AAC Systems include everything from communication books, engineered classrooms, Picture Exchange System to robust, high tech communication device. One thing they all have in common is the NEED to be customized to include important words and messages for your specific student! We have a few tools to help you with this.

Our School Word List will help you organize a list of words that are pertinent to the classroom and school. You’ll want to be sure these words/symbols are accessible in your classroom. You can customize your student’s communication device or book with these symbols, and you can display these symbols in strategic locations around your room. For example, if your classroom talks about the weather, you might put symbols for the different weather options (“sunny,” “rainy,” “cold” etc.) on the window. If you talk about lunch options, you might put symbols for these choices on a board on the back of a lunch tray, or on a classroom display, “What’s for lunch at Pine Mountain Elementary!” This ensures that at any time, your student can communicate these words/messages. We all know our students learn to communicate primarily at home though!

The Home Word List gives you a worksheet to send home with your students so you can make sure they have access to important words from home, like photos and names of family, friends and favorite outings.

Don't forget to request photos of favorite people and places. You can also use Google Image Searches to download high quality images of toys, leisure items, public places and foods.

You will need to decide who is the responsible person for overseeing the customization of the device. Be sure someone accepts responsibility for making sure it's done, and that the words are placed where they belong in the overall language organization of the system. Make sure all the important words aren't simply placed on the Main/Home page! Students need to learn where words "live" on their system so that they have room for all the words and messages they need!

For high tech communication devices, or applications on tablets, check the manufacturer's website for tutorials on specific customization of these tools!

You can find even more training on our Training Website!