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Plain-language articles about AAC — augmentative and alternative communication — for families of nonspeaking children. These are not sales pages. Each article is meant to be useful on its own, whether or not you ever use anything we make.
The fear that a communication device will stop a child from talking is common — and the research answer is unusually clear. Across the rigorous studies, no child's speech decreased after starting AAC, and most children gained some speech.
A realistic, low-pressure guide to your child's first week with AAC — what actually matters (having words available, modeling a little, expecting nothing on a deadline), and what you can safely ignore.
Modeling — using your child's AAC while you talk — is the best-supported thing a family can do to help AAC take root. Here's what it is, why it works, and how to do it lightly: key words, no demands, long pauses, real life.
AAC — augmentative and alternative communication — is the umbrella term for every way a person can communicate beyond speech, from gestures to speech-generating apps. What it is, who it's for, and what the evidence says, in plain language.