What is AAC?

AAC or ‘Augmentative and Alternative Communication’ is a way to communicate using ways other than verbal speech. This can mean using pictures that represent objects/places/people/actions, typing in words with speech output or using technology to help get a message across.

How can AAC help my child?

Personal: AAC is flexible, customizable, functional and grows with your child’s needs. Some children
may use a type of AAC if they are not talking at all, others may use it to help make their message clearer or
extend their sentences to give more information.

Functional: AAC can help reduce frustrations when a child has lots to say… but doesn’t yet have the skills to get that message out.

Social: AAC can have a big impact on socialization. A child could use a speech-generating device to say ‘hi’ to a peer, they could ask ‘what’s your name’ and reply with ‘my name is…’. Social skills grow rapidly in the early years and AAC can support a child with limited speech to express themselves to others, encouraging
communications and friendships.

At school: AAC will assist a child’s learning. It can help develop literacy skills, using correct grammar and
increasing length of sentences. It is amazing how fun storytelling can be with AAC!

Some fun ideas to encourage communication at Halloween