One of the most overlooked—and most critically important—roles of AAC is its power to develop language, not merely replace speech.
We’ve all seen it: an adult places their hand over a student’s hand to guide them to a button or symbol on their AAC device. It looks supportive—but in reality, it’s taking away the most important part of communication: agency.
You’ve seen it happen. You’ve done it. (We all have.) You’re modeling AAC for a student, feeling proud of yourself for giving space and not demanding a response… and then the silence stretches. A long, awkward silence. Suddenly your inner teacher/therapist alarm goes off: “Something must be said!”
In classrooms where communication takes many forms, the best teaching strategy isn’t always a device, a visual, or a verbal cue—it’s a pause.
As members of the DTA Schools team, we’ve had the privilege of helping educators, therapists, and families use the DAGG-3 (Dynamic AAC Goals Grid, Version 3) to guide communication assessment and goal setting.
