In the world of AAC, one of the most persistent—and harmful—myths is the idea that students should only have access to a small, limited set of vocabulary words. Sometimes this restriction comes from fear: fear that too many words will overwhelm the student, fear that they “aren’t ready,” or fear that adults won’t know how to teach a larger system. But when we limit vocabulary, we limit communication. And when we limit communication, we limit our students.

So, it’s worth asking: What are we afraid of?‍

We don’t restrict the words that speaking children hear or use. We don’t hide half the alphabet until they “prove” they can handle it. We don’t remove verbs from a toddler’s environment because they might not use them correctly. Yet for non-speaking or minimally speaking children, we often shrink their world of language down to a handful of nouns and hope that’s enough.

It isn’t.

Restricted Vocabulary Doesn’t Support Language Development

Language grows through exposure, access, and meaningful use. When a child only has access to a small set of nouns—ball, cookie, bathroom, swing—we’re not supporting language development. We’re supporting requesting. And while requesting is important, it’s only one tiny slice of communication. Children need words for commenting, protesting, asking questions, sharing ideas, telling stories, expressing feelings, and connecting with others.

When we restrict vocabulary, we unintentionally teach students that communication is about getting things, not expressing themselves. We also teach them that adults decide what they’re allowed to say. That’s not communication—that’s compliance.

Restricted Vocabulary Makes Modeling Nearly Impossible

Adults often say, “We’ll add more words later.” But here’s the problem: modeling requires access. If the vocabulary isn’t there, we can’t model it. And if we can’t model it, students can’t learn it. Adults need robust vocabulary just as much as students do. Without it, we’re stuck modeling singleword requests, which leads to single word requesting. It becomes a cycle that keeps students from developing the rich, flexible language they deserve.

The Type of Vocabulary Matters

Even when vocabulary is available, the type of vocabulary matters. A system overloaded with nouns is like a toolbox full of hammers—useful for one job, but not for building a whole house.

Students need:

• Core words (go, want, stop, look, help, make, turn)

• Descriptive words (big, slow, silly, hot, broken)

• Question words (who, what, where, why, how)

• Social words (hi, wait, again, cool, wow)

• Verbs (think, feel, try, need, like)

• Little words (and, but, because, if)

These are the words that allow students to participate in conversations, share ideas, and express themselves beyond basic needs. These are the words that build literacy. These are the words that support cognitive and linguistic growth. And again—speaking children hear these words from birth. We don’t wait until they “prove” they’re ready.

So why do we do this to AAC users?

What Are We Afraid Of?

Are we afraid students will press the “wrong” words?

Speaking children say the “wrong” words all the time. It’s part of learning.

Are we afraid the system will be too big?

Speaking children learn thousands of words by being immersed in them—not by having them hidden.

Are we afraid adults won’t know how to model?

Adults learn by doing. And they can’t do it without access.

Are we afraid of giving up control?

Communication is not something adults should control. It’s something children should own.

When we restrict vocabulary, we’re not protecting students—we’re protecting our comfort. And that’s not a good enough reason to limit a child’s voice.

Three Ways to Ensure Students Have Access to a Rich Vocabulary Set

1. Don’t Hide Buttons Indefinitely - Hiding buttons may feel like a way to “simplify” the system, but it often creates more problems than it solves. When buttons are hidden:

• Students can’t explore

• Adults can’t model

• Language opportunities disappear

• The system becomes inconsistent

Instead of hiding vocabulary longterm, consider:

• Temporarily masking a few buttons during a specific activity

• Using visual cues to guide attention

• Modeling only the target words while leaving the rest available

The goal is not to shrink the system—it’s to support the learner within a robust one.

2. Provide Access to Different Types of Words

A balanced AAC system includes core words, descriptive words, question words, social words, and verbs. These words allow students to comment (“That’s funny!”), ask (“Where is it?”), describe (“It’s yellow.”), share (“I like this.”) and connect (“Let’s play together.”). When students only have nouns, they can only label or request. When they have a full range of word types, they can participate. Nouns help students talk about things. Core and descriptive words help them talk about ideasand ideas are where real communication lives.

3. Give Opportunities to Use Words in Meaningful Ways—With Explicit Instruction

Modeling is essential, but modeling alone is not enough. Students need:

• Repetition with variety

• Guided practice

• Explicit teaching of new words

• Opportunities to use words during real activities

• Feedback that helps them grow

If we want students to use words for more than requesting, we must create situations where those words matter. That means building routines, lessons, and interactions where students canlearn, practice and use words in meaningful ways (e.g., ask questions, share opinions, negotiate, etc.).

When we give students access to a full, rich vocabulary set, we’re not overwhelming them—we’re empowering them. We’re telling them, “Your voice matters. Your ideas matter. You deserve the same linguistic opportunities as every other child.”

So, let’s stop being afraid of giving students too many words. Let’s be afraid of giving them too few.