The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) asserts that individuals with disabilities are entitled to effective and equal access to justice. This is especially critical for children with disabilities, many of whom are non-verbal and who face compounded marginalization due to their disability and status as minors. These children often experience greater challenges in providing court testimony yet are at higher risk of abuse, underscoring the crucial importance of their testimonies in legal proceedings. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods have been developed to support individuals with disabilities in expressing themselves. This commentary, viewed through a social work lens, examines the application of AAC for children with disabilities, evaluating both the benefits and limitations of these methods. It advocates for the use of empirically supported AAC approaches and cautions against those lacking empirical validation or discredited. A particular focus is placed on facilitated communication (FC), an AAC tool that has been empirically invalidated and associated with significant risks yet continues to be used despite widespread scholarly and organizational opposition. The commentary concludes with recommendations for advancing the field of AAC, emphasizing the importance of implementing and promoting only evidence-based AAC methods.
