AAC Apps and How to Use Them

Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC) allows a child who can’t speak to let us know what they want or need.

It reduces frustration and increases communication.

And with smart devices being so readily available, AAC apps make it even easier to access these tools!

I’m speech-language pathologist Carrie Clark and on today’s episode of The Speech and Language Kids Podcast, I’ll be telling you about a few of my favorite AAC apps and showing you how to use them to support a child who is struggling to speak.

Listen to the Podcast Here

You can listen to the full podcast episode below:

Ok I’ll admit that I haven’t tried every AAC app out there so I’m sure I’m missing some.

But here are a few of my favorites based on the ones I’ve gotten my hands on:

• Grid AAC by SmartBox

• TouchChat AAC by Saltillo

• Proloquo2Go by AssistiveWare

• Avaz AAC App by Avaz Inc.

• Sonoflex by Tobii Dynavox

I know, I just gave you several choices and didn’t rank them.

But here’s the thing…

The best AAC app…

….is the one you have access to!

In all honesty, these AAC apps will all have the same basic features.

Yes, some may have a feature that you like more than others.

Or a look that appeals to you/the child more.

But they’re all basically the same.

So go with the one that you can access!

Price, device type, and other factors may impact what you can get your hands on.

So try not to get too hung up on which one is best and just grab one to get started.

And if they have a free trial or version, even better!

If you have access to a speech-language pathologist who has experience in the different platforms, you can have that person recommend a specific app as well.

I’ve reviewed the features of some of these AAC apps here.

So let’s dive into how to use these apps to help children!

The idea is that the child will be able to push a button to tell you what they want or need if they can’t speak their message in a way that is understood by others.

How does this help?

• It reduces frustration
• It bypasses intelligibility or motor planning issues
• It gives children a way to practice and learn language skills until their mouths catch up

And no, research shows that using AAC will NOT stop a child from learning to speak.

I’m going to simplify this down as much as possible.

The best way to teach a child to communicate using an AAC app, is through modeling.

When you are talking to the child, push a button that corresponds to what you’re saying.

Push those buttons all day long!

Push one button at a time.

Combine two buttons together to make a longer utterance.

Show them where things are on the device.

And yes, this means you need to get to know the app yourself and figure out where stuff is.

Awesome!

You know what that is?

Babbling.

All babies do it.

They may have missed that step.

They need to learn what the app can do, and that means pushing random buttons.

Allow time for that.

In addition to modeling, you also need to provide reason for the child to use the device.

Put a snack they want in a sealed jar and model “open” on the device.

Then wait, and see if they push that button themselves.

If not, provide some prompts, like pointing at the button or nudging their hand in that general direction.

If they get frustrated, model again and do the thing they want.

There are many words that you could teach them on their AAC app.

But not all of them are equally helpful.

“Car” is only helpful if there is a car present.

But “go” could be used in literally any situation with movement.

Focus on these general words first.

We call these “Core Words” and they’re generally found on the front/main page of the AAC app.

We have so much more information on using AAC with children!

In fact, I have full courses and AAC therapy kits inside The Hub

Come join us inside The Hub to access our courses and AAC starter kit:

Access the Resources Inside The Hub (Free Trial Available)