There are so many options for supporting a student’s communication skills that it can be confusing to know where to start. And it’s fair to say that all AAC devices, programs and equipment are not created equally.  So how do we know we have given our student everything they need? Do we start out with very simple options and build, or do we provide  more complex systems which can be simplified and taught?

Even though it is tempting to give students access to extremely simple communication options- such a a single message button to say “Hello” or a 3 button board to say “eat, drink and potty.” you will find, and research supports, that such simple supports not only do NOT meet a student’s needs to communicate, they don’t even encourage them to WANT to communicate.  

Simple solutions may help students say what WE want them to say, but they rarely allow the student to say what THEY want to say.  And that’s the point, isn’tit?  Communication is about saying what we want to say, and true communication means telling someone something they don’t already know.  Simplistic communication supports ARE part of the puzzle, ones that you will have readily available when needed,  but only a very small part of true communication development, even for students who are just beginning to learn by watching us.

A single message button, simply won’t do.And so we need to explore more Robust AAC Solutions!

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