Tips For Teaching AAC to a Child

Tips For Teaching AAC to a Child

Alternative & Augmentative Communication helps the child to learn communication through different modalities (especially using a device) other than the verbal mode. The hardest part about using AAC devices with children, is, knowing what to do with it once you have it. Another doubt can be understanding how to implement the whole system in the daily routine and school life of the child.

Let us brush up the important things which you can do to help your child communicate much better with the help of AAC device.

• Find a suitable device –

The first and foremost thing is that the device should match up with the child’s need and comfort. With the help of the speech language pathologist, you can get your child evaluated regarding the strengths of your child.

• Family awareness-

All the family members must be involved in the process of acquiring the AAC device. You with your partner should try the device among yourselves and become at ease with the same.

• Modelling-

Make your child more comfortable using the device. This can be done only if you use the device to communicate among yourselves. Use the device in a natural environment.

• Practice more-

Each and everything has to be practiced again and again to get it into the actions of daily routine. Normally to learn new word verbally the child needs at least 50 repetitions. Same with the device repetitions do matter.

• Consistency-

You should be consistent for using the device in all the favorable environments. The child needs to understand that certain actions through AAC will be leading to certain consequences. In order for the child to understand how to request or say something to get another thing, these responses you give must be consistent.

• Reinforcement-

Always praise your little one for using AAC, even if there is a small try or intend for using the device praise them and help them to complete their words/ sentences using the device.

• Device handy-

It is important to make sure that the device is always around within the child’s reach. Once she gets used to it, she will be taking it with her. Initially, you will give her the device, but the goal here is to teach the child to advocate for the device, as it is her right to communicate in the most comfortable way and to teach her to protest the removal of the device.

• Building up-

Build up words and sentences based on the prior knowledge of the child, in order to integrate a new concept or skill.

• Pause time-

Add a break and look at your child to communicate using a device. Let them explore instead of rushing them to the desired solution.

I hope these tips will help you enjoy the AAC device with your child and you can easily bring your child to communicate through it. If there are any queries related to the device you can feel free to leave a comment and subscribe to our page.