The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication

What The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication does

The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) is an international non-profit professional society founded in 1984 and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with a part-time-staffed office. ISAAC exists to promote the best possible communication for people with complex communication needs who cannot rely on natural speech, and its membership is open to anyone interested in supporting this population. The organization serves a multi-stakeholder community that includes people who use AAC (PWUAAC), families and caregivers, AAC researchers and academics, speech-language pathologists and clinicians, AAC vendors and manufacturers, and students in communication sciences.

ISAAC's core product is the AAC journal, a peer-reviewed quarterly publication produced in partnership with Taylor & Francis since 1985, which achieves 223K annual downloads/views and a Q1 impact factor ranking. The organization also runs biennial international conferences dating back to 1984 (rotating across North America, Europe, South America, and Oceania), is launching a new ISAAC International Forum format in 2026 in Zagreb, Croatia (in collaboration with ATAAC), and operates an annual ISAAC Virtual Conference. Additional offerings include educational webinars, a mentorship program (LEAD), an awards program with multiple categories, International AAC Awareness Month, emergency support resources, and a catalog of books and conference proceedings. The organization is registered as a Canadian charity (CRA 868222654 RR0001) and holds 501(c)(3) status in the US (EIN 98-0086227), with national chapters in Australia, Canada, the US, South Korea, Singapore, and Spanish-speaking regions.

ISAAC's revenue model is diversified across membership dues (including sponsored memberships for emerging AAC countries at $30 CDN/year), conference and forum registration fees ($185-$295 USD early bird), journal subscriptions ($65-$108 CDN for non-members; included for institutional and corporate members), donations, and sales of publications and merchandise. The organization does not develop technology products and operates with a lean cost structure, relying on a community-led go-to-market motion through its chapters, conferences, webinars, and digital channels.

Name

The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Legal name

International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Website

https://isaac-online.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ISAAC is a Toronto-based international non-profit professional society founded in 1984 that promotes augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for people with complex communication needs, serving AAC users, families, researchers, clinicians, and vendors globally through its peer-reviewed journal, biennial conferences, and chapter network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) Devices, Apps & Training (EDAKAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) & Speech/Language Therapy Tech (EDAFAKAB), Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) Evaluation, Implementation & Training (School-Based) (EDAKAEAI)

Keywords

• Augmentative communication advocacy
• Professional association membership
• AAC research journal
• Communication disorders conferences
• Speech language pathology

Headquarters

HQ city

North York

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ISAAC generates revenue through annual membership fees. Membership is open to anyone interested in supporting people with complex communication needs. Various membership tiers exist including individual, corporate, and institutional memberships. Sponsored membership is available for $30 CDN per year for members in emerging AAC countries.
2. Conference Registration: Revenue generated from ISAAC Forum and Virtual Conference registrations. Early bird pricing ranges from $185-$295 USD for ISAAC Forum (both days) and $165 USD for Virtual Conference (members), with late registration at higher rates.
3. Journal Subscriptions: The AAC journal is published quarterly by Taylor & Francis. ISAAC members receive special subscription rates. Institutional and Corporate members receive the journal subscription at no additional cost. Non-member subscription prices range from $65-$108 CDN depending on membership category.
4. Donations: ISAAC accepts donations via phone, mail, and directed donations for specific programs or geographic areas. The organization is a registered charitable organization in Canada (CRA registration: 868222654 RR0001) and has 501(c)(3) status in the United States (EIN: 98-0086227).
5. Publications and Merchandise: Revenue from sale of books (including ISAAC Series volumes), conference proceedings, DVDs, and affiliated publications. Conference proceedings available for free to ISAAC members, $15 CDN for non-members. DVDs priced at $25-$30 CDN.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ISAAC is a nonprofit international professional society that promotes augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for people with complex communication needs. It sells individual, corporate, and institutional memberships; runs biennial in-person conferences plus a recurring virtual conference; publishes the peer-reviewed AAC journal via Taylor & Francis; and offers related books, conference proceedings, DVDs, affiliated publications, webinars, and an awards program. Revenue is diversified across membership dues, conference registrations, journal and publication subscriptions, donations, and merchandise.

Product overview

The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) operates as a membership-based international nonprofit organization rather than a commercial technology company. Its product portfolio consists of: the AAC Journal (peer-reviewed quarterly publication via Taylor & Francis), biennial and virtual conferences, the new ISAAC Forum in-person events, educational publications including books (Communication Without Speech, Beneath the Surface, Waves of Words), conference proceedings, DVDs, affiliated international publications (AGOSCI In Focus, Communication Matters), communication access resources, an awards program, webinars, mentorship opportunities, and membership services. The organization focuses on advocacy, research dissemination, education, and community building for people with complex communication needs rather than selling software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AAC Journal: The official peer-reviewed journal of ISAAC, published quarterly by Taylor & Francis since 1985. Features original articles, case studies, book reviews and ISAAC news on augmentative and alternative communication.
• ISAAC Forum
• ISAAC Virtual Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• 223K annual journal downloads/views
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ATAACflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ATAAC (Assistive Technology for Augmentative Alternative Communication) is ISAAC's key strategic partner for the ISAAC Forum 2026. The ISAAC Forum is being held in collaboration with ATAAC, immediately preceding the ATAAC Conference in Zagreb, Croatia on October 19-20, 2026. This two-day pre-conference is developed, sponsored, and managed by ISAAC. Combined tickets are available for attendees to participate in both events.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• USSAAC (United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication): ISAAC's US national chapter, directly comparable in mission and structure as a country-level AAC professional organization — most direct peer in terms of mandate and offerings to US-based members.
• Communication Matters: UK-based AAC charity and ISAAC-affiliated chapter that provides publications, conferences, and resources for AAC users and professionals in the United Kingdom. Their quarterly magazine is an affiliated ISAAC publication.
• ISAAC Australia: ISAAC's own Australian chapter, functioning as a regional peer in member services, events, and advocacy for AAC users and professionals in Australia.
• AGOSCI: Australian Group for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AGOSCI) is a regional peer organization with a similar mission of supporting AAC users, families, and professionals in Australia. Publishes AGOSCI In Focus, which is also an affiliated publication for ISAAC members.

Direct peers

• AAC Institute: Direct competitor in AAC professional education and resources, focusing on pre-service and in-service training for AAC practitioners with similar mission and comparable audience.

Emerging players

• ATAAC (Assistive Technology for Augmentative Alternative Communication): European AAC-focused organization that is becoming a strategic event partner (ISAAC Forum 2026 is co-located with ATAAC Conference) — a partial-overlap peer that increasingly intersects with ISAAC's conference and membership activity.

Others

• Closing The Gap: Resource organization focused on assistive technology and AAC, providing conferences, publications, and training complementary to ISAAC's offerings — overlapping practitioner audience but positioned as a vendor-neutral content resource rather than a membership society.

Broad incumbents

• ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association): Larger professional association for speech-language pathologists and audiologists in the US, with broader scope but significant overlap on AAC clinical practice, continuing education, and publications — a key competitor for AAC practitioner membership.
• RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America): Broader interdisciplinary assistive technology society that covers AAC as a subset of rehabilitation engineering and AT — overlaps with ISAAC's vendor and clinician audiences and competes for cross-discipline AAC content.
• Council for Exceptional Children (CEC): Large international special education professional association that overlaps with ISAAC's K-12 special educator segment and competes for AAC-related continuing education and content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ISAAC_AAC
• Facebookfacebook.com/AACJournal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isaac-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/aacjourn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication