AAC Research Themes

This page shares the research priorities for Communication Matters’ Research Matters Network. The intention is that these priorities reflect the voices of those most affected by research outcomes: Augmentative and Assistive Communication (AAC) users, families, carers, practitioners and researchers.

Communication, Literacy and expressing feelings

Developing AAC systems and literacy approaches that support meaningful communication, emotions, choice and independence – designed with AAC users.

Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing

Understanding and improving metal health support for children, young people, and adults who use AAC, with communication and literacy at the centre.

Early AAC - Getting the Right Support at the Right Time

Finding the best time, ways and intensity to introduce AAC so children can communicate, learn and thrive.

Schools, Service and Communication Partners

Understanding what schools, services and communities need to do so AAC users are truly included and supported every day.

AAC in Adulthood and Overlooked Settings

Improving AAC access, support and outcomes foradults and people in complex or excluded settings.

Involving AAC Users in Research and Development Decisions

Making sure AAC users can help shape research questions, take part in studies and decide which outcomes matter.

These themes were identified and brought together from three complementary sources:

Our Futures Project (OFP)

An AAC-user-led programme exploring the aspirations, priorities and future hopes of people who use AAC.

Research Matters Network

A community of AAC users, families, practitioners and researchers working together to identify research priorities for the AAC field.

James Lind Alliance (JLA)

A recognised approach to setting research priorities through partnership working between people with lived experience, families and professionals.

Together, these sources have been used to develop a shared set of AAC research themes which are grounded in lived experience, informed by professional and research expertise, and aligned with nationally recognised approaches to research prioritisation.

Methodology for research themes

Stage 1:
Establishing AAC User Priorities Through the Our Futures Project (OFP)

The OFP began in 2023, and has from its inception, been led by AAC users for AAC users. The project is underpinned by the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us”, ensuring that people who use AAC are involved in identifying issues, setting priorities and shaping recommendations.

A key aim of the project has been to create a space where AAC users’ voices are not overshadowed by speaking partners and where lived experience drives decision making. Throughout the project, AAC users consistently highlighted the importance of being involved in research and development from the outset rather than being consulted after decisions have already been made.

Across workshops, focus groups, surveys and other engagement activities conducted between 2023 and 206, AAC users shared their aspirations for the future and identified areas where research evidence is needed. In total, there were 98 opportunities for AAC user participation. Ideas were discussed, grouped into common topics, prioritised and repeatedly reviewed with participants over time.

Despite repeated review, the original priorities identified by AAC users remained remarkably consistent.

The six priority themes identified through the OFP:

Career Development and Workplace Skills
Independent Living and Communication Skills
AAC Technology and Innovation
Personal Development and Wellbeing
Fundamental Skills
Relationships

Three key messages emerged throughout the OFP’s work:

AAC users often identify different priorities from those identified by professionals and services.
Every AAC user is an individual whose voice must be heard in decisions affecting their life.
Services, systems and research must evolve alongside the changing needs of AAC users and advances in technology.

Stage 2:
Broadening and Prioritising Themes Through the Research Matters Network

In complement to the work of Our Futures Project, the Research Matters Network identified through its online meetings with network members that the research community would benefit from having greater clarity on the issues that are important to the wider AAC research community and should guide the research agenda.

A workshop held at Communication Matters Conference 2025 brought together AAC users, family members, practitioners, researchers and advocates. Using a co-produced and participatory approach, participants reflected on their experience and expertise identified gaps in current knowledge and generated research questions they believed were important for the AAC community.

Ideas were recorded individually and in groups, then analysed and clustered into themes. These themes were subsequently shared with the wider Research Matters Network through an online prioritisation poll. Thirty one members responded, helping to rank the themes according to perceived importance.

The six priority themes identified through this process were:

User Experience and Engagement with AAC
Research and Development, including AAC user involvement in research
Education and Schools
Accessibility and Inclusion in Research
Health and Mental Health
AAC use in Specialist Environments

The Research Matters findings both reinforced and extended the priorities identified through the Our Futures Project. While many themes overlapped, the wider stakeholder group highlighted additional issues relating to research accessibility, educational settings and participation in research.

Stage 3:
Developing a Shared AAC Research Agenda

The James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnership methodology aims to bring people together with lived experience, carers and professionals to identify and prioritise unanswered questions that matter most to those affected by health and care services.

Although neither the work of the Our Futures Project nor that of Research Matters followed the full formal JLA Priority Setting Partnership process, what we did aligns strongly with many of its core principles. Both the Our Futures Project and the Research Matters Network adopted an inclusive participatory approach that prioritised lived experience, actively involved AAC users alongside families and professionals, and used transparent methods to identify and rank priorities. The resulting themes therefore reflect a shared understanding of what matters most to the AAC community and provide a foundation for future research that is both meaningful and relevant to the people who use AAC.

The findings from Our Futures Project and the Research Matters Newtwork were reviewed together to identify areas of overlap, consistency and shared concern.

Attention was paid to areas where:

AAC users consistently identified priorities across multiple years of engagement.
Families, practitioners and researchers independently identified similar concerns.
Themes aligned with broader national health and care research priorities, including other JLA partnership priorities in adjacent fields.

Results and next steps

This process resulted in the six overarching AAC research themes that represent a shared agenda for future AAC research: