AAChieve with Aspire

AAC is an acronym for Alternative and Augmentative Communication. People who use AAC may use their AAC system as a tool to support and clarify communication as well as a tool to develop and teach speech and language skills.

AAC can include gestures (e.g., waving hi), sign language (e.g., American Sign Language), picture symbols (e.g., PECS), or a speech generating device (e.g., tablet with a communication app). We actually all use AAC! Consider how often you may use pictures to support sharing a story with a friend or gestures to demonstrate your feelings during conversations.

No. Research shows that AAC does not stop children from learning how to talk, and in fact it has been proven to increase talking! AAC is often used as a bridge between not talking and learning how to talk. Just because your child is using a speech generating device (or talker) to support communication does not mean your speech-language pathologist is not working on speech development.

Your child may be appropriate for an AAC evaluation if: 

- Your child is 2-3 years old with fewer than 10 expressive words  

- Your child relies heavily on gestures (pointing, pulling you, etc.) instead of words to communicate

- You or your child feels frustrated by frequent misunderstandings or communication breakdowns 

- Your child is talking but their speech is unintelligible 

There are many reasons why an AAC system may not be helping your child communicate, and the Aspire team can help you figure out why and put you on a path to success! AAC users may be matched with a device that does not meet their needs or perhaps they are simply not motivated to use the AAC System. Aspire therapists have specialized training in AAC best practices and current research to ensure your child is set up for success. Here at Aspire, we make learning FUN and FUNCTIONAL. You and your child will learn how to use their AAC system and have fun doing it!

Yes, however, an evaluation with a specially trained AAC speech-language pathologist is highly recommended. The world of AAC is growing quickly and we are lucky to have access to so much technology! However, it is recommended that your child is assessed by a speech-language pathologist who will lead a detailed feature-match assessment to find an AAC system that will best match your child’s strengths and needs to ensure the best path to success. The last thing we want is for you to purchase something that causes frustration and confusion that leads to not using it or it’s not helping (see above)! Additionally, in many cases we can assist with finding funding to help with or cover the purchase of an appropriate system so you’re not paying out of pocket for something your child needs.