When your child uses Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), communication becomes a shared journey that you and your speech-language pathologist (SLP) take together. As SLPs, we bring knowledge about language development, motor planning, and AAC systems. But you bring something even more powerful: time, connection, and the everyday moments where communication truly comes alive.
Many families already recognize that an SLP only spends a limited amount of time with their child each week. Even with high-quality therapy, 45 minutes is only a small fraction of a child’s waking hours. The rest of the week, including meals, car rides, bath time, playtime, errands, and quiet moments, belongs to you. That is where the magic happens and where communication grows.
Below is a visual that helps put this into perspective, based on 12 waking hours per day:
This is why AAC therapy often focuses heavily on parent coaching. We are not just teaching your child, we are teaching you, because you are with them for thousands of minutes each week. When you learn how to model language on the device, wait for responses, expand utterances, and embed communication into daily routines, your child gets thousands of opportunities to practice instead of just a handful.
AAC becomes part of life, not just part of therapy.
Together, we build a communication environment where your child’s voice is heard everywhere, not only in the therapy room. This partnership turns an AAC system into a true pathway for connection and independence.
