Oftentimes as therapists, we are taught to think AAC use is limited to students with severe communication deficits that generally do not communicate verbally. However, more and more we are finding ways to use AAC as supplementation even for students with less severe needs for both language and articulation therapy! Specifically, there are a handful of ways to target vocabulary development using AAC.
Learn Your Animal Names
One way to use AAC to support articulation and language therapy at the same time is by using animals! By selecting the “animals” button, students can work on identifying common animals in a large field, and once selected, are given a model for how to produce the target word. With shorter animal words (like “dog, cat, fish, etc.) students can work on CVC, final consonant deletion, etc. Going a step further, students can also work on environmental sounds—either identifying the source or producing the sounds themselves.
Express Your Emotions
Many students struggle with labeling emotions, and oftentimes because their vocabulary is limited to more frequently used words like “happy, sad, mad”. To expand beyond these three adjectives, students can use AAC for a large word bank! Granted, some of these words may be di=icult to read for younger students, which is why an AAC can be so beneficial. Both the button’s images and the auditory feedback students get when selecting a button makes it easier for even younger students to participate. While reading a story, students can go back to the AAC to match the character’s facial expressions from the book to a button, simultaneously using AAC for general language therapy.
Let’s Describe: Qualitative/Quantitative Concepts
Qualitative and quantitative concepts can be difficult to understand, especially without a visual field for reference. Similarly to how we used AAC to discuss emotions, it can also be applied to prepositions, spatial concepts, and even adjectives. For example, giving students a large auditory field when identifying prepositions may not always be as effective. Instead, providing them with both the visual and auditory fields on an AAC can make it easier to recall, especially for students with auditory memory deficits.
Answering Questions
AAC can be especially helpful with teaching kids to respond reliably to yes and no questions. Generally, the issue for students is first understanding these words are not synonymous and they have different results. The visual feedback of green “YES” and a red “NO” helps students identify the di=erence between the meanings. Similarly, playing the “Stop and Go” game using red and green lights helps further this idea. The red word “no” is associated to something not being right or ending. Rather the green “yes” is associated with being correct or continuing. AAC can help visualize these concepts and make them more concrete.
Generally, these yes/no questions are considered ‘close-ended’, meaning the response requires only a yes/no and does not really leave room for continuing a conversation. However, we can expand and make these yes/no questions ‘open-ended’ by adding WH-questions (e.g. “Who?” “Where?”) as a follow up! This will encourage language development and allow the student to share their own personal thoughts/feelings on the subject. For example, we can ask, “Did you eat lunch?” and then follow up that question with “What did you eat for lunch?”. For more information, please visit our Partner Strategy Kit on “Beyond Yes & No” on YouTube!
It is time for therapists to step out of the box where AAC is limited to a small group of people with a very specific need and extend this wonderful resource for other students who we may have never expected could benefit. AAC can be a fun, new way to target vocabulary development for kids with all kinds of needs. This can make sessions more interactive and generalizable for everyone!
