October is AAC Awareness Month

AAC Awareness Month is celebrated each October. It began in 2007 to create awareness about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and celebrate all the different ways people communicate with each other.

AAC includes any way of communicating other than spoken speech, for example:

• no-tech: gestures, facial expressions, eye gaze, visual schedules, or Lámh.
• low-tech: paper picture boards, core word boards, communication books or communication boards.
• high-tech: tablets with AAC apps, or tablet-based speech generating devices.

People can switch between all those options, depending on need, preference, and availability.

AAC can be introduced as early as infancy. The earlier it's used, the more it can support a child's language and cognitive development (how we learn, think, and problem-solve from childhood through to adulthood).

Sometimes, a parent can worry that using an AAC device might prevent their child's speech. It can positively support language development by providing a stable way for a child to communicate while their speech emerges or remains limited.

Modelling is a helpful way for a parent to support their child with AAC. This is where the parent uses the child’s AAC system during real activities, like mealtime or playtime or bedtime, showing or modelling how the system is used. The AAC is being used in a natural setting and situation for them. They are learning from observing their parent's use of the ACC system, before learning to do so themselves.

AAC is not just about supporting a child to express themselves; it is also about supporting their receptive language (the language they understand). If a child has difficulty processing language and understanding what has been asked of them, AAC tools, like visual schedules, or Lámh, or picture symbols that bridge that gap for them.

AAC supports a wide range of needs and conditions, including apraxia, autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and intellectual disability. It can be used as a short-term and long-term support.

See AAC Awareness Ireland on Instagram for more information about AAC.