Augmentative & Alternative Communication

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Why it works

Some students are nonverbal or minimally verbal, or cannot rely on speech, due to a range of disabilities, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), ranging from low-tech picture or symbol boards to high-tech speech-generating devices, gives them a means to communicate. Supporting AAC users well means first presuming competence (they have thoughts and things to say), ensuring their AAC system is always available and used, giving them genuine opportunities and time to communicate (not speaking for them or rushing), modeling AAC use, building AAC into instruction and classroom life, and collaborating with specialists (speech-language pathologists). Done well, AAC lets these students participate, learn, and connect; done poorly or treated as an afterthought, it leaves them silenced. Communication is a right, and AAC is how many students exercise it.

The research: Research on augmentative and alternative communication.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: give AAC users a real voice

Teachers leave ready to presume competence and support AAC all day.

Presume competence (the student has thoughts and things to say).
Ensure the AAC system is always available and actively used.
Give genuine opportunities and time to communicate (don't speak for them or rush).
Model AAC use, build it into instruction, and collaborate with specialists.

Communication is a rightAAC, from picture boards to speech devices, gives nonverbal students a voice. Presume competence, ensure access, give real opportunities, and model use, so they can truly participate.

Facilitator notes

Presume competence, and ensure AAC is available and used.
Give real opportunities and time.
Model use and collaborate with specialists.

Treating AAC as an afterthought silences studentsAAC that is unavailable, unused, or treated as the therapist's job leaves students silenced. Presume competence, ensure access and opportunities, and model use all day.

Adapt it

Elementary: presume competence, access, opportunities, model.
Secondary: access, opportunities, build into instruction, collaborate.
All settings: presume competence, access, opportunities, model.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

AAC: give students a real voice

Communication is a right: presume competence, ensure access and opportunities, model use, collaborate with specialists.

How I presume competence for the AAC user:
How I ensure the AAC system is always available and used:
How I give genuine opportunities and time to communicate:
How I model AAC use and collaborate with specialists:
An access or opportunity barrier to remove:

Make it stick

A real voice:

Give AAC users a real voice.
Presume competence.
Bring an AAC support that helped to the team.

Common questions

What is AAC?

Augmentative and alternative communication, ways to communicate besides speech, from low-tech picture or symbol boards to high-tech speech-generating devices, for students who are nonverbal, minimally verbal, or cannot rely on speech.

How do I support a student who uses AAC?

Presume competence, ensure the AAC system is always available and used, give genuine opportunities and time to communicate (don't speak for them or rush), model AAC use, build it into instruction, and collaborate with specialists.

Isn't AAC the speech therapist's job?

Specialists are essential, but AAC must be supported all day, in your classroom, not just in therapy. Presume competence, provide access and opportunities, and model use, so the student can truly participate.