Typical language development consists of parents, family members, and professionals talking to babies for almost a whole year before anyone expects them to produce words. We often put augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and AAC devices in front of a child and expect them to functionally use it right away. We need to use AAC systems and devices alongside our children by learning the language and modeling the language on these systems throughout the day, just as we would with babies.
Initial Steps
Let’s break down initial steps for implementing a new AAC system and AAC device in the home environment!
- Have it out every day and make sure it travels with you from room to room. This is a very simple but meaningful step!
- Let your child explore the words on their device; don’t stop them from doing this! Just as babies explore and experience sounds while learning language, emerging AAC users explore the vocabulary within their devices to learn their new language system.
- Make communication fun and a no pressure situation!
- a) Choose preferred, motivating, and no stress activities to begin. This could be during play, meal times, at the playground, etc.
- b) Do not force your child to use the device right away.
Fun Activities to Begin With!
- Play
- Meal time/cooking
- Playground/backyard
- Reading books
- Watching TV and movies
When modeling language during these activities, it is recommended that you teach by accessing the buttons/language within the systems yourselves, and then pairing the voice output from the device with your voice/production of the target word/phrase.
Words and Phrases to Model
Let’s think of some initial words and phrases to model during the previously mentioned motivating activities! There are great to add to your AAC Device
- Target play activity: Cars
- a) “Play car”
- b) “Go”
- c) “Stop”
- d) “Push car”
- e) “Go fast”
- f) “Go slow”
- Meal time/cooking
- a) “Eat”
- b) “Eat+food”
- c) “Eat more”
- d) “Hungry”
- e) “Drink”
- f) “Drink+specific drink”
- g) “Thirsty”
- h) “I like”
- i) “Don’t Want”
- j) “Help”
- k) “Help Me”
- Playground
- a) “Push”
- b) “Push Me”
- c) “Climb”
- d) “Go up”
- e) “Go down”
- Reading books
- a) “Read book”
- b) “Turn”
- c) “Turn page”
- d) “Look”
- Watching TV/Movies
- a) “Watch”
- b) “Turn on”
- c) “Turn off”
Motivate The Desire To Communicate
It is okay to keep initial target words and phrases simple during the introduction of modeling language on a new system within your home! The goal is to MOTIVATE THE DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE!
Contact the pediatric specialists if you have any questions or to have an assessment with one of our speech and language pathologists at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center. We can be reached at 773-687-9241 today!
Chicago Therapeutic Children’s Academy welcomes students of all different communication levels and has a plethora of different options for AAC devices. Click the link to learn more about our state of the art children’s academy.
