Abstract
The field of augmentative and alternative communication's (AAC) missing link is the discrepancy between what the research community identifies as needs and what the clinical community, including the AAC user, believes to be the AAC user's needs. An unrealistic picture of the AAC user occurs, developing a top-down effect of limited outcomes, reduced funding, and clinical applications that does not support evidence-based practice. The authors discuss how to accomplish the missing links toward evidence-based practice in the developing field of AAC.