{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T18:52:45Z","timestamp":1785437565631,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,25]],"date-time":"2025-10-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761350400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0For decades, teaching and learning have relied primarily on oral communication. However, learners with little or no functional speech (LNFS) require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies to support learning and interaction.\nObjectives:\u00a0This scoping review aims to map available survey instruments used to identify and describe learners who could benefit from AAC, and to highlight research gaps in this area.\nMethod:\u00a0The scoping review methodology, guided by the Johanna Briggs Institute was followed. A comprehensive search was conducted across nine databases: Academic Search Complete, Health Source: Science\/Academic Edition Nursing, ERIC, Africa Wide Information, Scopus, PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycInfo. The search terms were combined using BOOLEAN operators. Studies were included if they: (1) involved learners aged 5\u201321 years with LNFS, (2) addressed any educational context, (3) report on any screening instrument (4) were published after 1985, (5) were written in English and (6) presented primary data in a peer-reviewed journal.\nResults:\u00a0Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, 890 articles were identified, 251 duplicates were removed. Of the remaining 639, 14 underwent full-text review, and seven met the inclusion criteria. No standardised survey instruments were found. Most clinicians adapted or created surveys to meet specific needs, although common variables were assessed, such as learner characteristics and AAC strategies.\nConclusion:\u00a0The absence of standardized tools to identify learners with LNFS reveals a significant research gap.\nContribution:\u00a0This review underscores the urgent need for standardised instruments to guide clinical ad educational practices.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/sajcd.v72i1.1136","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,24]],"date-time":"2025-10-24T14:22:41Z","timestamp":1761315761000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Identifying and describing school-age children who would benefit from AAC: A scoping review of survey tools"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"72","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7016-2345","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bathobile","family":"Ngcobo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00g0p6g84","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Pretoria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9685-3750","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juan","family":"Bornman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00g0p6g84","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"University of Pretoria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alant, E. (1999). Students with little or no functional speech in schools for students with severe mental retardation in South Africa. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 15(2), 83\u201394. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/07434619912331278595","DOI":"10.1080\/07434619912331278595"},{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alant, E., Bornman, J., & Lloyd, L.L. (2006). Issues in AAC research: How much do we really understand? Disability and Rehabilitation, 28(3), 143\u2013150. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/09638280500077986","DOI":"10.1080\/09638280500077986"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Almirall, D., DiStefano, C., Chang, Y.-C., Shire, S., Kaiser, A., Lu, X., Nahum-Shani, I., Landa, R., Mathy, P., & Kasari, C. (2016). Longitudinal effects of adaptive interventions with a speech-generating device in minimally verbal children with ASD. 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