The Intersection of Culture and ICF-CY Personal and Environmental Factors for Alternative and Augmentative Communication.

Clinicians facilitate successful use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC). The most clinically competent providers, however, address needs that extend beyond technical AAC use to help clients experience full participation. This can only be achieved for all clients by considering individual cultural factors that affect their participation. This article describes how Personal and Environmental Factors of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Children & Youth Version (ICF-CY; WHO, 2007) encompass how cultural characteristics (e.g., family/home, school, recreational, social, or spiritual) impact participation. The ICF-CY can provide a structured way for Speech-Language Pathologists to consider culture to maximize children's full participation in activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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