Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC): What is it?

So what is AAC anyway?

Alternative/augmentative communication devices (also known as AAC devices) are a frequently recommended modality to support many different types of communicators. While communication devices can benefit any child, they are often recommended for children that do not yet produce verbal speech, have some words but their verbal speech is not commensurate to their developmental age or for children that verbally speak but are difficult to understand due to oral-motor weakness.

Will it hinder speech?

When I first recommend a communication device for a child, I often hear questions such as: “But won’t it be a crutch?” and “Will it stop my child from learning to speak?”. I first want to emphasize that your concerns are valid and I am glad you’re asking questions! I understand that when you first sought out speech-language services for your child, you were likely not imaging a device as a communication recommendation. I am here as a resource to guide you through this process.

With that being said: no, devices will not hinder your child’s speech and language development. In fact– just the opposite! Years of research, as well as personal experiences that I have observed, show AAC devices support and promote communication. For some children, this also means an increase in verbal speech production. The overall goal of a device is simple: I want your child to have a means to communicate while their verbal speech is catching up.

How does it help?

For children with speech-language difficulties, auditory input alone can be difficult to assist with learning verbal speech and overall communication. It takes a lot of work for a child with executive functioning difficulties (such as difficulty with memory recall) to identify and verbally produce a word without a visual aid. That’s where devices and visual supports come in. Devices provide auditory, visual and at times, physical sensory experiences to have them learn and understand what a word means and the power behind it. A visual support aids in memory recall, because they recognize the picture and the experience(s) that occurred when they touched that picture symbol. Overtime, as a child is continuously exposed to a word over, and over again, this helps support their ability to learn language and eventually speak it!

I hope this article helped alleviate as well as clarify some concerns you had with considering an AAC device for your child. I personally can't convey enough the communicative gains I've seen in my clients over the years. It's like watching magic happen!

Warm regards,

Lynda Rahman

Speech-Language Pathologist, M.S., CCC-SLP