October is AAC Awareness Month! Welcome to AAC 101!

October is AAC Awareness Month! Welcome to AAC 101!
AAC = Augmentative & Alternative Communication
What does this mean? AAC is any tool, method, or system that can be used to help someone communicate when their ability to speak verbally is either unclear, too difficult, or just not yet developed. AAC does not have to replace verbal communication, it supports and helps build it.
Some common types of AAC are:

• No-Tech (person-based): Body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye-pointing, or sign language that require no equipment or batteries.
• Low-Tech (Paper-Based): Picture cards, communication boards, symbol books, or visual schedules that are portable and battery-free (such as PECS).
• High-Tech (Power-Based): Tablets, specialized speech-generating devices (SGDs), or communication apps (like Proloquo2Go or TouchChat) that speak out loud when touched or selected.

All forms of AAC are good forms, it is a matter of what’s best for your child and sometimes that is not just one particular communication method. As your child grows and develops, their method of communication will likely change and grow as well.