aacfundinghelp.com  will post information about programs that cover and provide funding for augmentative communication (AAC) devices, also known as “speech generating devices” (SGDs).  SGDs are essential tools to help people with severe communication disabilities meet their daily communication needs.  They have been described as “magic,” by clinicians and researchers; “vital,” by federal judges; and “priceless,” by their users.

 There are many audiences for information about SGD funding:

 Ø      SLPs must know what funding programs require to ensure appropriate documentation is completed; how to assess whether clients funding requests have received appropriate review; and how to guide clients through appeals or to appeals resources, if necessary.. 

Ø      Advocates must know what funding programs are required to cover and provide  to ensure the programs meet their obligations. 

Ø      Family members and physicians want to know, at a more general level, whether a funding program will respond to a particular need. 

Ø      Staff at funding programs want to know about whether and how sister programs cover the same equipment, and about possible alternative sources to pay for the needed equipment, or possible sources of cost sharing. 

Ø      Finally, decision makers want to know the big picture, whether a disputed funding request is routine or truly unique.

aacfundinghelp.com provides information useful to each of these diverse populations interested in funding, and also offers an opportunity for individual funding questions to be answered. 

Specific Contents: 

SGD Funding Fast Facts:  Provides the most general Information about SGD funding.  This information will be useful for someone who is considering SGD funding for the first time. 

SGD Funding Programs: aacfundinghelp.com will focus on “third party” coverage policy and funding for SGDs because almost always someone other than the user or user’s family purchases the device.  The programs described here are the most important funding sources for SGDs.  They include:

AAC Report Coach:  aacfundinghelp.com offers SLPs a unique tool to guide them through the process of writing a funding report to support an SGD recommendation.  The AAC Report Coach was developed by Pam Mathy, Ph.D., Clinical Director, Arizona State University.  The AAC Report Coach should be used after the SLP has conducted a complete SLP and AAC assessment, as outlined in the Medicare RMRP, using the procedures outlined in the Medicare Protocol.  These three tools are all SLPs will need to generate and present complete information to support SGD funding. 

AAC Funding General Resources:  Information posted here will be useful to support funding by multiple funding programs.  Letters from the AMA, American Academy of Neurology and American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation acknowledging the effectiveness and medical need of SGDs will be found here.  Information about “coding” of SGDs also will be found here.

Site Map:  The site map lists the contents of this web site in outline form. This may be an easier way for some users to find information they need.

Contact Us:  Provides the address and other contact information for,  and an opportunity to send a question to the Assistive Technology Law Center.  The ATLC administers this site and is responsible for its content.

Links:  Provides links to other web pages with information related to SGD funding.

Who This Site Is Intended For:

aacfundinghelp.com is intended for people with disabilities and their families, speech-language pathologists, doctors and other health care providers, teachers, advocates and attorneys, and funding program decision makers. 

Who Administers This Site:

aacfundinghelp.com is a project of the Assistive Technology Law Center, Inc. (ATLC), Ithaca, New York, in conjunction with AAC-RERC members. .

Site Updates:

aacfundinghelp.com  will be updated and expanded regularly.  Check the “what’s new?” page to learn of new materials that have been posted. 

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