Course Level: Advanced.

Course Runtime: 1 hour.

Course Format: E-learning – text and video. 

This course is a video recording of a conference talk from Smartbox’s 24 Hours of AAC virtual conference held on 6–7 May 2026.

Description

This conference talk explores the strengths and limitations of traditional symbol-based AAC systems and examines whether alternative approaches could provide greater flexibility, independence, and access to vocabulary. Drawing on research, clinical experience, and early development work, the talk discusses the challenges associated with pre-programmed vocabulary, symbol learning, categorisation, navigation, and the communication of novel or personally meaningful words.

The presenters introduce SoundScape, an experimental phoneme-based AAC approach that allows users to generate words from speech sounds rather than selecting from pre-stored vocabulary. Through demonstrations and practical examples, the session explores how phoneme-based systems may support novel vocabulary generation, participation in literacy activities, multilingual communication, and personalised language use, while also considering the skills required and the current limitations of this approach.

This talk is an advanced course, suitable for individuals with a strong understanding of AAC. This course may be of interest to experienced AAC users, researchers, and those interested in emerging AAC approaches and innovations.

Course outline 

This session covers:

• Traditional Symbol-Based AAC: Benefits and limitations of symbol vocabularies.
• Speech, Literacy and AAC Development: Comparing phoneme-based, literacy-based, and symbol-based approaches.
• Introducing SoundScape: Understanding the principles of phoneme-based AAC.
• Novel and Personal Vocabulary: Supporting names, interests, identity, and unique vocabulary.
• Phoneme-Based Communication: Building words from speech sounds.
• SoundScape in Practice: Demonstrations, prototypes, and early user experiences.
• Future Directions: Literacy links, teaching tools, and ongoing development.
• Content disclosure: This presentation will focus on the evidence for symbol vocabularies and discuss a new approach yet to be made widely available - self generated phoneme boards.

Content disclosure: This course may use examples predominantly from Smartbox Products, other products will be included in a limited format.

Learner outcomes 

By the end of this course, participants will be able to: 

• List at least two limitations as well as benefits of traditional symbol based vocabulary packages. 
• Explain one reason why self-generating AAC layouts is useful to its long-term success. 
• List at least one limitation and benefit to phoneme based approaches to building words. 

Completion requirements: You must complete all course content including reading all text and watching all video content. This course is assessed via a multiple-choice, five-question knowledge check at the end of the course. The pass score is 80%. You can take the knowledge check multiple times. 

Instructor bios

Will Wade BSc, PgDip | Clinical Research & Development Lead at Smartbox.

Will is an Occupational Therapist with more than 15 years' experience working across NHS, charitable, and assistive technology services. With a background in software development, his work focuses on complex disability, access methods, and developing innovative solutions to address unmet needs in assistive technology and AAC.

Andrea Lee, MSc, SLT | NHS Pre-Doctoral Researcher.

Andrea is a Speech and Language Therapist and AAC Clinical Lead at the Barnsley Assistive Technology Team. She has specialised in AAC for over 20 years and has led the development of AAC training and assessment resources. Andrea recently completed an NIHR pre-doctoral award exploring symbol communication systems and continues to research innovative approaches to AAC. She is also Chair of Blissymbolics UK (BCUK), a Trustee of Blissymbolics Communication International (BCI), and a member of the Entangled Collective.

Disclosures

Financial disclosures: Will Wade is an employee of Smartbox Assistive Technology and receives a salary. Will Wade is also a director of SoundScape - a CIC non-profit. Andrea Lee is a director of SoundScape.

Non-financial disclosures: Will Wade and Andrea Lee have no relevant non-financial disclosure.