AAC Basics

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      • What does AAC mean?

      • How does AAC use affect my child's oral speech development?

      • The Three Most Important Things to Know about AAC

      AAC Video Lessons

      • Inspire; Don't Require:

        This , and , and this , demonstrate how to help a child learn their communication device, without constantly making demands that might make them prompt-dependent and interfere with their spontaneous communication.

         

        has one short video or activity each day to guide you through an essential concept in helping your child or student become a competent, confident AAC user.  Learning to use AAC really is different in many ways than other methods of communication, so it takes some specialized instruction, and the more everyone around the AAC user is "on board," the faster and more easily and joyfully they can learn.

        The links below will take you to the first three short lessons.  Or you can skip ahead to any lesson you want to try.  Each is a few minutes long, and has lots of links to video examples and teaching materials.

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

         

        demonstrate how to use an AAC system effectively with your child or student.  There are many short videos on a variety of topics.  You can also work your way through their , where you'll learn important techniques about AAC in a step-by-step program.  It's excellent, and free.

      In Our Classroom We Do AAC!

      • AAC Classroom Commandments

        1. Make AAC tools always available - within arms' reach.

        2. Use other communication and visual supports around the room (never rely on only one tool).

        3. Model - Point to words on AAC as you speak.  

        4. Core word vocabulary displays are accessible and used by multiple people. 

        5. Teach core words, fringe and the alphabet on AAC.  

        6. Make communication meaningful, engaging and motivating.

        7. Use some verbal and gestural prompts, but not full physical prompts (no hand over hand).

        8. Pause and allow wait time. (Don't repeat prompts before waiting.)

        9. Support students to communicate for a wide variety of reasons beyond requesting. 

        10.  Teach ways to complain, protest, and express opinions and personality!

         


        Adapted from Beenleigh Special School 2019 

         

      AAC Downloads

      Common Mistakes

      •  'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.'  

        —Maya Angelou 

        We all learn as we go, and here are some common mistakes in AAC teaching practices:

        • Focusing on "I want ___."  Watch to learn why this is not best practice.
        • Asking questions for the AAC User to answer.  (Instead, talk about what is happening.)
        • Using hand-over-hand prompts.  .  And .
        • Teaching only requests
        • Allowing the communication device to be out of reach because the student "is not interested" or perseverates on a word or phrase