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Service Criteria

Assessment Criteria

To determine whether your patient meets our criteria, please refer to the decision chart below.

Please note that this decision chart is a summary of the referral criteria for specialised AAC services. For more detailed information, please refer to the referral criteria document.

If you are at all unsure, or would like to discuss a possible referral, then please do not hesitate to contact us for further help.


Once the referrer is satisfied that the patient is "likely to need Specialised Assessment" according to the referral decision chart, they may proceed to making a referral.

Provision-Only Criteria

Our provision-only service is available to community therapists for patients registered to a GP in East Kent or Swale, who has need of a communication aid.

To access this service, the referring therapist must have completed an assessment with the client, identified the appropriate equipment, and be able to provide ongoing support and training to the client.

Other Funding Options

If your client does not meet the criteria for specialist AAC service involvement, they may still be able to access funding for AAC equipment through alternative routes. Please see our guidance for help with the purchase of AAC equipment.