If you’ve been in this work long enough, you start to notice a pattern.

It’s not just the students who are learning something new.
It’s everyone around them.

And what we’re really asking—of students, families, teachers, SLPs, paraprofessionals—is not small.

What We’re Actually Asking People to Do

When AAC is introduced, we’re asking people to trust something that doesn’t work right away and keep going without clear feedback that it’s “working.” We’re asking them to do something that looks different from what everyone else is doing, to make mistakes (often in front of other people), and to stay with it long enough to see progress.

That’s uncomfortable. For everyone.

And unlike a lot of other things we learn, there’s no quick payoff. It’s slow. It’s uneven. It’s messy.

The Part No One Warns You About

There’s a stretch in the middle where things don’t look good.

The device is there, but not used consistently. People are trying, but not always together. Modeling feels awkward. The student isn’t responding in obvious ways yet.

This is the point where people start to get discouraged. It’s also the point where people start explaining why it’s not working.

(And by the way, this is the reality of EVERY new skill you learn, from teaching to tennis, and everything in between, there’s ALWAYS a messy part!)

The Blame Loop

I’ve seen this in just about every setting.

The school says the parents aren’t carrying it over. The parents say the school isn’t using it enough. The teacher thinks it’s the SLP’s job. The SLP thinks it needs to happen all day in the classroom. Someone didn’t charge the device. Someone didn’t take it out of the backpack. Someone didn’t model.

There is always a reason. And usually, there’s some truth in all of it.

But if the default response is to look at what someone else didn’t do, the system never gets better. It just stalls.

The Other Set of Explanations

Then there are the bigger conclusions.

“It was the wrong system.”
“They have too many challenges—attention, memory, behavior.”
“They’re just not ready.”

“The teachers won’t do it (or SLPs, parents….)

“Students in OUR district just aren’t ready.” (Yes, that was an actual quote.)

Sometimes systems aren’t a good match. That’s real. That’s why we involve teams, not just one person, in decision-making. That’s why we trial options and make sure families understand what they’re choosing.

But even when the system is a good fit, it still requires consistent use to work. And that’s where things tend to fall apart.

This Is Where Resilience Matters

Resilience isn’t about pushing harder or staying positive.

It’s quieter than that.

It’s staying with it when it feels slow. It’s noticing really small progress. It’s being willing to look at your own role in what’s not working and trying again the next day.

It’s also being okay with not being good at something yet.

Because no one is good at AAC at the beginning. Not the student. Not the adults.

If We Expect It, We Have to Model It

One of the most helpful things we can do is let people see us figure it out in real time.

“I thought ‘zebra’ would be under pets… it’s not. Let me check animals.”
“I can’t find it—I’m going to use search.”
“That didn’t work. Let me try a different way.”

That matters more than getting it right the first time.

Because it shows that mistakes are part of the process—and that you can recover and keep going without stopping everything.

It Might Look Worse Before It Looks Better

This is the part I wish more people said out loud.

There are points where AAC use can look less efficient. More pauses. More searching. More visible errors.

That’s not failure. That’s learning.

If no one expects that, it’s easy to assume something is wrong and pull back right when things are starting to shift.

What Actually Helps

The things that make the biggest difference are usually the simplest.

Make sure the device is charged, out of the backpack, and available all day. Tie AAC use to real routines instead of vague expectations. Keep the goals small enough that people can actually follow through. Say out loud that this is hard, because it is.

And don’t ignore the habit piece. This isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about behavior change. Most adults already understand how hard it is to build a new habit, whether that’s exercise, budgeting, or just taking time for themselves. AAC is no different.

The Bottom Line

AAC doesn’t fail because people don’t care.

It struggles when:

• the work is harder than expected
• progress is slower than expected
• and no one has been prepared for either

Resilience is what bridges that gap.

And resilience isn’t something people either “have” or “don’t have.”
It’s something we can build—by how we frame the work, how we model the process, and how we support each other through the messy middle.

Because when people stay in it long enough—
with the right supports, shared responsibility, and realistic expectations—

it works.

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