The DTA Blog

When we think about helping our children learn to use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, it’s easy to picture a structured activity: sitting at the table, focusing hard, and practicing words. But that’s not how communication develops for most children, and it’s not how AAC learning works best either.

I watched Project Hail Mary recently, and because I spend most of my days thinking about communication, I found myself watching it through that lens.

Science class offers a uniquely rich opportunity for language learning. Science experiments are active, sensory, and filled with curiosity.

If we want students to become proficient communicators with AAC, they need to see other people communicating with AAC. Teachers, paraprofessionals, SLPs and other communication partners need opportunities to learn the systems our students are learning.

When a student who uses AAC joins a classroom—whether they’re brand-new to the school, transitioning between grades, or beginning a new communication system—the first days matter.

We’ve added and updated a lot of materials this year, and we know that sometimes the challenge isn’t having resources…it’s finding the right one when you need it. T