low-tech boards, trial devices, access tools, and a way to record what you see. No kit chooses a system for someone. The speech-language pathologist (SLP) still matches options to the person's goals, access, partners, and daily routines.
Forbes AAC offers one practical version of that kit to eligible SLPs and facilities: the ProSlate AAC Evaluation Kit. It is a no-cost loan, not a device you keep, and it is built for clinicians who already have an iPad and their own communication apps.
Key Takeaways
- Build a flexible kit.
Include case history tools, low- and high-tech options, access supports, and forms that fit the people you serve.
- Use the ProSlate kit when it fits.
Eligible SLPs and facilities can borrow SoundPOD, a FlexABLE handle, and up to two popular keyguards for an iPad they already own.
- Trial in real routines.
Watch communication across activities and partners, then document preferences, barriers, and next steps with the team.
What Is an AAC Evaluation Kit for Speech-Language Pathologists?
An augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) evaluation kit brings the materials for an assessment into one place. Depending on the kit, that may mean communication boards, symbols, a trial speech-generating device, switches or keyguards, and forms for notes. The point is to compare how a person communicates with different tools, not to run a single test that picks a winner.
A useful kit covers three jobs. It gathers history and partner input. It lets you try language, vocabulary, and access methods in real activities. It gives you a record you can share with the AAC user, family, and the rest of the team.
Clinical judgment stays with the SLP. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association describes AAC as a clinical practice area and explains how clinicians match system features to communication and language goals. A kit only makes those options easier to reach. It is not a checklist, a diagnosis, or a promise that one device will work for everyone.
What Should an AAC Evaluation Kit Include?
Start with the person, not the product list. A case history, a communication profile, and notes from the AAC user and their partners show what already works. Formal tools and informal observation both belong. One score rarely captures how someone communicates at home, at school, and with different people.
Ask what the person does now when a message matters. Gestures, facial expression, speech, writing, a paper board, and a device can all be part of that picture. Note who understands them easily and where communication breaks down. That history keeps later trials from ignoring a method the person already trusts.
Then pack options you can actually trial:
- Low-tech tools.
Picture boards, alphabet boards, writing materials, and other no-tech or light-tech supports. A person may use these alongside a device.
Language and apps.
Vocabulary layouts and apps the person can try in a familiar activity.
is one language system with levels from larger buttons to more complex grammar.
is AAC software with boards that sync across devices.
Access tools.
Keyguards, mounts, switches, and a stable way to hold or position a device.
can be matched to a layout and motor needs. The
can be pushed or pulled into position without fine finger control.
Paperwork.
A feature-matching guide, trial notes, and a way to track what changed. Forbes AAC members can download a feature-matching handout and a fillable evaluation report template from
.
Use the table as a planning checklist, not a required inventory. Leave out anything that does not fit the people or settings you serve. Each row is one decision, not a shopping list.
Kit piece | What to look for | Why it matters |
History and partner input | Current methods, routines, and goals. | Keeps the trial tied to real communication. |
Low-tech boards and writing | Symbols, alphabet access, and quick messages. | Shows options that do not depend on one device. |
Apps and language systems | Vocabulary size, grammar, and layout. | Lets you compare how messages are built. |
Access and positioning | Keyguards, mounts, switches, and eye gaze. | A strong language page fails if the person cannot reach it. |
Trial forms | Activity, partner, access, and supports used. | Turns observations into a recommendation and a follow-up plan. |
How the ProSlate AAC Evaluation Kit Fits
The ProSlate AAC Evaluation Kit is Forbes AAC's no-cost program for SLPs and facilities. It is for teams who already do AAC evaluations and already have an iPad with their own communication apps. It does not ship a dedicated speech-generating device. It is not a home trial that a family starts on its own. You use your iPad. Forbes lends the add-ons that turn that iPad into a ProSlate-style setup for assessment.
The published kit includes three pieces:
- SoundPOD
, so the iPad can be used as a ProSlate-style communication setup during the evaluation.
- A FlexABLE handle
, for holding and positioning the device with gross motor movement.
- Up to two keyguards
, chosen from a list of popular configurations.
Eligibility is limited to SLPs and facilities who already have an iPad. The kit is a conditional loan, not something the clinician or the AAC user owns at the end. Apply on the ProSlate AAC Evaluation Kit page. If you need a dedicated ProSlate to trial, that is a different path.
Try a Device covers demonstrations and the device loan library. A funded device, a clinician equipment loan, and an SLP-initiated home trial each have their own rules. A licensed SLP can borrow equipment, and that device stays with the SLP. A home trial starts only after the user's SLP requests it and coverage is checked. Do not treat the evaluation kit as coverage approval or as a free ProSlate.
ProSlate itself is the iOS speech-generating device family. Models include 6D MAX, 8D, 10D, and a 13-inch option, plus eye gaze on the 13-inch with Enable Eyes. Most compatible AAC apps can run on those devices. The evaluation kit lets you explore apps you already use, with Forbes hardware around the iPad, before anyone requests a dedicated device.
Keep the paths separate when you talk with families. The evaluation kit is for trying these accessories on an iPad you already use for assessment. A device loan is for trialing a dedicated ProSlate. A funding packet answers a coverage question and never guarantees a yes. Direct-pay buyers, such as schools, VA hospitals, and loan libraries, request a sales-assisted quote instead of using a public checkout.
How Can SLPs Use an AAC Evaluation Kit?
Use the kit inside activities that already matter to the person. A snack, a classroom job, a medical question, or a favorite game will show more than a decontextualized test. Watch more than one partner and more than one setting when you can. Note the activity, the access method, the vocabulary available, and the support you gave.
Feature matching keeps the trial honest. Ask which layout, symbol size, voice, and access method let the person say what they wanted to say. Record successes and the barriers, including fatigue, glare, mounting, and partner prompting. If the person prefers a paper board for quick yes-or-no answers and a device for longer messages, write both down. One system does not have to cover every moment.
Dynamic assessment fits this work. Teach a little, watch what changes, and come back if needs shift. Offer a model, wait, and see whether the person can use the same method with less help. Do not require a set of speech or cognitive skills before someone may try AAC. Waiting for those skills can delay access without giving you better evidence.
A short trial sequence keeps notes usable:
Confirm the goal for this session and the routines you will watch.
Try the current method, then one low-tech option and one high-tech option.
Adjust positioning, access, vocabulary, or partner support and try again.
Write what the person chose, what broke down, and what to carry into the next setting.
Plan partner training and a date to review the recommendation.
Partner support is part of the data, not a side note. If a message only happens when you point to every button, say so. If a sibling, teacher, or nurse can follow the same steps, the recommendation is more likely to travel. Share a short model of how to wait, how to respond, and which messages to keep available.
How Should SLPs Choose and Share an AAC Evaluation Kit?
Match the kit to your caseload. A clinic that sees mostly young children with emerging language needs different boards and button sizes than a team serving adults with complex motor access. Portability matters if you evaluate in homes and classrooms. So does training. A kit no one can set up quickly will sit unused.
Look at four practical questions before you commit to a set of tools. Can you carry it? Can a colleague learn it without a long training day? Does it include both light-tech and high-tech options? Can you document a trial in the same visit? Lending programs help when a full device inventory is out of reach. They do not remove the need to match features to the person in front of you.
Collaboration makes the same kit more useful. Occupational therapists and physical therapists often lead on seating, switches, and mounts. Educators and caregivers know which messages matter outside the therapy room. Share the trial notes so partners are not guessing. The first wheelchair-mount home visit can be free, and later visits may cost extra, so plan that conversation early if mounting is part of the recommendation.
An assistive technology specialist can walk through ProSlate features, keyguards, and mounts, or set up a demonstration. Inside sales is available on weekdays at 419.589.7688, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. A specialist is not a substitute for the evaluation, and Forbes does not promise a representative in every ZIP code.
When you write the recommendation, tie each feature to something you observed. Name the trial results, the access method, the partner training still needed, and how you will follow up. The kit supports that write-up. It does not replace it. Avoid words like best, only, or guaranteed. Another team may reach a different fit with the same person in a different routine.
Turn Findings Into the Next Step
If you already have an iPad and want the ProSlate add-ons for evaluations, start with the ProSlate AAC Evaluation Kit. If the person needs a dedicated device trial, a specialist demonstration, or help with a funding packet, use Try a Device or contact a Forbes AAC specialist. None of these paths promises insurance approval or a device shipped to every address.
Bring the notes with you. A clear trial record makes the next conversation shorter, whether that conversation is with a family, a school team, or a funding reviewer. Say what you tried, what the person chose, and what is still unknown.
Apply for the ProSlate AAC Evaluation Kit, or find a specialist to talk through an evaluation plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an AAC evaluation kit pick the device?
No. A kit helps an SLP compare options. The recommendation should reflect the person's goals, preferences, access needs, and everyday routines.
What is in the ProSlate AAC Evaluation Kit?
Eligible SLPs and facilities who already have an iPad and their own apps can borrow three things. Forbes lends SoundPOD, a FlexABLE handle, and up to two keyguards. It is a no-cost loan, not a dedicated ProSlate and not a family home trial.
Can an evaluation include low-tech tools?
Yes. Picture boards, alphabet boards, and writing can be tried next to apps and speech-generating devices. Many people use more than one method.
What should SLPs write down during a trial?
Note the activity, setting, partner, access method, and support you provided. Also record choices, successes, barriers, and preferences.
Who helps with positioning and mounts?
Occupational therapists, physical therapists, and assistive technology specialists can advise on seating, switches, keyguards, and mounts. The AAC user and their partners should help decide what is practical.
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