We can’t let this month go by without addressing a topic near and dear to our little SLP hearts…AAC of course! October is AAC Awareness Month, so it is a great time for us to dive right into this topic! If you are unfamiliar with this branch of our field, have no fear! Your friendly neighborhood SLPs are here to help.
What is AAC anyway?
This acronym stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. The augmentative portion covers any strategy or material used to enhance someone’s communication. The alternative portion of the title refers to any tool used to replace speech. So AAC is actually a very broad term when one considers all the different materials and techniques that are available to help people communicate. We couldn’t possibly cover them all in one blog post, so instead we will revisit the original question…Your child just got an AAC device. Now what? Below you’ll find five useful tips to help you infuse AAC into your life and boost your child’s communication!
- Access, access, access!
It is best to view the device like it is your child’s voice. Where do you need to have access to your voice? Everywhere! Right?! The same is true for your child. If they have something to express, it will be pretty hard to do so if their device was left at home or in the car. Allowing them access to communication at all times sends the message that their voice is important and you want to help them express themselves. It also sets the expectation that they can and should use their voice everywhere.
- Show AND Tell
Telling your kiddo to use their device isn’t quite enough to boost their progress. The best way to increase communication skills is to model using the device yourself. When young children learn to speak, they hear thousands of words a day. When children first get a device, we tend to give it to them and expect them to know how to use it. By showing them how to use core vocabulary across all the settings they encounter, they will have a better understanding of how to ask for what they want.
- No words? No Problem!
When parents are faced with using the device to provide a model for their kiddos, it easily can seem overwhelming and frustrating. We promise the task isn’t as daunting as it seems if you remember one important thing:
You don’t need to use the device to say everything!
It is perfectly fine to select one symbol to embed in the rest of your spoken sentence. For example, as you are leaving the house, simply say, “It’s time to… (use the device to select the go symbol).” Once you realize that you only need to use one symbol with the rest of your spoken sentence, it becomes so much easier to infuse device use into your everyday life! Here are some examples! (The italicized word represents the symbol you select in the device.)
- Time to go!
- I want to eat.
- Let’s play more.
- I want water.
- Let’s turn the lights on.
- Motivation Matters
Everyone has different things that motivate them right? Children are no different. So when you are trying to help your child use their device, remember to engage with them in the activities that they are most motivated to participate in. This might not be the time to bust out school work or educational tasks. Instead try helping them request their favorite snack or play a game they really enjoy. You’ll get far less pushback and the whole experience will be a more positive one instead of a frustrating task for all! The next time you try to infuse AAC into your daily routine, it will also be easier because your kiddo won’t dread using the device.
- Patience and Persistence
The last tip is an important one. Remember to be patient with your child and yourself. They are most likely used to several years of communicating differently in their home setting. The new communication demands can be overwhelming for everyone and it’s important to remember the old saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” But as important as it is to be patient, it’s equally important to be persistent. Even if you get some resistance, it’s crucial to keep consistently providing communication opportunities with your new AAC device. If your child resists, and then you avoid the device for a few days, you’ll have taught them that this method works and communication is optional instead of necessary. So give yourself some grace as you undertake this new task and know your friendly neighborhood SLPs at Project Speech are here to support you and your child in your communication journey!