AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION (AAC) AS A PILLAR OF INCLUSION AND AUTONOMY IN THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

Abstract

This article analyzes Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) as an essential instrument for the realization of fundamental rights and the autonomy of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), specifically those who are non-verbal. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective that converges Law, Health, and Education, this work investigates how the systemic silencing of this population constitutes a form of epistemic violence and "symbolic necropolitics," according to the frameworks of Gayatri Spivak and Achille Mbembe. The methodology consists of a literature review and a normative analysis of the Statute of the Person with Disabilities (Law No. 13,146/2015), contrasting the legal provision of "reasonable accommodation" with the reality of state inertia and the consequent judicialization of health in Brazil. The results indicate that AAC should not be viewed merely as a therapeutic resource, but as a pillar of social inclusion and political agency. The study concludes with the need for public policies that prioritize early intervention and teacher training, ensuring that communication is recognized as an inalienable human right to overcome linguistic ableism.