October is AAC Awareness Month, a time to celebrate the many ways people communicate beyond spoken words. AAC—augmentative and alternative communication—includes gestures, facial expressions, sign language, picture boards, alphabet boards, tablets, and speech-generating devices.
AAC is not a “last resort,” a reward for trying hard enough to speak, or a shiny electronic object that lives permanently in a backpack. It is access to language, connection, choice, learning, humor, self-advocacy, and the absolutely essential ability to say, “No,” when someone offers you an unwanted bite of casserole.
Why AAC Matters
For people who cannot consistently rely on speech to be understood, AAC can supplement or compensate for speech-language difficulties and support communication at home, school, in healthcare, and in the community. It gives people ways to request, reject, greet, ask questions, comment, tell stories, share opinions, advocate for themselves, and participate in relationships.
That last part matters. Every child deserves more than a way to request crackers or ask for a favorite video. They deserve language for “That was funny,” “I am worried,” “I changed my mind,” “Leave me alone,” “Tell me more,” and “My sibling is being extremely suspicious.”
AAC can also reduce frustration by making communication more available in the moment. When a child has thoughts, needs, jokes, questions, and big feelings but does not yet have a reliable way to express them, communication breakdowns can pile up quickly. AAC helps build a bridge between what a person wants to say and the people who need to listen.
AAC Is Not Anti-Speech
One of the most persistent myths about AAC is that it will prevent a child from talking. The evidence says otherwise: AAC can support, and in some cases increase, spoken-language development when used as part of a multimodal communication approach.
Think of AAC as adding ramps, not removing stairs. If spoken language is available and useful, great—use it. If speech is hard to access, inconsistent, tiring, unclear, or unavailable in a particular moment, AAC offers another route.
A child does not need to choose between speaking and using AAC. Most people already communicate in multiple ways: talking, pointing, texting, waving, typing, using facial expressions, and occasionally communicating an entire paragraph through one very dramatic sigh. AAC users deserve the same flexibility.
“But Are They Ready?”
The short answer is this: access comes before mastery.
Children do not need to prove that they are “ready” for AAC by demonstrating prerequisite skills such as matching pictures, sitting still, making eye contact, understanding every symbol, or producing a certain number of spoken words. ASHA recommends considering AAC as early as possible when communication needs are present, and early AAC exposure can support language development and vocabulary growth.
We do not wait until a child can read before surrounding them with books. We do not wait until a child can cook before letting them into the kitchen. Similarly, we should not wait until a child has mastered communication before giving them access to communication tools.
What Counts as AAC?
AAC is much broader than a tablet with a voice. People may use one communication method or a combination of methods, depending on the setting, their access needs, and what they want to say.
- Unaided AAC: Communication that does not require materials or technology.
- Examples include gestures, pointing, facial expressions, body language, signs, eye gaze, vocalizations, and meaningful movements.
- These forms can be quick, natural, and available anywhere.
- Low-tech AAC: Communication tools that do not require batteries or charging.
- Examples include picture boards, core-word boards, visual schedules, communication books, paper-based choice boards, alphabet boards, and written messages.
- Low-tech options are useful backups for high-tech systems and can be especially helpful during water play, travel, technology problems, or the dreaded “device battery at 2 percent” moment.
- High-tech AAC: Electronic tools that may produce spoken messages.
- Examples include speech-generating devices, tablets with AAC apps, dedicated communication devices, keyboard-based systems, and eye-gaze systems.
- These systems can offer extensive vocabulary, personalized messages, voice output, literacy supports, and flexible ways to communicate across settings.
- Multimodal communication: Using more than one communication method.
- A child may speak, gesture, sign, point to pictures, type, and use a device—all in the same day or even the same conversation.
- This is not confusion; it is communication flexibility. Most people already communicate this way when they talk, text, point, wave, and use facial expressions.
- AAC supports receptive language as well as expression.
- Visual supports, symbols, schedules, and modeled words can help children understand routines, directions, choices, new vocabulary, and expectations.
- Seeing and hearing language together can make communication more accessible.
- AAC for expressive language: AAC gives people ways to share their own messages.
- It can support requesting, refusing, commenting, asking questions, telling stories, participating in class, and connecting with others.
- The goal isn’t simply for a child to press buttons correctly; it’s for them to communicate authentically.
- AAC for literacy: Robust AAC systems can support reading and writing.
- Access to letters, words, symbols, and language patterns can help children participate in literacy activities.
- Children who use AAC deserve opportunities to explore books, write messages, spell words, and develop their own voice on the page and through speech.
- AAC for self-advocacy: AAC can help people communicate needs, preferences, boundaries, and rights.
- Useful messages include “I need a break,” “Please give me more time,” “I do not understand,” “Talk to me,” and “I said no.”
- Self-advocacy is not an extra feature; it is one of the most important reasons communication access matters.
AAC can support language, literacy, participation, and communicative competence when communication partners consistently provide it and model it.
Beyond “I Want”
Requesting is useful. Everyone should be able to ask for food, toys, breaks, music, and help. But if AAC is only used for requests, it can become the communication equivalent of being handed a restaurant menu and told you may only order water.
Robust AAC should also support:
- Protesting: “Stop,” “No,” “Not that,” “I don’t like it”
- Social connection: “Hi,” “Look,” “Guess what,” “That’s silly”
- Sharing opinions: “Awesome,” “Boring,” “Gross,” “I disagree”
- Asking questions: “Where?” “Why?” “What happened?”
- Learning: Answering, commenting, retelling, predicting, and participating in class
- Self-advocacy: “I need more time,” “I do not understand,” “Please talk to me, not about me”
- Emotional expression: “I’m nervous,” “I’m excited,” “I’m angry,” “I need a break”
- Personality: Humor, sarcasm, storytelling, strong preferences, and perfectly timed side-eye
Communication isn’t just about meeting needs. It is about being known.
What Parents Can Do
Parents do not need to become AAC experts overnight. In fact, most effective AAC support happens through ordinary, repeated moments—not formal drills, flashcards, or lengthy “Say this before you get the cookie” negotiations.
Model, Don’t Quiz
Use the child’s communication system while you speak. This is often called aided language input or AAC modeling.
If you are saying, “Let’s go outside,” touch or select “go” and “outside” on the AAC system. If you are saying, “Wow, that was funny,” model “funny.” If your child looks like they are plotting to throw their broccoli, you might model “no,” “all done,” or “yucky.”
You do not need to model every word in a sentence. Start with one or two meaningful words, then build over time.
Keep It Available
AAC cannot help if it is in the car, in a closet, charging in another room, or tucked safely away “so it does not get lost.” Keep the device or communication board available throughout the day, including during play, meals, schoolwork, outings, and conversations.
A device is not a reward. It is not something a child earns after “good behavior.” It is their voice.
Honor Every Communication Attempt
Watch for gestures, body movements, signs, facial expressions, vocalizations, eye gaze, typed messages, pictures, and device selections. Respond as though the child’s communication matters—because it does.
If a child pushes something away, pauses, reaches, looks toward an item, or uses a repeated sound, treat it as meaningful. You can respond and model language: “You said no,” “You want more,” “You are looking at the bubbles,” or “You need help.”
Give Time
AAC communication often takes longer than speech. After asking a question or making a comment, pause. Resist the urge to fill the silence immediately.
A helpful rule of thumb: say less, wait more, and give the child a chance to respond in their own way. The pause may feel long, but it creates space for communication instead of accidentally finishing every thought for them.
Include AAC in Real Life
Use AAC where life actually happens:
- At breakfast: “More,” “all done,” “hot,” “banana,” “help”
- During play: “Go,” “again,” “big,” “funny,” “my turn”
- At the store: “Look,” “want,” “not that,” “where?”
- At bedtime: “Book,” “tired,” “one more,” “tomorrow”
- During hard moments: “Break,” “stop,” “help,” “mad,” “quiet”
The goal is not perfect performance. The goal is repeated access to meaningful language.
Resources for Parents
Below are 15 resources parents can explore. Some offer research and professional guidance; others provide practical ideas, advocacy tools, device support, or family-centered learning.
1. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA’s AAC practice portal explains what AAC is, who may benefit, and why people with communication needs should consider AAC early. It also highlights AAC’s potential role in language, literacy, and participation in communication.
2. ASHA Early Intervention AAC Resources
This resource is especially helpful for families of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It explains that families can introduce AAC early and that it does not hinder speech development.
3. HealthyChildren.org from the American Academy of Pediatrics
The AAP’s parent-facing AAC guide explains that AAC can be used at any age, including infancy and toddlerhood, and encourages families to consult experienced SLPs and early-intervention providers.
CommunicationFIRST centers communication access as a civil-rights issue and advocates for the autonomy, dignity, and rights of people who cannot rely on speech alone.
5. CommunicationFIRST Resource Library
Families can explore materials on communication rights, accessible participation, advocacy, and practical guidance from AAC users and allies.
6. International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC)
ISAAC offers international AAC information, awareness materials, and opportunities to learn from AAC users, families, researchers, and professionals. AAC Awareness Month has been internationally recognized each October since 2007.
7. United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC)
USSAAC connects families and professionals to advocacy, awareness efforts, training, and AAC-focused events. It is a useful starting point for finding national AAC community resources.
The AAC Institute provides education, research, and training related to AAC assessment and implementation. Families may find its materials helpful when considering long-term communication support and participation.
AssistiveWare offers practical AAC education, videos, articles, and parent-friendly strategies for modeling language and supporting communication in everyday routines.
10. PRC-Saltillo
PRC-Saltillo provides training, implementation resources, device information, and support materials for families and schools using robust AAC systems.
11. Tobii Dynavox Learning Hub
Families can find webinars, activities, training resources, and practical supports related to speech-generating devices, literacy, and AAC access.
12. PrAACtical AAC
PrAACtical AAC shares articles, implementation strategies, and free resources that help communication partners move beyond simple requesting toward richer language use.
This resource is particularly useful for families interested in robust AAC, literacy, vocabulary access, and supporting language beyond basic choice-making.
14. Closing the Gap
Closing the Gap offers information about assistive technology, AAC tools, webinars, and products. It can help families compare technology options or learn about broader access supports.
15. A Local AAC-Specialized Speech-Language Pathologist or AAC Team
A knowledgeable speech-language pathologist can help identify communication strengths, evaluate access needs, trial systems, train communication partners, and collaborate with schools. The AAP specifically recommends consulting professionals with AAC experience when a child is having difficulty communicating.
Questions to Ask a Team
When talking with a Speech-Language Pathologist, school team, early-intervention provider, or AAC consultant, parents may find these questions useful:
- What communication strengths is my child already showing?
- What does my child need to communicate that they cannot reliably communicate now?
- Can we trial more than one AAC option?
- Does the system include words for commenting, protesting, asking questions, socializing, and learning—not only requesting?
- How will my child access the system: touch, eye gaze, switches, keyguard, partner-assisted scanning, or another method?
- How will adults model and support AAC at home and school?
- What vocabulary will be available for classroom learning, play, routines, and relationships?
- How will AAC support literacy development?
- What happens if the device is damaged, lost, or not available?
- How will we measure progress without limiting communication to a checklist of requests?
These questions shift the conversation from “Can they use it?” to the more important question: “What supports will help them communicate most effectively?”
A Better Way to Think About AAC
AAC is not a test of intelligence. It doesn’t prove that someone has “failed” at speech. It is not an obstacle to connection.
AAC is a tool for access.
It gives a child more ways to say what they think, feel, know, want, reject, remember, imagine, and dream. It gives families more chances to hear their child’s personality. It gives educators more ways to include a student in real learning. It gives communities a chance to listen better.
This AAC Awareness Month, let’s make one commitment: keep communication available, presume competence, model real language, and remember that every person has something worth saying.
