We All Use AAC Every Day
AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and every one of us uses it!
When you send a text, use an emoji, give a thumbs-up, wave hello, press a doorbell, or show a “stop” hand signal, that’s AAC.
AAC simply means any way of communicating that adds to or replaces speech.
For some people, AAC supports spoken words.
For others, it’s their main way of communicating.
Either way, AAC helps everyone be heard, understood, and connected.
AAC Is for Anyone Who Needs Another Way to Communicate
AAC isn’t only for people who can’t speak.
It can help children who:
- are learning to communicate
- have unclear or limited speech
- have motor, sensory, or language difficulties
- find it hard to get their words out
AAC gives children ways to ask, share, protest, joke, and connect… all the things that make communication meaningful.
Types of AAC
AAC can look very different for different people. Some types use no equipment at all. Others use paper, pictures, or technology.
No-Tech AAC (no equipment needed)
This includes things like:
- Gestures and facial expressions e.g. nodding for yes, shaking your head for no, smiling, pointing.
- Body language e.g. reaching, looking, turning away.
- Key Word Sign or other signs e.g. pairing speech with signs to support understanding and expression.
Low-Tech or Light-Tech AAC
Low-tech AAC uses printed symbols or pictures and doesn’t need batteries or screens. Examples include:
- Picture cards for choices (“juice” or “water”)
- Visual schedules to show what’s coming next
- Communication books such as PODD (Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display)
- Core word boards with everyday words like go, more, stop, want, help
Low-tech AAC is flexible and can be personalised. It works anywhere, home, preschool, playground, car.
High-Tech AAC
High-tech AAC uses devices or apps that speak when words or symbols are selected. These can be:
- Apps on tablets (e.g., Proloquo2Go, TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life)
- Dedicated communication devices with built-in voices and symbol systems
There are also options for people with limited mobility or vision, such as:
- Eye-gaze systems, where the user selects words by looking at them
- Switch scanning, using a button or movement to choose symbols
- Custom displays with larger text or high contrast
High-tech AAC can open up rich communication for chatting, learning, and joining in conversations across all environments.
AAC and the Communication Bill of Rights
The Communication Bill of Rights (from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) reminds us that everyone has the right to communicate in whatever way works best for them.
AAC supports these rights by helping people:
- express preferences and feelings
- ask questions
- share information
- take part in everyday life and relationships
Every person deserves access to a reliable way to communicate.
Why AAC Matters
AAC is more than symbols or technology. It gives children access to language and a way to participate in the world.
Benefits include:
- Supporting language development through consistent, visual models
- Encouraging a variety of communication attempts (gestures, sounds, words, symbols)
- Allowing children to communicate for many purposes, not just requesting
- Enabling communication across people, places, and routines
- Reducing frustration and building confidence
Most young children with communication needs have limited ways to express themselves. AAC gives them access to words so they can request, protest, comment, ask, share, greet, and participate in social routines like saying “I love you” and “goodnight”.
AAC Builds Communication
AAC doesn’t stop speech. It can actually support it (read about other AAC myths here).
Just like we talk to babies before they can speak, we can model AAC before a child can use it on their own.
We build language through AAC, not before it.
As AssistiveWare says, “We don’t wait for someone to talk before giving them access to language – we model it so they can learn.”
At Speak Listen Learn
At Speak Listen Learn, we help families explore AAC in a natural, supportive way.
Our Speech Pathologists work with children and caregivers to find systems that suit their strengths and needs, whether that’s signs, picture boards, or a high-tech device.
AAC helps children communicate, connect, and thrive, and that’s something worth celebrating every day.
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