How I Explain AAC to a New Communication Partner

This blog post is the third in a series on how to introduce AAC support in the classroom. Don’t miss the previous post on Preparing Your Classroom for AAC: Three Must-Do’s for Teachers!

Once you’ve learned about AAC yourself, how do you distill all of that information and explain it to someone else? This is a big challenge for parents, teachers, SLPs, and AAC Specialists alike. When I do an introductory session for a new communication partner, here is the simple formula I use to help me remember what to include: device + strategies + confidence. 

The Device

The first thing the new communication partner will probably want to know about is how the AAC device works. For low-tech devices, I focus on the layout. This includes any color-coding, the organization of the pages, and where and how to add new words (for example, on the list pages in PODD books). 

For high-tech devices, I start with the hardware including how to turn it on, how to adjust the volume, and most importantly, how to do a hard reset. For iPads, we talk about guided access if that applies to the user. Next, we discuss the AAC software. I go over the general layout, what the color-coding means, how to navigate the folders, and where to access a “find word” or “search” feature if available. I also talk about special features, like word prediction and “lock page” in TouchChat, or “long press” in Proloquo2go. I don’t start with teaching people how to edit the device vocabulary. Instead, I usually ask them to send me a list of words they’d like added, so they can focus on modeling first! 

AAC Strategies

There are so many great lists of strategies for communication partners, such as Model As a MASTER PAL. If you have the time for multiple meetings then definitely go over a longer list of strategies. But what if this is your one and only chance to train someone? In that case, I have found that limiting myself to only the essential strategies works best. My top three are: keeping the device available at all times, modeling without expectations, and avoiding prompting. Overall, what I want to convey is that we are communication partners with the child, not communication teachers. 

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Build Confidence

New communication partners are often nervous, although they may not say so! They may be worried they will somehow “break” the device, or it may seem visually overwhelming, or modeling may feel silly at first. It’s important to be supportive, and to try to uncover those concerns by asking how they are feeling, and if they can foresee any obstacles to using the device. My favorite question to ask is, “What’s the first activity you’d like to try this with?” because this helps them stay focused on building their skills one step at a time. 

Another great way to support new communication partners is to make sure they have access to AAC to model on. This is just one of the “Top 5 Reasons We Should Put AAC Everywhere!” and you can read all about it in the next post of this series!