Terminology
AAC – Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Anything we use to communicate besides our voices. This may be communication devices, cell phones, sign language, gestures, or other visuals.
Core Vocabulary – The most frequently used words in a language, often used in a variety of contexts. About 200 words make up 80% of what we say in a day. Some examples are go, in, put, that, big. We focus on teaching these words because they provide the ability to communicate a wide variety of intents.
Fringe Vocabulary – These are less frequently used words that are still important, but only refer to one person, item or place. These words can not be used as flexibly as core words.
Example: If a child says “dog”, I may ask “did you SEE a dog or do you HAVE a dog”. Dog is a fringe
vocabulary word, whereas “see” and “have” are core vocabulary words that clarify the meaning. If a child
says “have dog”, that is more specific and clear.
Modeling
Show your child a specific skill hoping they may use it too. This is a great way to show your children the power of using their AAC device in specific situations.
Example: When reading a book, as you get to the end of one page, you may verbally say, “I need to turn the page”, while pressing “turn” on their AAC device. Do this for each page you turn. After a few pages, pause and see if your child uses “turn” to ask you to turn the page. If they don’t, continue using “turn” and giving wait time.
Recasting
Repeating a child’s utterance with more accurate vocabulary or grammar. This is a great strategy for still listening to what the child has said and supporting them in making it more intelligible to listeners.
Example: I had a student say “sister baby girl”. I verbally said (excitedly), “Oh wow, your sister had a baby girl!”, while using the student’s device to say “sister have baby girl”. The word “have” helps to make that sentence easier for listeners to understand.
Aided Language Stimulation
This differs from modeling in that it is a bit more naturalistic of a strategy. For this you use the child’s AAC, while talking during an activity to show how to use their AAC device functionally in different contexts. During modeling, you are hoping the child will repeat what you’re saying and it is more specific, whereas Aided Language Stimulation may be more casual.
Example: You’re brushing your teeth and your child is standing next to you, maybe you are running low on toothpaste. You might use your child’s device to say “look! Toothpaste all done”, along with “I get
more tomorrow”.
Bonus Tips
Wait time – Give your child wait time. Wait time is giving extra time to say something on their device before jumping in to help. Communication happens fast so it can feel unnatural to wait but this is a great thing to do to support our AAC user’s independence and learning. Be responsive – Always respond to what your child says, even if you’re not sure what they mean. This reinforces the idea that their device is for communication and that communication breakdowns are okay!
Give it time! You and your child are both essentially learning a new language. You’re communicating in a way that is new to both of you and it takes practice, repetition and time. No one has learned a whole language in a day so don’t beat yourself up if you’re struggling to find a word or feel like your child isn’t
making quick enough progress. They and you will get there! Be kind to yourself when learning something
new.